Your Day Job

[Chris Foley]

I started a like titled thread in a contributer only forum and got loads of replies. Some wanted to see what the reponse would be from an forum that is open to all...so here goes.

Many of use here are part time woodworkers or, in my case, a wanna be WW. So the question begs to be asked "What do you do in your day job?"

Thanks for sharing!

Oops...first edit as I forgot to share what I do! :D

I work for a large oil drilling contractor repairing and building oil rigs for the offshore drilling industry. Prior to that, I designed compressors and compressor packages from 30 Hp up to 5,000 Hp. As for my WW resume, I have built a few pieces of firewood but nothing that really makes me satisfied. I am buying my tools now and hope to have a shop setup soon.

Chris

[Al Killian]

Well up till 8 years ago I was a raod side deisel tech. I got to plat in the mud, snow and slush fixing tractor trailers and sometime earth moveing equipment. Then I blew my back out.:( I went back to school for elecetronics and couldnt do that either(Car acceident, tore my shoulder apart). So after two shopulder surgeries and one back operation, I sit home and pretend to make things when i'm felling good.:rolleyes:

[Bill Wyko]

Well, my daytime job is the owner of Audio 2000 and WYCO offroad center. It's amazing that I even have time to pick up a piece of wood.:o

[Victor Stearns]

Heavy vehicle development engineer. I'm the lucky guy who gets to test drive all test trucks with our new suspensions.

[Chris Foley]

** Quick note on why this is not in the Off Topic Forum **

The thread is related to what type of WWer you are and how you got into it (at least that is the intent). So please share! :D

[Bill Huber]

I work for Fedex, I am the Network, PC, Server, Hubs, Routers, TV system, Telephone system and just about anything that plugs into the wall tech, but then there is the wireless stuff that doesn't plug into the wall :D

I work at the Alliance Fort Worth hub in Fort Worth, Texas.

I am planning on retiring in about 3 years so last year I started looking at something I would enjoy doing at that time. I found that I really enjoyed WW and just kept working at it and some day I may be one. At this point in WW I am just learning everything I can and building small items at this time. Now when I do become a WW I may build something larger then a small box....


78635 78636

78637

[Gary Keedwell]

Gary,

The thread is also related to what type of WWer you are and how you got into it (at least that is the intent).
I deleted my post. The intent is worthwhile....while I personally see alot of pretentiousness.:o:)
Gary

[Bruce Page]

I work for Sandia National Laboratories, a large government science R&D facility. I assemble, test, flight certify, test, field, test and launch Re-entry Vehicles for the Missile Defense Agency. The payload flies on a modified Polaris missile to which we add a third stage. Launches are usually out of Kodiak, Alaska but sometimes out of Vandenberg AFB in California and PMRF/Barking Sands range in Kauai, Hawaii.
I've been making wood chips most of my life.

[Dennis Peacock]

I'm in the IT industry working for a data warehouse company. My day job is a Unix Systems Engineer. Been doing unix type work for about 30 years now.

Got into woodworking because I was raised on a far and it was necessary to keep the farm "working". Started refinishing furniture in high school and kept advancing in skills and tools ever since.

[Glenn Clabo]

I'm coming up on 37 years in and around the Navy...as the US Navy Submarine Weapons Launching Systems Technical Program Manager. Military way of saying I run the program that does all the design/maintenance engineering for all the systems that fire bullets and other stuff from submarines.

Started woodworking at 12...worked my way up to cabinets and finish guy. Decided being a machinist would be more interesting and stable to support a family...so I went on the GE apprentice course...then Uncle Sam wanted me and I figured what I knew fit the Navy better. I still love doing woodworking...but I'm a little more geared to redoing this old cape cod. When I retire in the next few...it's furniture or bust.

[Fred Voorhees]

I have been in the industrial and commercial insulation trade for 31 years now and am looking forward to completing the next five so that I can retire. Here are some pics that I have taken over the years of various jobs that I have done. There are two pics from a drug company that needed a complete re-insulation of the piping of their cooling tower. I did this job completely by myself. Piping was from two inches in diameter up to, if I remember correctly, about twenty inches in diameter.

Also, there are two pictures from a small repair job I did at another company in their boiler room. Some simple straightforward stuff that was a bit complicated.

[Jim King]

I wander around the jungle looking for nice wood for you guys to play with and stay out of your wifes way in the kitchen.

[David G Baker]

I was a TV News broadcast engineer. Did the electronic side of television news shows live shots via microwave and satellite up-links and down-links.
Now I am retired and a jack of all hobbies.

[Glenn Clabo]

Fred...
As an old sailor...I'm impressed. I know people don't generally think that "lagging" can be anything but functional...but if you spend 12-18 hours a day staring at the stuff...you get to know good work.

