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Wed Dec 09, 2020 11:14 am

I agree. I use knee pads at work and everyone laughs at me and they have been doing this for years but their knees and backs are shot. I’m in my almost 3rd year as a mechanic I started when I was 16 and I’m almost 19 and I’ve learned a lot and I’m saving up for retirement since day one I think I am going to try to get a shop management position or work somewhere like a parts store where it takes the toll off my body when I get older. I love this field but I don’t get treated well. I was offered a job with the local county garage before all this stuff started but then they canceled the offer when it did happen so I’m still left doing independent stuff. I want to open my own shop. My neighbor is a mechanic too and he helps me with a lot of things I need.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:28 pm

Quote: I use knee pads at work and everyone laughs at me and they have been doing this for years but their knees and backs are shot.

Your the smartest 19 year old here. Really smart. Body damage is cumulative and protecting your joints and back from day one, is really smart

I’m approaching 70 and still have everything working pretty well, but I limit myself to 6 hours of heavy work per day

Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:01 pm

Abscate wrote: Quote: I use knee pads at work and everyone laughs at me and they have been doing this for years but their knees and backs are shot.

Your the smartest 19 year old here. Really smart. Body damage is cumulative and protecting your joints and back from day one, is really smart

I’m approaching 70 and still have everything working pretty well, but I limit myself to 6 hours of heavy work per day
Thanks. I agree. I also try to use rubber gloves when I can especially working around gas which they also think is funny. They will see one day I guess.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:03 pm

AutoMechanic wrote: I agree. I use knee pads at work and everyone laughs at me and they have been doing this for years but their knees and backs are shot. I’m in my almost 3rd year as a mechanic I started when I was 16 and I’m almost 19 and I’ve learned a lot and I’m saving up for retirement since day one I think I am going to try to get a shop management position or work somewhere like a parts store where it takes the toll off my body when I get older. I love this field but I don’t get treated well. I was offered a job with the local county garage before all this stuff started but then they canceled the offer when it did happen so I’m still left doing independent stuff. I want to open my own shop. My neighbor is a mechanic too and he helps me with a lot of things I need.

When I was starting out the mindset was different. The old guys operated under the motto whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. They taught us to wash in trichloroethane, lacquer thinner or whatever we had. We didn’t use hearing protection and we didn’t wear gloves. That was all for pussies and mommas boys. Times have changed and for the better, let those idiots laugh. Nobody used respirators either, so very very stupid because many of the guys never made retirement. Use every safety device provided years later it will pay dividends 😀

Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:03 pm

Your telling me brake cleaner and evaporust isnt good for my eyes? And paint fumes imbued toxic chemicals into my lungs? Hey! I learned something new today!

Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:58 pm

Zundfolge1432 wrote: AutoMechanic wrote: I agree. I use knee pads at work and everyone laughs at me and they have been doing this for years but their knees and backs are shot. I’m in my almost 3rd year as a mechanic I started when I was 16 and I’m almost 19 and I’ve learned a lot and I’m saving up for retirement since day one I think I am going to try to get a shop management position or work somewhere like a parts store where it takes the toll off my body when I get older. I love this field but I don’t get treated well. I was offered a job with the local county garage before all this stuff started but then they canceled the offer when it did happen so I’m still left doing independent stuff. I want to open my own shop. My neighbor is a mechanic too and he helps me with a lot of things I need.

