Layoffs of 2023 - Learn to weld

[Sprocket]

Us welder bros stay winning. God I'm glad I chose to start welding in high school, I was mocked for not going to college, but look at me now!

Any blue collar trade you start off in as an apprentice is a hell of a lot safer in terms of job security and being recession proof, than wherever you wind up after going to university. University is (mostly) a sham that (mostly) teaches useless skills.

I'm very grateful I went for using my hands. With the specific trade I went for, recession won't put me out of a job, no form of automation or AI can replace me, and diversity hiring simply doesn't happen, because incompetence and sitting on your ass gets you fired pretty much immediately.

 

[Puff]

What about the people who graduated with translation degrees right before machine translation became ubiquitous?
It happens.

A family member did this with genetics and CRISPR. All positions open went from high paying white collar to lowly lab tech in a matter of months. Now he's in forestry. If you're competent you can find something. The candlemakers will get over it and learn something else.

Automation and ML (if it gets good enough to replace STEM undergrads... seems like we're a couple years off in most fields, but if I were trying to sell a system, I'd start with mold design. Watch that area) do have the benefit of making shit cheaper, so it will come as a net even to those displaced in a few years if they don't let it get to them and learn something else.

no form of automation or AI can replace me, and diversity hiring simply doesn't happen, because incompetence and sitting on your ass gets you fired pretty much immediately.

YET. I'm safe for now too, but I have no illusions that sufficiently complex machines can't do damn near anything

 

[Sneed's Feed And Seed]

I'm a security guard and honestly still don't know how we haven't gotten "automationed out" with all these cameras on buildings (the footage thereof the actual security personnel isn't allowed to peruse, natch)

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

I used to think those automated spill-detecting grocery store robots were just a meme, until I actually saw one with googly eyes and everything at a supermarket fairly recently. I laughed hysterically at the concept, until I looked into it more and found out those fucking things cost upwards of $35-45,000 a piece. A god damn glorified Roomba that doesn't even clean floors costs more money than a fucking car.

The actual "automatic" ones that Wal-mart uses overnight cost over 6 Figures and still don't do a better job than an actual Janitor.

 

[WelperHelper99]

Any blue collar trade you start off in as an apprentice is a hell of a lot safer in terms of job security and being recession proof, than wherever you wind up after going to university. University is (mostly) a sham that (mostly) teaches useless skills.

I'm very grateful I went for using my hands. With the specific trade I went for, recession won't put me out of a job, no form of automation or AI can replace me, and diversity hiring simply doesn't happen, because incompetence and sitting on your ass gets you fired pretty much immediately.

There will always be a place in the world for a guy that can weld a fence back together or fix your HVAC. Saw that even when I was a teenager. We tradies will always have work; we aren't confined to just factories, many jobs are outdoors even, free of robots (though I guess if you're rich you can get a Cobot to help you- think a portable robot designed to augment a person, instead of the factory, 1980's robots that are designed to replace a person, pic below- )but even then, you can't take it nor is it suitable everywhere. Sometimes you just got to get down and dirty and fix whatever needs fixing.

Here's a Cobot for those interested:

Portable, able to be bolted to a table and taken off unlike a Robot, designed to HELP the human, not replace him.

 

[NoReturn]

I'm a security guard and honestly still don't know how we haven't gotten "automationed out" with all these cameras on buildings (the footage thereof the actual security personnel isn't allowed to peruse, natch)

I imagine it's psychological. Actually seeing another human in a location changes your behavior, we don't really tend to think of cameras as "occupied".

 

[Puff]

I'm a security guard and honestly still don't know how we haven't gotten "automationed out" with all these cameras on buildings (the footage thereof the actual security personnel isn't allowed to peruse, natch)

Aren't you basically a human scarecrow? That one might be secure, mostly because you could always do something stupid that would get you fired or possibly jailed when confronted with an idiot trespassing. Safe robits are too predictable to be scary and cameras are reactive, not proactive.

It's not a tech limitation, more of a human one.

 

[feral cat #6385]

There will always be a place in the world for a guy that can weld a fence back together or fix your HVAC. Saw that even when I was a teenager. We tradies will always have work; we aren't confined to just factories, many jobs are outdoors even, free of robots (though I guess if you're rich you can get a Cobot to help you- think a portable robot designed to augment a person, instead of the factory, 1980's robots that are designed to replace a person, pic below- )but even then, you can't take it nor is it suitable everywhere. Sometimes you just got to get down and dirty and fix whatever needs fixing.

Here's a Cobot for those interested:
View attachment 4437904
Portable, able to be bolted to a table and taken off unlike a Robot, designed to HELP the human, not replace him.

First chance it gets it will burn your face off.

 

[WelperHelper99]

First chance it gets it will burn your face off.

Oh don't worry, that's what Mr. Rifle is for if I catch it watching Terminator.

 

[Blobby's Murder Knife]

Aren't you basically a human scarecrow? That one might be secure, mostly because you could always do something stupid that would get you fired or possibly jailed when confronted with an idiot trespassing. Safe robits are too predictable to be scary and cameras are reactive, not proactive.

It's not a tech limitation, more of a human one.

I have a relative that is a security guard. He shot some asshole that absolutely deserved it and he got a raise. Maybe he was just working for the right company but lol, nothing ever came of it and they were mad when he quit.

