have you seen these?

[Pappy]

http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0617/3428603.jpg http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0506/3275505.jpg
http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0726/3577820.jpg

[cletusEX]

Yeah I've seen that bear one before. Pretty crazy stuff!

[Pappy]

MINNEAPOLIS -- A new twist on the idea of concealable weapons, the credit card-sized shotgun, is shown at Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, the only gun shop in Minneapolis. It's a two-shot weapon machined from a block of metal the height and width of a standard credit card, and about a half-inch thick. Each barrel fires seven standard steel BBs. It will retail for $100. Mark Koscielski, owner of Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, and Patrick Teel, who makes the guns in suburban Blaine, gave The Associated Press a preview Tuesday night ahead of a news conference scheduled for Wednesday. They said the guns are meant to be used only for close-range self-defense and wouldn't be effective as offensive weapons. (10/05/04 AP photo)
http://images.ibsys.com/2004/1006/3786868.jpg

[Pappy]

close call:eek2:

http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0205/2824257.jpg

[Scott-300ex]

thats going straight for the cameraman

and that would suck if that gun went off in your wallet, in the butt.

[cletusEX]

Originally posted by Pappy
MINNEAPOLIS -- A new twist on the idea of concealable weapons, the credit card-sized shotgun, is shown at Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, the only gun shop in Minneapolis. It's a two-shot weapon machined from a block of metal the height and width of a standard credit card, and about a half-inch thick. Each barrel fires seven standard steel BBs. It will retail for $100. Mark Koscielski, owner of Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, and Patrick Teel, who makes the guns in suburban Blaine, gave The Associated Press a preview Tuesday night ahead of a news conference scheduled for Wednesday. They said the guns are meant to be used only for close-range self-defense and wouldn't be effective as offensive weapons. (10/05/04 AP photo)
http://images.ibsys.com/2004/1006/3786868.jpg

That's nice and all but I don't think I'll give up my Glock 21. Concealed weapons are supposed to be comforting not comfortable.;)

[team_450_88]

pappy..off subject but I am curious and didnt wanna pm u cause im sure u get way to many so i jus found a thread u posted on and asked u hear....do u make a living off of ur pc business or is it like a side job or what? Can I pm u i got a couple things i wanna ask ya !!

[Scott-300ex]

hi son, my name is pappy and you can't pm me:macho

[Hammer trx450r]

Originally posted by Pappy
close call:eek2:

http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0205/2824257.jpg

He's isn't out of the water yet pullin out that low

[team_450_88]

Originally posted by Scott-300ex
hi son, my name is pappy and you can't pm me:macho



:rolleyes: Just cause u paint ur fingernails that dont make u pappy....

[Pappy]

for now its a hobby. i do plan on expanding it further as the date draws near when i leave working the 9 to 5 for good. i could probably quit now and earn a living but id like to do it right and im still learning so im not quite ready for the big time:p

my intentions are to continue learning, getting a decent name and expanding my customer base. at the same time i have to continually upgrade equipment and space is always nice. we are almost ready to build a new building and go ahead and get the big oven. i want one that will fit atleast a car frame. i could take larger projects to a commercial shop but i prefer to do my own work.

as far as can you make a living or a nice side income? sure ya can. there are alot of ways to make a few extra dollars but remeber, its ok to go to bed tired, but it isnt ok to go to bed tired and broke:p

i read your pm and ill say this. if you will be attending a trade school id look into a profession that will offer instant income and a stable career. using your education will reap way more then trying to muddle it out as a start up pc'r. auto body, electrician, plumber etc will all be worthwhile. you can always do pc for fun and maybe even earn enough to pay for itself.

yes they do offer school you can attend, but pc'ing isnt rocket science and you can learn the basics very very easily. i wanted to go to a few classes offered by my main powder supplier but he said i was teaching him so it would be a waste of money:rolleyes: i think he is full of it...lol

[Quad18star]

HAHAHA those are some good pictures . Especially the one with the car inside the horse trailer . The horse is looking out the window and has the " WTF" look on his face ;)

Pappy .... is there enough demand for the powder coating business in your neck of the woods?? I looked into it a few years back , but a couple guys my dad knows have a PC business and it doesn't do well at all . Theres just not enough demand for it up here I guess . They got a huge over ... large enough for a car frame and the guy did the frame of his 69 Camaro in a grey with metal flake .... oh man .... it looked sharp .