When I was starting out the mindset was different. The old guys operated under the motto whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. They taught us to wash in trichloroethane, lacquer thinner or whatever we had. We didn’t use hearing protection and we didn’t wear gloves. That was all for pussies and mommas boys. Times have changed and for the better, let those idiots laugh. Nobody used respirators either, so very very stupid because many of the guys never made retirement. Use every safety device provided years later it will pay dividends 😀
Oh yeah I try to use hearing protection as well. Hardly anybody uses air tools anymore so I really don’t have to worry about noise too much though I still use air tools I always have hearing protection on when I’m using my air hammer because man is that thing loud.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:59 pm

Chickensoup wrote: Your telling me brake cleaner and evaporust isnt good for my eyes? And paint fumes imbued toxic chemicals into my lungs? Hey! I learned something new today!
Hahaha I work with guys that use brake cleaner to clean their hands instead of walking over to the sink to wash them. They say it gives them a cooling feeling.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:43 pm

AutoMechanic wrote: Chickensoup wrote: Your telling me brake cleaner and evaporust isnt good for my eyes? And paint fumes imbued toxic chemicals into my lungs? Hey! I learned something new today!
Hahaha I work with guys that use brake cleaner to clean their hands instead of walking over to the sink to wash them. They say it gives them a cooling feeling. Well, it does :lol: I hardly use a creeper when I work in the shop, I lay on the concrete, bad habit that I can't break. If I'm on a creeper I'm too cramped. I do wear a mask whenever I'm using a spray gun and try to if I'm doing plastic work, but it gets real annoying real quick. Now what I can't understand is the guy at my shop who refuses to wear a welding helmet. He has a beautiful one I'm pretty sure he bought off the truck, but instead just closes his eyes :roll: My boss really hammers the mask thing into me though, that's the most important IMO especially as a body man.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:54 pm

67ctbug wrote: AutoMechanic wrote: Chickensoup wrote: Your telling me brake cleaner and evaporust isnt good for my eyes? And paint fumes imbued toxic chemicals into my lungs? Hey! I learned something new today!
Hahaha I work with guys that use brake cleaner to clean their hands instead of walking over to the sink to wash them. They say it gives them a cooling feeling. Well, it does :lol: I hardly use a creeper when I work in the shop, I lay on the concrete, bad habit that I can't break. If I'm on a creeper I'm too cramped. I do wear a mask whenever I'm using a spray gun and try to if I'm doing plastic work, but it gets real annoying real quick. Now what I can't understand is the guy at my shop who refuses to wear a welding helmet. He has a beautiful one I'm pretty sure he bought off the truck, but instead just closes his eyes :roll: My boss really hammers the mask thing into me though, that's the most important IMO especially as a body man.
Yeah I wear a mask if doing any type of stuff like that too. Fortunately for me our shop has lifts though sometimes we do a diagnosis in the parking lot so I’ll use a Jack and Jack stands and knee pads. Also we have heat for the winter and air for the summer it’s nice. I don’t do a whole lot of welding but when I do I use my coworkers helmet.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:22 pm

X2 or 3+ on the safety equipment and practices, even if your co workers think you are being a chickenshit, you'll be the one who's visiting them on their deathbeds later, who's laughing now?

If I knew what I know now when I started out in the late 70's I'd be wearing a air supplied helmet respirator and full body condom for every job I did, nearly everything the old school guys did without gloves, goggles or masks is now a prime cause of misery later in life. Surviving to old age isn't any fun if your body is broken and sore.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:49 pm

AutoMechanic wrote: I’m 18 and a mechanic by trade. I love old Volkswagens I’ve got a 73 super that I’m working on right now. Between work and working on my car it keeps me tired lol. I love any classic car they are so much better than anything modern and that’s something that disappoints me about this generation I know very few car people in this generation. It’s good to know I’m not alone on this forum until I seen this thread I thought I was.

There are more young people! Lol. I also know very few car people, and when I do meet them it’s “oh yeah I sent my Subaru to the shop last week for..” 90% of the time. Lol not enough love for the classics, and not enough kids that want to learn!!

Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:51 pm

Chickensoup wrote: Abscate wrote: Guys ..pick up welding and you will always have work, an even better, 1099 work. Buy used Lincoln or Miller equipment during down turns.

IDK what brand Ceckert has but he has a Mig i believe? And i have a china Tig I bought on sale a few years ago in addition to a Lincoln Mig i traded some parts for.

People ask me all the time to weld up steel and aluminum( and im not even that good), but because i can weld...