 

[Meat Target]

Of course the glowies are gobbling up these losers and turning them into little J. Edgars.

 

[seri0us]

This thread should be titled "the great flush of 2023" since 95% of these people are poos.

Remove poo.

"flush"? It's already down the drain.

 

[Your Starter for 10]

Of course the glowies are gobbling up these losers and turning them into little J. Edgars.

They exist to make whatever entity they work for less efficient and less effective, and to inspire apathy, misery and incompetence in their co-workers, so, hey, hire away.

 

[Spasticus Autisticus]

Zoom just announced they are laying off 15% of their workforce. That's 1300 people.

https://blog.zoom.us/a-message-from-eric-yuan-ceo-of-zoom/ (Archive)

 

[teriyakiburns]

Robots aren't as capable or fast as you may think.

Exactly. Try and get a machine to reverse a truck into an awkward loading dock while idiots are running around it in every direction. That's before you consider loading the trailer, which is not an automatable task, given the complexity and diversity of goods that will tend to be loaded on board or taken off again. Not everything comes in a neat, easily-held, easily-stackable box.

They still haven't solved the ironing problem. I'll believe machines can replace truckers when a man-sized robot (i.e. not one that requires an entire wall of my house) can iron and fold my skivvies, and put them back in the drawer when it's done.

 

[feral cat #6385]

Exactly. Try and get a machine to reverse a truck into an awkward loading dock while idiots are running around it in every direction. That's before you consider loading the trailer, which is not an automatable task, given the complexity and diversity of goods that will tend to be loaded on board or taken off again. Not everything comes in a neat, easily-held, easily-stackable box.

They still haven't solved the ironing problem. I'll believe machines can replace truckers when a man-sized robot (i.e. not one that requires an entire wall of my house) can iron and fold my skivvies, and put them back in the drawer when it's done.

Case in point. When they built our pick center. They installed all sorts of auto cart loaders and other equipment to load trailers. It all ended up getting ripped out because it didn't work as well as having people do it.

The AVGs we got were hand me downs from another facility who couldn't find a use for them. They are of very limited use. All they can do is move a pallet from the racking of one warehouse to racking that connects to another warehouse. All they can do is go back and forth in a very small rectangular track moving pallets slower than an elderly on a rascal.

 

[WelperHelper99]

Lots of welding talk and not enough pictures! Sure robots can weld but like everyone else said, they're mostly only good for manufacturing. A lot of manufacturing uses manual welding still for things like custom trailers or anything that's not big order volume.

Also, 90% of work in welding is prep work like disassembly to reach the part you need to fix and cleaning the surface. If the robot can't do that part, why would you haul it out there to do the easy part?

Here's my John Deere haybine I'm fixing for this season. Welding cracks in the gearbox support that I had to bend back in shape with c clamps. They're not the prettiest but they'll hold.

5/32 7018 rod
140a 120v

View attachment 4431512View attachment 4431516

Sturdy enough to be sure, it's stick after all. I'm guessing the gearbox wasn't cast? Cast metal you have to be careful with if you aren't using the right rod. Either way it looks good.

 

[Rakovnik]

Sturdy enough to be sure, it's stick after all. I'm guessing the gearbox wasn't cast? Cast metal you have to be careful with if you aren't using the right rod. Either way it looks good.

Spoiler: Mucho texto

I trust my welds I'm just worried about whatever caused the crack in the first place, my guess is excessive vibration but I'll see how it runs. Just picked it up at auction last year so I don't have any history on it unfortunately.

Nope the gearbox isn't cast but that's the support piece I welded it goes between the gearbox and frame, it's not cast either. I believe it's 3/8" plate steel folded to a squared C shape with a plate on top for the tensioner bolt.

I've seen some videos on welding cast iron but I think I'll avoid that forever if possible

Thank you! I appreciate it, I'm careful to not call myself a welder since I have a bunch to improve but judging by the welds I saw at the auction I'd guess I'm above average on the farmer welding scale lol

 

[WelperHelper99]

Spoiler: Mucho texto

I trust my welds I'm just worried about whatever caused the crack in the first place, my guess is excessive vibration but I'll see how it runs. Just picked it up at auction last year so I don't have any history on it unfortunately.

Nope the gearbox isn't cast but that's the support piece I welded it goes between the gearbox and frame, it's not cast either. I believe it's 3/8" plate steel folded to a squared C shape with a plate on top for the tensioner bolt.

I've seen some videos on welding cast iron but I think I'll avoid that forever if possible

Thank you! I appreciate it, I'm careful to not call myself a welder since I have a bunch to improve but judging by the welds I saw at the auction I'd guess I'm above average on the farmer welding scale lol

Stick is very much a ram-your-head-against-the-wall-for-years type of process. Rarely does it look pretty. It'll hold up, you did good. And you can do cast, but I'd recommend about what you're using now, 7018, and I have seen used 7024, but only use that in flat and horizontal, if you ever use it at all, it's not common. If you have any other questions man, we have a cozy welding thread in General

 

[CarlosDanger]

Talk of layoffs around my job are starting to increase, and I work in an industry that should be booming. The higher ups have been walking around telling us to work slower because there isn't enough work to fill out a shift, I haven't worked a full shift in nearly 3 weeks, been getting let out 3 or so hours early every day. The place I work employs 30-40 percent of the town where I live, if it goes under the town is screwed.