young people in the trade

A place for professionals to network and discuss the business and technology inside the shop.



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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:04 pm
hello peoples i am almost just about there to being legal to drink well about 400 days off but, ive been doing auto body since freshman year in highschool at a vocational school. I still run into inconsistency in my work, i walked out of a shop for some reasons not to be really prolonging this title but, i just got back in three months ago. I havent had a worse week besides this one and the shop idiot is talking shmack now haha well while im walking away rather than asking how the hell i did. Now what i wanna touch on here is idk maybe tips and tricks for young kids like me growing in the trade quick ways to spot your mess ups before things go in the booth or before anyone has a chance to say hey man what are you doing, because usually im really good but this week eh i need more knowledge... post away



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 7:09 pm
Whats up jay. Im a pretty young guy in the industry and have run into alot of older guys like to ridicule the new younger guys for the mistakes they made. No offense to the older guys but they need to also realize that they too started while they were young and made all the same mistakes youve made. They need to be more constructive then tear you down in order really help you out. Stay away from those older guys who would rather make fun of you then help you out. You dont need them anyways. Respect the knowledge from those willing to help you. Analyze it and try it out. If it works for you great and integrate it into how you do your thing. If not, no worries just respectfully say thanks and keep along your way. Those hateful older guys are just scared that you can do a better job than them. So do it. Show them you can do better work than them and shut them up. Dont let em keep you down. We are the future of this industry


But back to the topic, you need to be very detail oriented in order to catch your mistakes. Be methodical in the way you approach your project. For example you need to have your established operating procedures for prepping a panel for primer and blocking. You do it the same way everytime. That way you can keep consitent results because your always doing it the same way and that way if something does go wrong you catch it as soon as it happens. Same goes for painting, laying bondo, pulling frames, whatever.

shops also look for resilient guys. Guys who can quickly come up with a solution to fix the problems they encounter and fix them without having to call someone to ask what to do. The only way for this is by continuing your education and trying to learn as much as you can by watching what works and what doesnt with the other guys, taking classes,, reading books and reading up on this forum. Just keep yourself informed and always keep your head up.



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:10 am
I started pretty young too and I know how you feel, here's my two cents. Before you even prime anything always check the part, all fuller must be pin hole free (you don't want air to get trapped by the primer, although there's a trick if you miss a pinhole, spray a little bit of primer right on it and rub it with your finger, it'll get in the pinhole, let it flash and keep priming as usual). Also always use your hand to check for high or low spots, close your eyes or turn around while you do this to increase sensibility) always run your hand sideways and then up and down, if someone else is doing the body work don't be afraid of telling them they need to fix it, if they throw you an attitude then you might need to talk to someone in a higher hierarchy, if they tell you it's your job to fix it then it's time to ask for a raise whether your on commission or hourly, if you're on commission you can even demand to have some time taken off the body man and given to you. Now during primer, always give primer the right flash time and the correct film thickness, it has to be neither dry nor dripping wet, spray it as you spray clear, a little slower if your primer is too thick, and you'll be fine. Always spray at least 3 coats, 4 coats is great for fixing so/so body work, 5 coats might be pushy but I do it from time to time on really big panels with too much body work done (I do my own body work so I know my limitations and this is how I make up for them =) ). Don't unmask your parts after prepping this will be useful trust me. 5 minutes before blocking your primer add a fine guide coat if your shop doesn't provide it use some way over diluted left over color, red and black work best. Try to always dry sand your primer with 220 and then 320 sandpaper, this will save you a lot of time if you need to re-prime anything or spot prime any sand throughs, and since you didn't unmask your clean up will me much easier. When you are done with 320 with no sand trhoughs now it's safe to unmask. Now it's safe to wet sand, since you will be removing much less primer from here on you'll be making less of a mess. Additionally I recommend you block sand with 400 wet, this time extend your sanding about 3 4 inches outside your primed area, this will help you blending your repaired area much better. And that's about it I'm sure you know the rest of the story so if you have any questions just ask here maybe I'll have an answer for you. I hope this helps you or anybody reading this topic who is in a similar situation.