For future reference for anyone wanting to get a welder, start off w/ tig. its the hardest(IMO) to start off with, but you can practically pick up a mig or stick and start welding away if your good a Tig. Tig also produces some really clean beads. Practically 0 splatter, and, little fumes.

I have yet to learn to weld but have a little MIG sitting in my garage waiting. We found a snap on welder at a garage sale awhile ago for $60, so I got the old one lol. Just don’t have the time to learn currently.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:40 pm

brinleydavis wrote: AutoMechanic wrote: I’m 18 and a mechanic by trade. I love old Volkswagens I’ve got a 73 super that I’m working on right now. Between work and working on my car it keeps me tired lol. I love any classic car they are so much better than anything modern and that’s something that disappoints me about this generation I know very few car people in this generation. It’s good to know I’m not alone on this forum until I seen this thread I thought I was.

There are more young people! Lol. I also know very few car people, and when I do meet them it’s “oh yeah I sent my Subaru to the shop last week for..” 90% of the time. Lol not enough love for the classics, and not enough kids that want to learn!!
Haha yeah I know they claim to be into cars but then they say exactly as you stated oh it’s at the shop and so it indicates they aren’t a car guy. A Subaru I’d run from anyway lol never ever buy one based on my experience working on them. I know in high school automotive class everyone in that class liked classic cars over modern and it was all different types I was a classic VW guy but like all old ones then you had one guy who liked old Ford then one guy who liked old Chevy and so on it was great if you had a question about one of those models you could just ask I still talk to all of those people too it’s a very small group of us anymore. The last non car person I talked to that was my age couldn’t tell me what a socket, wrench or ratchet was at least they knew what a hammer and screwdriver were though lol.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:42 pm

busdaddy wrote: X2 or 3+ on the safety equipment and practices, even if your co workers think you are being a chickenshit, you'll be the one who's visiting them on their deathbeds later, who's laughing now?

If I knew what I know now when I started out in the late 70's I'd be wearing a air supplied helmet respirator and full body condom for every job I did, nearly everything the old school guys did without gloves, goggles or masks is now a prime cause of misery later in life. Surviving to old age isn't any fun if your body is broken and sore.
Haha yeah I agree I care about my body. A lot of them don’t wear steel toes either which is absolutely crazy if I owned the shop they wouldn’t step foot inside without steel toes. Most just wear regular shoes not even leather ones or anything.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:47 pm

yes well my sister doesnt know what pliers are. annoys the hell out of me. probably because shes ignorant about it and rejects anything thats not pink, bubble gum pop music, and artistic. but then again...

Wed Dec 09, 2020 9:03 pm

Chickensoup wrote: yes well my sister doesnt know what pliers are. annoys the hell out of me. probably because shes ignorant about it and rejects anything thats not pink, bubble gum pop music, and artistic. but then again...
Hahahahaha my sister is pretty smart don’t know what she knows never had to ask lol usually I ask my dad if I need a tool or something.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 9:06 pm

AutoMechanic wrote: A lot of them don’t wear steel toes either which is absolutely crazy if I owned the shop they wouldn’t step foot inside without steel toes. Most just wear regular shoes not even leather ones or anything.
I’m guilty of that sometimes, but at least I don’t wear flip-flops :lol: :wink:

Wed Dec 09, 2020 9:23 pm

Ceckert64 wrote: AutoMechanic wrote: A lot of them don’t wear steel toes either which is absolutely crazy if I owned the shop they wouldn’t step foot inside without steel toes. Most just wear regular shoes not even leather ones or anything.
I’m guilty of that sometimes, but at least I don’t wear flip-flops :lol: :wink:
Yeah lol one of them dropped a brake rotor on his foot off an SUV it was pretty big after that he started wearing steel toes everyday. A lot of stuff happens in shops I wouldn’t go in with flip flops lol.

Thu Dec 10, 2020 5:47 am

:shock:

Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:49 am

Chickensoup wrote: :shock:

Lol 😂