[Pappy]

well most of the coating and plating shjops went under around here years back. there are a few but very far between.

there is a market for local work and an even bgger one where i moved too. i wont limit my self to just pc. i am learning about other thermal coatings such as molycoating and when i get that down ill learn something new.

for the past 15 years ive watched business come and go and ive learned a thing or two about what makes the succesful ones stick around. i have about 100 car guys that are non stop bringing me stuff. its not that im the best or even the only game in town, they just know where i am, i do decent work and i treat them right.

the atv stuff locally isnt all that hot, but thats ok. i get enough stuff off EXR to keep me busy. the car stuff and other venues are where the money is at but sometimes its not as easy to do. some of the car parts from a 69 camaro are not in the best of shape and making them look good is a task:p

the biggest thing i geuss is that i have fun with it. at times its too much like a job but i really enjoy someone getting thier parts back and they are very pleased with the results.

[team_450_88]

Originally posted by Pappy
for now its a hobby. i do plan on expanding it further as the date draws near when i leave working the 9 to 5 for good. i could probably quit now and earn a living but id like to do it right and im still learning so im not quite ready for the big time:p

my intentions are to continue learning, getting a decent name and expanding my customer base. at the same time i have to continually upgrade equipment and space is always nice. we are almost ready to build a new building and go ahead and get the big oven. i want one that will fit atleast a car frame. i could take larger projects to a commercial shop but i prefer to do my own work.

as far as can you make a living or a nice side income? sure ya can. there are alot of ways to make a few extra dollars but remeber, its ok to go to bed tired, but it isnt ok to go to bed tired and broke:p

i read your pm and ill say this. if you will be attending a trade school id look into a profession that will offer instant income and a stable career. using your education will reap way more then trying to muddle it out as a start up pc'r. auto body, electrician, plumber etc will all be worthwhile. you can always do pc for fun and maybe even earn enough to pay for itself.

yes they do offer school you can attend, but pc'ing isnt rocket science and you can learn the basics very very easily. i wanted to go to a few classes offered by my main powder supplier but he said i was teaching him so it would be a waste of money:rolleyes: i think he is full of it...lol

ight thanks for the info...I havent decided wut kinda class i wanna take yet...maybe painting/auto body and work somewhere for awhile makin good $$ but I wanna own my own shop, jus start out as a powdercoating shop and then start selling quad/bike parts and then start working on them,selling parts and pcing things all in one big place...!! Ill take this to a different thread !! lol thx for tha info tho !!

[Pappy]

Originally posted by team_450_88
ight thanks for the info...I havent decided wut kinda class i wanna take yet...maybe painting/auto body and work somewhere for awhile makin good $$ but I wanna own my own shop, jus start out as a powdercoating shop and then start selling quad/bike parts and then start working on them,selling parts and pcing things all in one big place...!! Ill take this to a different thread !! lol thx for tha info tho !!

you should set your sights much higher. :p

[team_450_88]

Originally posted by Pappy
you should set your sights much higher. :p


Like what? Ill do w/e it takes..I just wanna make good money and be able to race nationals!!

[Quad18star]

"it's not that im the best or even the only game in town, they just know where i am, i do decent work and i treat them right. "

Those are some good words for the up and comming guys in the trades business ,especially those in the auto body , PCing and paint booths .

My father and I have built quite a few cars in the past 10 years or so , and we don't always go looking for the best guy in town to do some of the work for us . We always try and find the guy that will put 110% effort into doing a job ... the guy that does the job as if it is his own car that he is working on . And if the guy treats us right , we'll keep goign back time after time , and even mention his work to others . If the guy does a good paint job , we don't mind him putting his name or shop name with a number on the back bumper of the car .

And you're right .... it's always fun doing something you enjoy doing ....most of the time it doesn't feel like work .

I'd have liked to have learned powder coating , but we just don't have enough room in the garage for all the equipment . My old man is already threatning to throw my YFZ out in the shed because I'm taking up his garage space . He didn't find it too amuzing when I told him that he'd come home one day and find his Barracuda sitting out in the snowbank while I worked on my quad .




