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I was a full stack web dev and Linux sysadmin for about a decade. Switched to welding and machining - I wanted to make something tangible for a change. The work

I was a full stack web dev and Linux sysadmin for about a decade. Switched to welding and machining - I wanted to make something tangible for a change. The work itself was awesome (legos for grownups) but the industry is fairly toxic IME. Right now I'm working on getting back into IT (Network security).

JoelMcCracken 6y ago
Interesting; toxic in what way?
- ramtatatam 6y ago
  I guess fumes coming out when you do welding are toxic. I have done it myself a few times and remember thinking about smell and if it can indicate I will get cancer frim it..
  - jeffreyrogers 6y ago
    Based on my experience with machinists I think they might mean on a personal level (although the fumes are toxic too). The machinists I've met have been pretty hard to deal with. I can imagine the work environment being unpleasant, especially if you aren't prepared for that.
    - cosmodisk 6y ago
      This is correct. Eventually people can be very nice, once you get to know them, but you either have to be a certain type or simply have guts to tell people to sod off, as then they would start showing respect:) I think this is very similar to construction and some other related industries.
      - ciclista 6y ago
        Both actually. Employers are stingy with PPE and you're constantly surrounded by dust, fumes and potentially harmful chemicals. Keep in mind this wasn't some tiny shop that made fences, I was working on military prototypes and aerospace projects. I switch to the industry during the Obama administration, but after 2016 people were feeling a little too comfortable with their misogeny and racism. To final straw was my direct supervisor becoming more radicalized into the far right. Not a comfortable feeling when they guy you report too leaves a 9mm with hollow points on top of his toolbox every day. The guy hadn't read a book except for the bible in 20 years, got all his news from Facebook and Fox.
        throwaway234101 6y ago
        > I was working on military prototypes and aerospace projects. How does one get into that? And is the money better or worse than software? I've been looking at switching to welding and machining for a while now, but the pay in my area isn't great. The rest doesn't bother me. I even hear my local pastor is a racist now[0]! [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zkL91LzCMc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zkL91LzCMc
        ciclista 6y ago
        Location, location, location. Well, and skillset of course. I would strongly recommend against it though. The pay is terrible. There was a strong push for a few years to get people into the trades, and there was a strong misrepresentation of what the opportunities are really like. Keep in mind that government contracts are a race to the bottom. The contracts go to the lowest bidder and since materials, etc. are a given, employee pay has really suffered. Being a machinist is not the path to a middle class life anymore for most people.
  - JoelMcCracken 6y ago
    Actually, this is what I thought might be meant. But I am used to the phrase "industry is toxic" to mean basically "not nice", as opposed to literally toxic.
cosmodisk 6y ago
I kind of did the opposite- went from working in construction and ended up doing development as part of my job. I briefly worked for a pipeline installation company ( oil,gas,etc), where welders were making fantastic money. So a few things on health: Welding electrode design has been improving,so welders get less toxic fumes than they used to a decade ago. People working in fields with pipelines often get joint problems because of extensive time spent in poor weather. Lots of awkward positions- which is harmful long term and etc. Also high end welding isn't something quick to get into: it does require a lot of experience and few people progress enough to become really good at it.
- ciclista 6y ago
  See my comment below. I'm familiar with developments in welding, some of my welds are in equipment that are national security related.
pakwa 6y ago
I’ve been learning about network security as well. Such an interesting field. Why have you decided on this particular area to study/go into?

JoelMcCracken 6y ago

Interesting; toxic in what way?

ramtatatam 6y ago
I guess fumes coming out when you do welding are toxic. I have done it myself a few times and remember thinking about smell and if it can indicate I will get cancer frim it..
- jeffreyrogers 6y ago
  Based on my experience with machinists I think they might mean on a personal level (although the fumes are toxic too). The machinists I've met have been pretty hard to deal with. I can imagine the work environment being unpleasant, especially if you aren't prepared for that.
  - cosmodisk 6y ago
    This is correct. Eventually people can be very nice, once you get to know them, but you either have to be a certain type or simply have guts to tell people to sod off, as then they would start showing respect:) I think this is very similar to construction and some other related industries.
    - ciclista 6y ago
      Both actually. Employers are stingy with PPE and you're constantly surrounded by dust, fumes and potentially harmful chemicals. Keep in mind this wasn't some tiny shop that made fences, I was working on military prototypes and aerospace projects. I switch to the industry during the Obama administration, but after 2016 people were feeling a little too comfortable with their misogeny and racism. To final straw was my direct supervisor becoming more radicalized into the far right. Not a comfortable feeling when they guy you report too leaves a 9mm with hollow points on top of his toolbox every day. The guy hadn't read a book except for the bible in 20 years, got all his news from Facebook and Fox.
      - throwaway234101 6y ago
        > I was working on military prototypes and aerospace projects. How does one get into that? And is the money better or worse than software? I've been looking at switching to welding and machining for a while now, but the pay in my area isn't great. The rest doesn't bother me. I even hear my local pastor is a racist now[0]! [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zkL91LzCMc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zkL91LzCMc
        ciclista 6y ago
        Location, location, location. Well, and skillset of course. I would strongly recommend against it though. The pay is terrible. There was a strong push for a few years to get people into the trades, and there was a strong misrepresentation of what the opportunities are really like. Keep in mind that government contracts are a race to the bottom. The contracts go to the lowest bidder and since materials, etc. are a given, employee pay has really suffered. Being a machinist is not the path to a middle class life anymore for most people.
- JoelMcCracken 6y ago
  Actually, this is what I thought might be meant. But I am used to the phrase "industry is toxic" to mean basically "not nice", as opposed to literally toxic.

cosmodisk 6y ago

I kind of did the opposite- went from working in construction and ended up doing development as part of my job. I briefly worked for a pipeline installation company ( oil,gas,etc), where welders were making fantastic money. So a few things on health: Welding electrode design has been improving,so welders get less toxic fumes than they used to a decade ago. People working in fields with pipelines often get joint problems because of extensive time spent in poor weather. Lots of awkward positions- which is harmful long term and etc. Also high end welding isn't something quick to get into: it does require a lot of experience and few people progress enough to become really good at it.

ciclista 6y ago
See my comment below. I'm familiar with developments in welding, some of my welds are in equipment that are national security related.

pakwa 6y ago

I’ve been learning about network security as well. Such an interesting field. Why have you decided on this particular area to study/go into?