[reggi]

I'm following up with a potential client tomorrow - would like to do their dumpster repairs. Anybody know someone in this game?

I've got a Lincoln Ranger, torch/bottles, port-a-band, clamps, grinders, leathers, hoods, etc. Ranger could use a wire feeder for flux cored but stick would get me started. It's repair work after all, not production welding.

I was formerly certified in stick and flux cored, for structural welding in all positions. Stopped paying the fee so they lapsed. I know I'm stupid. One of my demo workers took welding classes at a voc-tech. Plan would be to get him up to speed (send him to stick classes if need be, or just buy the wire feeder), then put him to work! Question is...

Mobile or shop based? They're dumpsters, so they're big. And I'd like to be competitive over a large region, which means not humping dumpsters 200 miles one way to fix them.

Okay, so I was thinking mobile. So, the truck. How big? All those tools, plus a rack of odd angle and tubing, a gas powered air compressor (for gouging), a mag drill, measuring and marking tools, etc, would fit okay on a 550 sized truck with a 9 foot body. Open top would be best. I have a beater Isuzu with a 11.5' enclosed body. Could make that work but it's 2wd. That could be a problem if I get calls to repair excavator buckets and stuff out in a muddy field. Plus the rack would be 9 feet in the air, and I'd have fab up intake air and exhaust outlet for welder and compressor. But I have the title for the truck so that's an advantage.

The other thing I wonder is if mobile sandblasting wouldn't be a natural compliment to this service. The time to figure that out is before I were to go with a rig that will not have the nuts or the ratings to be laden with all the welding junk while pulling a sandblasting trailer. The blasting gear is not something I'd run right out to get, I just like to future proof things.

Ideas? Just run what I got and see what happens? Here's the truck:

Perhaps I could mount the welder on a slide (flexible tubing exhaust) for easier maintenance and stuff. Lead reels could go in one of the outside boxes, along with grinders and stuff. Extra rod, wire feeder torch barrels, etc could go on the inside shelving. IDK where to put the bottles honestly. I would either want them cart-mounted near the barn doors for access, permanently mounted upright in a compartment (would have to enlarge the compartment into the interior space for bottle height), or I will want them way up inside at the forward bulkhead.

Mechanically, this truck runs great, needs brake work and wiring repairs, as well as extensive body work (rust repair on the service body). Repaint. Then custom work for installing the welding gear.

IDK, what do you think?

 

[Half-fast Eddie]

You start off talking about dumpster repair, state that the existing truck will work,then morph into excavator repair which probably needs 4wd.

Since it a new line of business that needs a little time to get steady, i would keep the investment simple for now. Stay with the existing truck, build the business, then reassess and see if expanding makes sense.

 

[reggi]

You start off talking about dumpster repair, state that the existing truck will work,then morph into excavator repair which probably needs 4wd.

Thanks, yes I tend to do that.

Since it a new line of business that needs a little time to get steady, i would keep the investment simple for now. Stay with the existing truck, build the business, then reassess and see if expanding makes sense.

Sounds wise. Sometimes it helps to get the go ahead from a complete stranger on the internet before I start a new line of business.

 

[reggi]

Not being a smart ass btw, I appreciate it.

 

[VinylHanger]

Don't take this the wrong way, but focus man, focus.

You can only do so many things at a time, and even less really well.

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[reggi]

Don't take this the wrong way, but focus man, focus.

You can only do so many things at a time, and even less really well.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

Oooh shiny!

No I hear ya, but opportunity knocks. I’m gonna answer, in a robe. See what happens.

I’ve already got the stuff laying around and the client can’t find a vendor.

Besides if you can’t do anything well, do a lot of things!

 

[JoeStanton]

I have never seen a dumpster co. that gave a crap about their cans. Most excavators I know have a mechanic that welds and does their maintenance. There is good money in mobile welding, the last time I needed columns welded to a steel beam it was $900. He was there an hour but he had to be certified to do the work.

