What I have learned this year

By: Jason Gulick

We started out by learning about shop safety, welding, estimates, frame measurements, spray adjustments, how to use a paint gun, spray techniques, SMC (Sheet Molded Compound), and a few other sub-categories. The first thing we learned about was shop safety. ALWAYS wear your safety glasses, gloves, and boots while in the shop. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. You must know where the fire extinguishers are at all times in case of a fire. When you are welding, sanding down filler or primer, or painting in the booth, you should also be wearing a respirator. The particles can really damage your lungs and it is not like cigarettes, 5 years later your lungs WON’T get better, so you gotta take care of your body because that’s what is making your income. When welding you should wear the welding gloves, because I personally have seen little flaming balls of metal roll right down peoples sleeve and make them jump higher than I thought was even possible.

Now, moving on to my second favorite subject we studied, welding. We learned quite a bit about welding as far as MIG, (Metal Inert Gas) in the automotive industry. ALWAYS wear a welding helmet, and never look into the flame while you or someone else is welding. It can cause serious pain to the eyes commonly known as, “welders burn”. You should wear gloves and a respirator as well. I believe I accomplished a smooth technique throughout the class period. We practiced over and over again until we felt we had a the basic knowledge to move on in the industry. We also learned how to maintain and operate a MIG welder.

Estimates were my least favorite study this year. We gained the knowledge to go out and right an estimate for a customer needing body repairs to their vehicle. Some sub-categories are deducting for overlap and knowing how much labor costs are going to be. Knowing how to add onto the estimate for clearcoat and supplies is another must know. the only reason you would really need the knowledge to do an estimate is if you were trying to start your own business and work from the ground up.

We have not got to far into the frame adjustments yet, but i’m sure we will have more studies on it. We also got a pretty good knowledge of how to maintain and operate a spray gun. Pretty simple to maintain and adjust. Just use lacquer thinner and the utensils to clean the line after you use it. As far as adjusting there are 3 knobs to turn for adjustment and the tip needs adjusted according to what you are spraying. This is my personal favorite subject of the class this year. I have a great desire to become a customer painter, fabricator, and airbrusher. I’ve been searching for my spray technique that helps me apply the best results possible.

Needless to say, I have learned quite a bit about this industry so far and really looking forward to continuing my training at Butler CC. I look forward to next year and what its going to bring after the summer.