[Scott Donley]

Getting up in the morning and making coffee, anything else is extra :D

[Tyler Howell]

I have six of these and everything in betweem that I look after.
After 34 years I'm 58 days from retirement.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13484&d=1102636892

[Bill Wyko]

In my car audio shop I build woofer boxes, custom doors, consoles and just about anything you can dream up as well as a few things you better leave up to me. :D I was a framer in the past but it was too hard on my back. As far as my buggies go, no wood to be found but great for hunting for wood.:D

[Andy Hoyt]

I have six of these and everything in betweem that I look after. .... Umm Tyler. I count eight vehicles in that parking lot.

Didja get a promotion as inducement to forget about retirement?

[Paul Geer]

Work for Indiana University in the Facilities Management Department maintaining HVAC systems as well the energy management computer. I also work on the boilers and chiller systems. And when I'm not needed for that I'm a Wood worker and run the wood shop at the university.

I have always been in to woodworking, starting out at age 15, and learned from my dad loud speaker construction using Electro-Voice drivers. That lead me to cabinet and furniture making.

[Fred Voorhees]

Fred...
As an old sailor...I'm impressed. I know people don't generally think that "lagging" can be anything but functional...but if you spend 12-18 hours a day staring at the stuff...you get to know good work.

Thank you sir. I try to do my best....but then, 31 years in the trade ought to make anyone at least fairly good.:D

[Michael Gibbons]

I'm currently a factory rat at Ford Sterling gear and axle plant. Been there since Oct 25 1999. Before that I worked at Coca-Cola for 11 years. Had to leave- couldn't stand dealing with the public anymore. And I don't lke getting robbed at gunpoint which happened twice. I would have shot 'em but big business frowns on that behavoir and they don't allow employees to carry weapons. We must comply and become sheeple.

[David G Baker]

I work for Sandia National Laboratories, a large government science R&D facility. I assemble, test, flight certify, test, field, test and launch Re-entry Vehicles for the Missile Defense Agency. The payload flies on a modified Polaris missile to which we add a third stage. Launches are usually out of Kodiak, Alaska but sometimes out of Vandenberg AFB in California and PMRF/Barking Sands range in Kauai, Hawaii.
I've been making wood chips most of my life.
Bruce,
My eldest son works for Sandia in New Mexico. Not sure what he does there. He has been there for a year or so. He retired from the Air Force.

[Bruce Page]

Bruce,
My eldest son works for Sandia in New Mexico. Not sure what he does there. He has been there for a year or so. He retired from the Air Force.

I'm trying to remember if I know any Baker's there. There's about 8000 of us. What's his first name?

[David G Baker]

His first name is Gary. He is probably know all over Sandia as the guy that just became a father of his ninth child.

[Bruce Page]

His first name is Gary. He is probably know all over Sandia as the guy that just became a father of his ninth child.

Nine kids! :eek: It was all I could do to raise three!
I'll look him up on Monday.

[Mike Heidrick]

IT guy - Doing WebSphere problem management right now, 11yr AIX admin before that, Pursuing IT architecture management. I work to afford the toys and my first (only child so far) daughter turned 1ysld today (Saturday 1/5/2007).

[Steve knight]

Well I made wooden hand planes for 8 years. it was my day job but never really made a living at it. now I run my cnc router and do all kinds of things and I am starting to make a living.

[Randy Moore]

I install HVAC systems in commercial and industrial buildings. I have been doing this, in some way or another, for 40 years. I have been in the Sheet Metal Workers Union for 35 years, so now I can retire at 55 yo. Don't get in my way as time get close to December 1, 2008. I can and do plan on retiring from the construction industry 12-01-08. Been a wanna be WWer since 7th grade but did not persue it until '03 when my Dad died, I got most of his tools. Now I can't ask him any questions.

[Mitchell Andrus]

This IS my day job!!

[Cary Falk]

I am a Process Engineering Technician for a semiconductor company. I help create manufacturing processes for computer chips. Remember those Intel commercials with the dancing people in the space suits. That's me but I don't work for Intel

[Bruce Page]

This IS my day job!!

LOL! A lot uf us have the same job!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have six of these and everything in betweem that I look after.
After 34 years I'm 58 days from retirement.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13484&d=1102636892

Congrats Tyler!..........


I'm not the least bit envious.....

[Anthony Scira]

I am a Electrician here in Los Angeles. I belong to the IBEW Local 11 where I get dispatched to jobs around the city.

Good job, good pay. But am looking into finding something to get out of this rat race. You know find a place thats good for raising kids and your mortgage is not 3500 a month with a high crime rate and crappy schools.

