WELD IT YOURSELF AND MAKE A FEW BUCKS TO BOOT

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Be sure, too, that you learn and observe the "duty cycle". It's covered in your manual, but many machines are destroyed by folks who fail to pay attention to this rule. Electric arc welders' ratings are based upon a period of ten minutes. During that time you can weld some, and then you have to let the machine cool off. Your unit will most likely have a duty cycle of 20%. Simply put, that means you have two minutes of welding and eight minutes of cooling during each ten-minute period.

It may seem impossible to get anything done under such a system .. . but you'll find that setting up, moving around, and checking over your work (all of which can be done while the machine "relaxes") will take much more time than does the actual welding.

Keep in mind, too, that the duty cycle is not cumulative: You can't weld for four minutes straight and then cool for sixteen without shortening the life span of your machine.

THE REPAIR PAYOFF

Anyone who's lived in a rural area knows how fast news can travel in the country . . . and word of an available welder breaks all records in getting around. Soon your neighbors will be digging out all those items that were destined for a trip to the welding shop but somehow never got there. And, besides fixing broken steel objects for such folks, you canwith special electrodes-repair stainless steel and cast iron, or even put a hard surface on a plow.

Now bartering is about the friendliest method of handling payments for your services, but—at least once in a while—you'll probably want to set a fee. The easiest way to establish your price is to check out what the commercial shops in your area charge, and cut a couple of bucks per houroff that figure.

Naturally, you'll often be tempted to be bighearted and do a job for free, and—if you don't care about the cost of welding rods, electricity, and wear and tear on your machine—that's your privilege. But if you want your buzz box to help you gain financial independence, charge a fair price. In fact, those of you with an entrepreneurial bent will probably want to . . .

START MANUFACTURING

After you've honed your welding skills, there's no reason not to venture past repair work and go into manufacturing. If you have a little skill as a scavenger, you can produce working farm equipment from junk and scrap . . . sell those implements for far less than the cost even of used ones . . . and still make a good profit. In fact, if you have design skills and an inventive mind, there's hardly any limit to how far you can go in this area. And should you lack those qualities, instructions are available for making almost any kind of equipment. [EDITOR'S NOTE: You might want to check out the plans featured on pages 152-153.]

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