:blah: :confused:

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by team_450_88
Like what? Ill do w/e it takes..I just wanna make good money and be able to race nationals!!

Well if I can suggest something to you, don't go into business for yourself . It's nice and all being your own boss , but i'm sure others on here that are in business for themselves will agree ... theres a lot of work involved . There's deadlines you have to meet for customers , there's countless overtime hours just to get stuff done , all the book keeping , the list goes on . I used to help run a family owned restaurant .... and now that we are out of that , it feels sooooo much better .

It sucks when you go home and have to worry about things from work . The job I do now .... I get my stuff done at work , and when I get home , I don't have to think about work . Go and put in you 8 or 10 hours of work per day and enjoy your weekends off . Your own business is a 24 hour a day job , 7 days a week , 365 days a year .

Just my opinion though .

[team_450_88]

Originally posted by Quad18star
Well if I can suggest something to you, don't go into business for yourself . It's nice and all being your own boss , but i'm sure others on here that are in business for themselves will agree ... theres a lot of work involved . There's deadlines you have to meet for customers , there's countless overtime hours just to get stuff done , all the book keeping , the list goes on . I used to help run a family owned restaurant .... and now that we are out of that , it feels sooooo much better .

It sucks when you go home and have to worry about things from work . The job I do now .... I get my stuff done at work , and when I get home , I don't have to think about work . Go and put in you 8 or 10 hours of work per day and enjoy your weekends off . Your own business is a 24 hour a day job , 7 days a week , 365 days a year .

Just my opinion though .

thx

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by team_450_88
thx

No problem man .

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago . Having to decide what path you want to take is tough , and I made some wrong decisions with what I took in College .

Just like you , I wanted to open up my own quad shop , sell all the parts and see all the trick toys and get to work on them . But after I talked with a few people in the industry , my views really changed . It's a real struggle to make it into the market .... but it has been done ... companies like K&K , East Coast ATV etc .

For myself , I found myself right at home in the job I'm doing right now . I was lucky enough to move through the ranks at work and now I'm in Management . I deal with Aftermarket ATV , Snowmobile , Dirtbike and Street bike parts on a dialy basis . It's great , because it's soemthing that I've always loved doing , so going to work isn't all that bad .

I put in my 44 hours a week .... i get to relax when I get home , and I get my vacation time when I want during the year . I get my pay cheque every 2 weeks and I don't have the hassle of everything else that is involved in a business .

My best advice , is go around and talk to local shops , ask the questions , get all the info , and I'll guarantee it makes your choices WAY easier !!!

[team_450_88]

Originally posted by Quad18star
No problem man .

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago . Having to decide what path you want to take is tough , and I made some wrong decisions with what I took in College .

Just like you , I wanted to open up my own quad shop , sell all the parts and see all the trick toys and get to work on them . But after I talked with a few people in the industry , my views really changed . It's a real struggle to make it into the market .... but it has been done ... companies like K&K , East Coast ATV etc .

For myself , I found myself right at home in the job I'm doing right now . I was lucky enough to move through the ranks at work and now I'm in Management . I deal with Aftermarket ATV , Snowmobile , Dirtbike and Street bike parts on a dialy basis . It's great , because it's soemthing that I've always loved doing , so going to work isn't all that bad .

I put in my 44 hours a week .... i get to relax when I get home , and I get my vacation time when I want during the year . I get my pay cheque every 2 weeks and I don't have the hassle of everything else that is involved in a business .

My best advice , is go around and talk to local shops , ask the questions , get all the info , and I'll guarantee it makes your choices WAY easier !!!

Yea...Thanks Again...The only reason I really wanna have my own shop is so I can take off whenever to go race nationals ( every other week ) and I couldnt do that with a regular job..idk Im a lil confused ... I dont wanna give up a dream ive had....I wanna race nationals one day, think i got the skill jus need to keep ridin and race some nationals...But idk i got alot odf decisions to make...thanks tho !!

Ryan

[Pappy]

trust me, working for yourself wont allow you the freetime you think it will.


by all means explore and learn everything you can about everything you can, but make educated decisions when it comes to your future.

[jcsact]

When you work for yourself there is no such thing as paid vacation. If you aren't working you aren't making money. ;)