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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:49 pm
Keep your head up and keep plugging away, you will eventually find a shop that will be a good fit.When starting out keep your eyes and ears open and be humble with a teachable attitude,this alone will earn you the respect of the older techs.I have seen way too many younger guys with a know it all attitude who don't listen fall flat on their face.Look for someone in the shop who knows what they are doing that produces excellent work and put yourself in a position to learn from them.Good luck

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 8:09 am
Jay,,,your in a business where people love to talk schit about the least little thing that you do wrong. I know its hard, but you have to ignore it. If they see that there comments bother you,,they will keep doing it.

You have to have thick skin and dont let them bother you with there remarks.

I know you said you have been to vocational school but if the company can send you to painters school (Like PPG or DuPont) by all means GO! It will help you a lot!

Good luck and dont give up!
"The number of parasites in the USA has now eclipsed the number of productive members of society"


Capt Rick Hiott.
www.reelfishhead.com



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PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:49 am
No offense to the older guys but they need to also realize that they too started while they were young and made all the same mistakes youve made.


And most of them got flack for it. Old guys riding new guys is just part of life. There are a lot of reasons for this. Some guys just want to carry on the "tradition", others are just mean. Since you're double checking your work, you're turning it into a positive.
Capt. Rick is right, don't let them bother you, and get as much training as you can. Good technicians keep training through their entire careers, in order to keep up with the latest developments.



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PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 2:50 pm
I think the key in everything is time and discipline , dude I learned real early on I was 18 yr old at the time, first time in a shop but at that point I had been in the game for a few years... you HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS ever single time!!!!!!! don't cut corners , if it takes you an extra 10 minutes to prep something then do it vs.. getting chewed out. you have to discipline yourself to do the same thing time and time again, like a robot. if you sway to the right or the left youll screw something up. maybe tell us what your job is and we could help you sharpen your skills.. in ex , you a prepper, painter, bodyman, detailer.....?

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PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2014 12:00 am
I didn't start young at this, but I'm definitely still new at it. One thing I've noticed, the guys who really know their craft well, are the ones willing to help, respectfully. The ones talking smack are usually the guys who after years and years are still not on their A games, keep those schmucks off your radar. At the end of the day though, don't take anything personal, use these people to your advantage. If there's something you can learn from these guys, take that knowledge.

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 11:59 am
sup guys, im in a similar situation I can say, my response has something to do with this post. just a couple of questions??So how is the market for us young guys in the business. I used to paint cars for a used car dealer and yall must know how that goes, that wasn't an excuse to turn out hack jobs so I did my best I could at the time and got decent at it not know jack other than 1 useless year at a vocational. now im at an actual body shop where im the painter helper and hopefully ill be the painter by the end of this year. I have been to ppg school and got my certification for envirobase. where I work its kinda slow I know what im capable of im not a know it all All i want to do is go from being the preper to painter considering I can do both. Im considering moving towards Atlanta and hopefully find a job another where work is more consistent and the pay should be better. (making 10.50/hr as of now) and that is just not cutting it anymore. can any of the older guys spare some advce?



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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:56 pm
The more experienced techs are going to ride you either, one on one, or in a group atmosphere. It just depends on the shop that you work at. Its normal, and its not always a bad thing. Even if you know your the baddest, fastest, 45 hour rollin over to the next week Technician out there ( 75k +- a year) You can still learn something from the dumbest son of a b. lol Trust me you will work at a few shops throughout your career and meet guys that have been in the business for thirty plus years and have been a "Hack" for all thirty. And every now and then you meet a Tech who has been touched by the hands of god. You guys that have met these Talented individuals know what I mean. Take interest in that guy and learn from him. Take pride in your work and put in your heart and soul. Learn the correct techniques and take advantage of continuous training. Whether its a 4-hour I-CAR class or a couple days out of town for continued education through the paint store. Never sale yourself 1% short in this industry. Keep a good reputation and it will give you a rewarding life and career. Im 29 and have been doing everything from heavy collision to full blown restorations the right way since my early teens and have been in the collision industry my whole life. My father is one of the few who have been touched by the hands of god and I was lucky enough to be taught by him. SO, working on my own at 18 in a shop, with knowledge ive had since a young age made me a target in the early years. Older guys feeling de-masculated. Don't sweat it! Good luck!...... And remember when you get a brand new mini-van that you have to r'n' I the cradle, suspension, motor/trans, pull the dash and carpet, while its sitting on the frame machine, just so you can put a new rail in it because you don't have the option to push it over to service... That's gravy ****!! Remember its not a job. Its a career. And only the best technicians can do the heavy ****. Again, Take pride. That's what this industries missing!

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