 

[rrk]

Don't take this the wrong way, but focus man, focus.

You can only do so many things at a time, and even less really well.

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I was thinking the same thing
Sounds just like one of my customers that I always have to try to make her focus o the project at hand

 

[reggi]

I have never seen a dumpster co. that gave a crap about their cans. Most excavators I know have a mechanic that welds and does their maintenance. There is good money in mobile welding, the last time I needed columns welded to a steel beam it was $900. He was there an hour but he had to be certified to do the work.

Yeah, some dumpster companies don't give a hoot. This one has about two dozen cans sitting, waiting for repairs. They have offices from Maine to Florida.

Getting my structural certs back shouldn't be too difficult. It's a destructive test and sometimes it's a *****.

There are certs for all kinds of stuff. Pressure vessels would be a good one to get into. I'm sure this young guy working for me would rather get sent to continuing ed and weld than rip up flooring and stuff.

 

[reggi]

When do I stop focusing? Who's going to tell me the time has come to seize a particular opportunity. I am the pilot of this pants seat and these are the decisions I am faced with.

Sometimes steadfastly battling for inches of ground in your main lines of battle is not the way to go. Put together a small team, and flank them.

This is my small team. If I can repair an old truck and put a kid in it with a torch and net five grand a month doing that, I'm going to do it.

We're all different. If I told you the other stuff I'm simultaneously trying to pull off you'd know for sure I'm nuts.

 

[Half-fast Eddie]

Not being a smart ass btw, I appreciate it.

I didn’t take it that way.

 

[Stunt Carpenter]

Yeah, some dumpster companies don't give a hoot. This one has about two dozen cans sitting, waiting for repairs. They have offices from Maine to Florida.

Getting my structural certs back shouldn't be too difficult. It's a destructive test and sometimes it's a *.

There are certs for all kinds of stuff. Pressure vessels would be a good one to get into. I'm sure this young guy working for me would rather get sent to continuing ed and weld than rip up flooring and stuff.

Can you get a contract to fix all of those cans. Sounds like a big investment for a can or two.

 

[reggi]

Can you get a contract to fix all of those cans. Sounds like a big investment for a can or two.

Indeed, I already own all the tools and the truck. Truck needs some work. I'm going to talk with the company tomorrow.

 

[BC Rollin]

When do I stop focusing? Who's going to tell me the time has come to seize a particular opportunity. I am the pilot of this pants seat and these are the decisions I am faced with.

Sometimes steadfastly battling for inches of ground in your main lines of battle is not the way to go. Put together a small team, and flank them.

This is my small team. If I can repair an old truck and put a kid in it with a torch and net five grand a month doing that, I'm going to do it.

We're all different. If I told you the other stuff I'm simultaneously trying to pull off you'd know for sure I'm nuts.

You sound just like one of my best friends. And I mean that in a complimentary way. Go for it…no regrets

 

[SouthonBeach]

Sounds like dumpster repair could be lucrative. I know my dumpster company always is short cans due to repairs needed.

Personally I wouldn’t get into sand blasting for dumpsters. Most only care that they function and don’t drop stuff all over place when they pick them up.

What if you mounted up the welder and bottles to a small trailer for behind the truck to test out the market.

I’m sure as part of the repair contract you could have the customers send you pictures of the dumpsters needing repairs so you would kinda know what materials would be needed. That way you not dragging around a ton of materials.

 

[Lettusbee]

If I had a welding cert, don't think I'd be limiting myself to dumpsters.
Lotsa building projects where some poor GC needs this beam welded to that embed kinda thing, oh and it has to be done by a certified welder.
Takes longer to roll up and roll out than it does to actually make sparks.

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[StabMasterArs0n]

I have some old punk rock buddies from the 90's that were welding dumpsters up in Kamloops until last fall. It was too grimy for the grimy punks. DM me if you want and I can put you in touch with Heroin Joe. He stopped doing heroin like 20 years ago but the name stuck.