[Dale Johnson]

i don't have a day job. i work evenings. first 28 years, bigger and better ways to kill people and blow up the world, now building bigger and better ways to move concrete.
dale

[Matt Meiser]

I'm a Sr. Systems Engineer for an industrial systems integration company. Basically I write and/or implement software to move information between the plant floor and the front office (and vice-versa) in manufacturing plants. Its an interesting area of specialty IT work.

[Ben Grunow]

If you want your house torn down and a new one built in its place, I (and my father and our crew of 5) am your man. We do our own concrete, rebar, framing, cornice, windows, siding and interior trim (and more and more built ins every job). Lot of fun to work with my father, only down side is the cold winter and hot summers... and (some) clients.

[Dan Mages]

My old job was to take a lot of carp, kiss a lot of a__, and put up with stupid people, but I was fortunate enough to be laid off from that job. Given the internal politics and massive egos inside that company, it is no surprise they keep missing the holiday sales period and that their stock is down close to 40%.

I will be heading back to school in February to learn baking and pastry arts with the full intention of opening a bakery in the next few years. I have done my fair share of research and I cannot find for the life of me a dedicated bread store or high quality bakery anywhere near New Haven, CT. And lets not mention that CT doesn't have a single dedicated kosher bakery. With all puns intended, if I make this work, I will be rolling in dough...

Dan

[Justin McCurdy]

I am Sr. Software Engineer at a satellite radio company. I have worked in the industrial, automotive, and commercial fields doing embedded code for awhile now.

My interest in woodworking started while watching my father build things in the garage when I was 3. He worked for a cabinet shop for a good while that did custom installs before he worked for GM. Almost every relative I have has had him build them custom kitchens at one time or another. What impressed me most is how even after 20 years his work could still look like the day that he installed it.

I regret that I didn't take more time to learn his methods while I lived at home, but I was into doing everything else while growing up. I had to learn quick though as I decided to build two large decks when I bought my house. Even at the completion of those, I barely had more than a Ryobi miter saw and a Ryobi drill. My tool lust grew from there and now I just have a major problem getting projects off the ground because I find that no matter how I build something (especially for the shop), there is no way to fit in every feature I would like into the design. So I spend way too much time selecting the features as opposed to fine tuning my skills.

[Tom Sweeney]

I work for a large oil drilling contractor repairing and building oil rigs for the offshore drilling industry.
Chris

Hey Chris -it doesn't sound like exactly what they do, but I was wondering if you work for SLB? I work at a tradeschool & they hire some of our students. I was down in Houston last year meeting with them at their headqurters & it was very interesting stuff!

Since I hijacked the thread - I am an Advanced Training Rep for a large Auto / Diesel/ Industrial trade school helping America's future ;) get started in decent careers.

I haven't done any real WWing in probably 2 years unless you count renovating the homestead. I got started by buying tools to fix up some homes I owned & moved into more enjoable aspects of WWing.

[Eric Fuller]

Used to be in the Marine Corps, and got into IT security consulting while I went to college after I got out. Got into woodworking as a hobby my last year of college, and started doing it full time once I graduated...been doing it full time for about 4 years now. Makin' sawdust every day now and life is good! :D

[Steve Knowlton]

I am a general manager of a Truss plant. I have been in woodworking all my life. I have been turning for 4yrs.

[Richard Adamo]

I am an equity trader. I spend all day trading stocks and mutual funds at a small/mid size investment company in Pittsburgh.

[Sam Yerardi]

I'm an electrical engineer. I've done woodworking since I was a kid and learned a lot from my dad. I work in the nuclear industry. 20 years +. I am ready for a change. A woodworking change. My brother-in-law keeps telling me to start a custom kitchen cabinet business. Another friend of mine is acontractor and he told me that is the one thing our area really needs. I know this will sound stupid but I love building furniture. Doing production work day in & day out I think would change my mind about loving woodworking. What do you guys think? I'm 52 and would love to do WW full time.

[Charles Wiggins]

"What do you do in your day job?"

Currently, I am a college librarian.

[Chris Foley]

[quote=Tom Sweeney;739528]Hey Chris -it doesn't sound like exactly what they do, but I was wondering if you work for SLB? I work at a tradeschool & they hire some of our students. I was down in Houston last year meeting with them at their headqurters & it was very interesting stuff!

quote]

lol...Tom this is kinda funny. The company I work for used to be the drilling arm of SLB...however, it is now a huge mixture of a bunch of different companies. Let's just say that we are the LARGEST offshore drilling contractor. :D

[Brandi Dentice]

Am I the only girl that uses this place? :p I dare say after seeing some of your posts that I am one of the youngest :D (and witty too!)

I digress - I work for a software company and head the government piece of the pie. I primarily work with VA hospitals, and see first hand the sacrifice made by our vets. Gotta love 'em and if you don't I dare say you should stand behind 'em.

