Welding is surprisingly exhilarating, once you get the hang of it. Understanding how to lay a bead correctly is an amazing feeling for many of us. Many are simply satisfied with welding as just a hobby. The cool thing about treating welding as a hobby is that it can become a decent source of income on the side. Below are a few tips that hobby welders should (and do) live by.
- Be friendly
- Be open with your neighbors
- Leverage Social Media marketing to find jobs
- Don’t take on too many large jobs
- Buy welding equipment intelligently (and hopefully economically)
- Possibly set up a welding station in the back of a truck
- Build a welding station in your house
- Possibly lease the space of another
8 Ways To Make Money As A Hobby Welder
1. Be friendly (or have an opener)
The great thing about welding as a hobby is that you set your own schedule. Of course this also means that you have to set out in search of your own projects as well. The best way to do this is to make your presence and welding ability known to your neighbors. If you do this correctly you can get a decent number of projects per week from your neighborhood customers.
If you want to get projects from people, you also have to be considered likable and friendly. If you aren’t then you should consider getting something that will act as an opener to your neighbors, such as a dog.
2. Be open with your neighbors
You have to make sure that your neighbors understand that you know what you’re doing. If they don’t feel as if you do, then they won’t give you jobs. They’ll ask you multiple questions, which, you’ll have to make sure you answer. If they ask you questions you have to make sure you answer them as if they were questions you had of your own welding questions.
3. Leverage Social Media Marketing to find jobs
While it’s a good thing to have friends who give you welding jobs in person it’s more beneficial to leverage social media to find outside jobs. Consider how far you could reach if you understood that you could extend your reach to the thousands of people you have as friends on Facebook. All you would have to do is go on your account and make sure that people understood that you know what you’re doing. For instance, post pictures of projects and details on what it actually is. Just let them know that you understand what you’re doing as a welder.
4. Don’t take on too many big projects
You have to understand that welding as a hobby means that the time you spend welding is limited. This also means that the timeline of welding projects is much larger than that of a person who welds for a living. You also have to understand that while big projects will make you more they will take much longer to finish. And turnaround time is a crucial factor when you’re selling time.
You don’t want people to begin seeing you as unprofessional or uncapable because you’ve taken too long to do a project for them. That can ruin the way people see you throughout the entire neighborhood. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take big projects, it just means that you have to set realistic expectations about how long they should take.
If you do decide to not take on larger projects here is a list of 23 great (medium sized) ones
5. Buy welding equipment intelligently
You also have to keep in mind that you’ll be buying your own welding equipment. You won’t be able to just spend huge sums of money without thinking. Remember, all of the best deals are usually found online. You won’t have to worry about that pesky sales take either.
6. Possibly set up a welding station in the back of a truck
If you already have a truck, you could always set your welding shop up in the back of it; if this is done correctly you could reap massive benefits. It might be a bright idea to make use of the unused space in the back of your truck. It isn’t costly to do this, and it makes it easy to move from space to space when you’re doing welding projects. It’s also easier to move to each client, which is also convenient when you compare this to when customers have to use resources to travel to you.
If you don’t currently own a truck, this option may be fairly expensive. It could be a hassle to purchase a truck and set everything up from zero. It might be best if you opt for an option that is less expensive.
7. Build a welding station in your house
Building a welding station in the house is considered to be the most convenient, cost-effective, and convenient option. By working in the house, you’ll be safer and improve your productivity. When you set up a welding shop in your compound, you’re sure there is enough space to do all the duties that come with your welding. it would be even better to do this if you have a garage in your house.
You could even set up a small strong shed on your lawn. You do have to keep in mind that this is a long-term investment, so you’ll want to build a durable and robust structure that’s going to provide value for money.
8. Possibly lease the space of another
If you choose this option, you could always make use of someone else’s space or shop and make payments monthly, varying with the rate they both choose. One could also choose to have a bartered agreement. By renting a working space you’ll have unlimited access and will be able to work on your projects any time you want to. The only issue with this is that late or non-payment could lead to issues between the landlord and you; meaning that one should ensure that the business idea is a good idea before you enter into a rental contract.
If you aren’t careful, choosing this option could result in one wasting their time and money. For instance, if you have the option of using another space, you could save money on the rent you would pay to the person you’re leasing from. Before you decide to choose this option perform the necessary calculations; if you find that this option is strategic then go for it.
Projects you can do to make money as a hobby welder
- Metallic Interior Ornaments: Home interior has become a booming market since everyone wants to build techniques to make sure their home is classy, well decorated and elegant; making this another viable option to make money as an at-home welder. Metal ornaments have become suitable for decorating living rooms based on a number of designs and specifications. If you weld at home, you should consider this untapped market; meaning you should make sure that you are tapping into your artistic juices and making final products are creative. It isn’t suggested that you copy other artist’s designs if they don’t fit you. Making artists that are intended for specific types of people will help you promote your business organically. Other clients may be impressed by the products you make.
- Metal Furniture: Furniture made of metal has become a high demand item in today’s market – consequently it’s also a great way to make money if you’re welding at home. There are always clients who are willing to purchase furniture even if it hasn’t been made to their specifications or exact customizations. As a person who welds at home you should play around with aesthetic and unique designs while ensuring that your products are the best quality. When the product’s quality is high, you produce opportunities to make sales via referrals.
- Vehicle inclines: A car incline made of metal tend to attract customers. When you’re making these your customers should be vehicle businesses, car enthusiasts, and garages. Once you start working on vehicle inclines, you should let people know about your work by marketing it. A good deal of vehicle ramps is custom, which explains why you should have them specially designed according to the specifications set by the buyer. Making bulk vehicle inclines isn’t really a good idea when you don’t know what you want for your target market, meaning you may end up with losses. A good deal of businesses and garages have custom specs they want with a given period of time. It’s of the utmost importance that you adhere to the time requirements and specs so that you develop trust in products and have better sales.
- Make outdoor grills: Who doesn’t like grilled bbq? If you decide to venture into the industry of welding and would like to make a product that’s going to pay good money, you should consider the art of making outside grills. Even though outside grills can be a hassle to make, they are profitable because of the low cost of production. Despite the level of profit made possible by producing outdoor grills, it is necessary to make note of the fact that quality is important, meaning that that’s one thing you shouldn’t compromise on. When you make a low-quality outdoor grill, you’ll inevitably get low reviews from clients, which will have a negative impact on future sales.
- Make garage art: Garage art is considered a lucrative area to place focus on. This is considered a great idea when you decide to do your welding in the comfort of your own home. You could also concentrate on the metal’s function in a garage and on getting new ways to improve the role it plays to achieve maximal potential. A good deal of the time, garage art doesn’t fulfill the role it would play inside a yard. Meaning you could make unique animal skeletons and seating patterns to make use of the metal for aesthetics and convenience. Garage art shouldn’t only be an aesthetic but should be used for convenience. It’s preferred to make animal style seating, but these items should be made at your in-house welding station.
- Vehicle Exemplar: The market for vehicle exemplars is already very well-developed. Which means that when you set your welding station in your house, you should always consider making vehicle exemplars. A metal vehicle exemplar isn’t only used for memory but also for decor purposes. One could actually research a few classical vehicle designs and replicate them into smaller pieces. A great deal of clients would like to place these classic shapes inside their living rooms. Only a small number of raw materials is necessary as vehicle exemplars that are made are smaller A good deal of emphasis is on the detail and precision used to improve the quality of the final product. One could also add some sheen and polish to the final product to improve its appeal.
Here are a few welding pieces of welding equipment that should help.
