If you were not doing blasting what would you be doing - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Idontknow · 09-28-2009, 12:42 AM

Just as a general discussion If you were not doing blasting what would you be doing ? what other businesses / Business ideas did you do, or look into before getting into blasting? In your travels have you seen any good business ideas that you thought you could make good money out off? or could add to your existing business?

Dyer · 09-28-2009, 06:08 PM

I paint houses on the side, but blasting comes first!

invbrock061 · 09-29-2009, 02:12 PM

I am police officer and blast on the side. Got to remind myself that not everyone gets paid to ride around in the ac all day.

Idontknow · 09-29-2009, 05:53 PM

Ok, here's another question how many of you are "full time" blasters and who do it just part time. it seems to me that a lot of people are just part time blasters, a "you can make good money blasting but don't give up your day job" sort of thing.

Betterblast? you said you did spray on truck bed liners, how has that worked out for you? I thought about doing that years ago but let it slide for various reasons.

panderson2414 · 09-29-2009, 07:27 PM

I am a full time blaster. The actual trade of sandblasting has very little to do with this site. I have a large extended group of people in this industry that would never spend their spare time talking about work at night. Stopping corrosion is the goal. Corrosion is the reason why sandblasting exist. I really love what I do. I want to share that with others. My job is looked down upon in the trades, I wanted to be the best at what I do and try to improve on my work continually. I have seen other money making ideas while I have traveled around. They have all related to sandblasting so I incorporated each type of the new abrasive into my company. This resulted in a company that can operate year round in cold climates. The first and most lucrative part of my company is preventing and removing corrosion. This has lead me to learn about the protective coating industry. I had a guy ask me once how can I get my hands on some money? I told him, "love to do something no one else could, it will love you back that much more".

rlaird · 09-29-2009, 08:47 PM

Its nice to do things other people think are too hard. When my equipment is running right, and its not hotter than the 7th hub of hell, I enjoy blasting, its like my own world, once you squeeze that dead-man everyone goes away......

Betterblast · 09-29-2009, 08:48 PM

Myself. I started in 1990 an a mobile auto glass installer. I stayed that way untill about 7 years ago when I decided to rent a shop and get off the road for a change. I came across a Rihno liner ad and ended up with a different supplier. It's just a few extra bucks and one more reason for a person to come in. They may also need glass or blasting. I actually got my first little shop blaster incase I had to clean up a truck bed for the liners. It turns out I never once used it for that. No one really spends that kind of cash on a truck that is that beat anyway. But now I had the blaster and I started to get a couple of jobs. It was making me better money than the liners right away and I just love to blast. I upgraded to my commercial equipment a little more than a year ago. And now I love it even more. I hope to be a full time mobile blaster with in a couple of more years but you never know. I need to work hard to find my market. A good source of repeat business. I am going to try to get in on smoke damage work with insurance. And I am considering a couple of other markets aswell. Time will tell.

rlaird · 09-29-2009, 08:54 PM

Glen,
Check with Companies Like ServPro, or ServiceMaster, I know the Fire Restoration business inside and out, That's how I started blasting again, because of Sodablasting, It turns out I'm doing more blasting and painting than I am fire restoration. If these guys don't own a blaster you may can get them to sub you out. It is very good for removing soot from brick, aluminum window frames (nonPainted) and Ive even been shooting the old gloss tile tub surrounds.

panderson2414 · 09-29-2009, 09:03 PM

I am about to get kicked off this site. The prowall guy found a bone to pick with me

Dyer · 09-29-2009, 09:03 PM

I blasted comercial for 12 years at a local ship yard, few years befor that. I am venturing out now on my own full time blast and paint, House painting fills the gaps for now.
I love blasting its the best feeling when you see that white metal showing , and you can see the results of a good job done!!

panderson2414 · 09-29-2009, 09:09 PM

I love to find that white metal to. The thing That sucks is spending the two hours to coat it at the end of the day

**ProWallGuy** · 09-29-2009, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panderson2414

I am about to get kicked off this site. The prowall guy found a bone to pick with me

No, you're not. I just asked you why you titled all your threads with your name. And then I suggested to name them so people could find them. That's all. You have a persecution complex or something?

Betterblast · 09-29-2009, 09:38 PM

Rick thanks for the tips.

I just had to redue a job today for a fabricator that brings me a lot of work. Some kind of rods that were zinc plated exept for the ends. They got them back form there customer all rusted on the ends and they had me blast them yesterday. I was not there when they picked them up this morning but they brought them back. They were rusty again that quick. Not my falt so they were cool about it but needed them redone. This time we dipped them in Harvys rust shield. I'll see in the morning if it worked. All metal is different. I have a garden tool in the shop that I blasted and left raw a week ago and it is still perfect white. Bisycle frames have sat for days before they get picked up and stay white. Then I have had auto frames flash rust almost as I'm blasting them. I would like to learn a little about what makes one metal act so differently than another. I had some gym equipment that I blasted clean and then painted with white Tractor Supply company paint which gets mixed with a hardener. Almost imediatly it showed small rust looking spots every where. It couldn't rust that fast so is that some kind of chemical reaction? I just toped it again and covered it. It didn't come back from the customer so I guess it's ok.

Betterblast · 09-29-2009, 09:45 PM

Pro wall I got a wierd vibe from your post as well. It's easy to misunderstand intentions with any text forum. I'm sure you were just being helpful, it might have been the long list of his posts that made it seemed you were agravated. No big deal I post a lot so I'm sure I'll piss off somone yet.

killzoneq2 · 09-29-2009, 11:11 PM

invbrock061, same here..... Imagine that LOL.. Do you work for someone or have your own stuff?

invbrock061 · 10-05-2009, 07:58 PM

I have my own equipment a buster blaster soda machine. I will always love policing, but i would love to have enough work to blast full time. Just hard to walk away from a steady paycheck. besides that not alot of work around here for blasting

question for all has anyone done any work in a osb plywood mill.