thanks for the comments. guys. my last job was a machine shop that worked with carbon. the equipment was antiquated and the dust collectors were always clogged. kinda like working in a coal mine and after 6 months i was coughing up puss and getting chronic bloody noses. this isn't the cleanest shop i've seen but i can breath inside so that's a plus. i'll have to work 3rd shift after training but it pays well.
congrats doug on the welding stuff.
i was in the airforce and at one time was certified to weld on ballistic missiles in 7 metal groups(not that i ever actually welded a missile but i have done fuel tanks and engine componants). but military certs don't work in the civilian world. i'd have to start all over to get into aviation welding. most companies that do engine rebuilds for aircraft don't pay squat, an old supervisor of mine left the air national guard as a crew chief for a job welding engine componants, and he was paid so poorly he started over in the active duty airforce as a machinist and welder as an e-3 or e-4.
it's the job shops that do the repairs on civilian equipment that make the money it seems. a guy locally was a marine corp helicopter crew chief and is now a private mechanic for a wealthy guy he wouldn't name. he told me if i got an airframe license he could get me welding work for helicopter exhausts which he says he gets billed $600+ for crack that are no more than an inch long. from my experience that can be about 1/2 hour worth of work, then again if you are doing it right you are doing some sort of ndi to check for cracks, porosity, and inclusions and doing post weld heat treatment depending on the metal. i could go for $1200/hr but i'd need to go to school since my mos is not likely to work towards work experience for an airframe license (it's actually completely up to the judgement of an faa inspector) and i'd need capital to open a shop of my own.