i kinda of disagree. i would certainly try to pick up basic welding and machining in the background. you shouldn't be thinking of this your future full time job

i kinda of disagree. i would certainly try to pick up basic welding and machining in the background. you shouldn't be thinking of this your future full time job, but its immensely useful to understand the processes involved intuitively. posting really to highlight this recommendation of trying to get involved with a local small-volume fabrication shop. you should be prepared for a certain amount of rejection (you're unlikely to represent a good return on time for these people), but if you can establish a good realtionship they know _alot_. not only will you learn an immense amount about processes and materials and costs, you'll learn about how to deal with that whole world.