As to WW - just getting into the groove.

[Vicky Orsini]

Am I the only girl that uses this place? :p I dare say after seeing some of your posts that I am one of the youngest :D (and witty too!)
Well, Brandi, you're definitely not the only girl (there are actually quite a few of us in the Laser section ;) ), but I think you might be among the youngest. I'm feeling positively ANCIENT this week - will be hitting the last of my 30s on Friday. :eek: I agree with you - we all (on both sides of the border) should appreciate and support our veterans.

My "day" job is a part-time, work-from-home deal with a large insurance company. They were actually my former full-time employer, where I was "downsized" after my last mat leave, which prompted me to go into the whole engraving biz in the first place. I was then called back for a "temporary" part-time, telecommuting position ... that I've been doing for over a year now (so much for "temporary"! :rolleyes: ). I guess they just can't get enough of me! :D

[Phyllis Meyer]

Nope...you are not the only girl. Congratulations on being a new mom! Greatest job you will ever have!

Sincerely,
Phyllis:)

[Bill Cunningham]

Spent most of my working life in the Commercial Diving Industry, Finished up the last ten years teaching U/W welding, Explosives, diving physics, compressor systems, and some computer courses at a Toronto College. Then I semi retired in 89 to the promotional products business I have now. My shop is right next to my house, so I have no excuse to stay home, even in winter...Not that my wife would let me..:rolleyes:

[Colin Giersberg]

My day job is with the Alabama Department of Transportation. I get to play ( oops, work ) on our state highways. At the same time, I am dodging all kinds of excellent drivers talking on their cell phones, reading books, magazines or the newspaper, playing with their radios, mirrors, makeup, and who knows what all else. These are the same people who profess their innocence when they run over you because they did not see you.
The rest of the time, I spend in the office pushing a pencil around. I sure will be glad when that pencil gets to where ever it is going, because I sure am tired of pushing it around. Hmmm, I wonder if pulling it would be easier?

Regards, and happy woodworking, Colin

[Walt Nollan]

After 22 years in the Navy launching FA-18's off the pointy end of an aircraft carrier I now work for the Navy department as a FA-18 Airframes Tech Rep.

Walt

[Matt Woessner]

Real Estate Development Manager/ Herdsman for family farm where we raise quailty purebred herefords.

[Ron Mitchell]

For my day job I work as a Systems Technician (repairing computers) for my brother-in-laws company Christian Book Distributors the largest distributor of Christian material in the world. my job is to maintain the 680+ computers in the company. I have been doing this for the past 13 years. before that I was a Plumber.

About 4 years ago I set up a shop in my 2 car garage and I started taking woodworking classes at Homestead Woodworking School in Hew Hampshire

here are some photos of what ive been up to...
http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d54/remnantswoodshop/?start=all

[Jude Herr]

I grew up learning how to refinish furniture from my grampa. He was a furniture refinisher at the Statler Hilton in Buffalo, NY back when they actually hired people to do just that.
I now am the Editor for Toologics.com (http://www.toologics.com), a tool user blog. And also an avid DIYer, having learned lots about building and remodeling by working for my dad (a contractor) since I was big enough to pick up stray nails on the jobsite.

[Joe Chritz]

This is my day job (although today it is cutting firewood and fixing chainsaws).

My "real" job is nights.

I earn my keep as a public servant serving a 30 year sentence with the Sheriff Department here.

Not necessarily a Jack booted thug but I have some cool Motorcycle boots. :D

Coffee, donuts, guns and cars with sirens, whats not to love?

Joe

[Greg Muller]

I am a Forensic Accountant, I find the dead presidents for the judge.

If you hide them, we'll find them. If you bury them, we'll dig you up. If you send them overseas, we'll ship you up the river.

Somebody stop me...:o

Actually my job is pretty boring... lots of math and probability...

After chasing things that don't exist all day, I needed a hobby that gave visible, tangible results. Hence, woodworking. I NEED it.

Greg

[Joe D'Attilio]

I jsut started anew job as a Sourcing Specialist for a MRO supply chain company; previously I was managing maintennace accounts - landscaping, snow removal, etc for the Cookie cutter stores and corporate america(Wachovia, Circuit City, Best Buy, Tweeter, Target, Bank of America, Cumberland Farms...

I been woodworking off and on ever since I cna remember, probably started with my 1st remodeling job at age 5 - a 2 x 4 to my brother's face..

It was much easier then - Pop has all the tools, now 2 hours away I have an excuse to start my collection.

[Jim Young]

I design car parts during the day for an OEM. My job is to make sure your wheels stay on the car, so you and your kiddies can drive around safely.