[GregPGH]

Hi All,

Greg here - aspiring trimmer in training is what I'd call myself I guess. After a decade of wasting away in a cubical in the software field, I decided it was time to find a way to work with my passion - hot rods. I've been in love with the four legged creatures since I was old enough to look at the pictures of my dad's cars from back in the 60's and 70's. I've drooled over more cars than I can count in the last 31 years so I decided it was time to find a way to work on them.

After volunteering for a layoff due to downsizing at work (nice severance package so why quit and get nothing when you can get laid off and collect pay still?), I started trying to find the quickest route into a new career working with what I love. A few other forum sites gave me some ideas which led to that light bulb going off when I realized I could learn how to stitch while working on boat canvas due to its forgiving nature with mistakes and use it as a stepping stone into the ones that don't float. Due to my location and the fact that I'm a boater who knows all about 3 month waiting lists for new boat covers, it became a no brainer to start there. I went to some canvas workshops for a couple weeks in Port Clinton, OH and I've spent the last 3 months going from 0 to 150 after throwing my name in the hat in the industry for marine jobs. There is good money to be made in the industry if you're near water, but the pieces can get too damn big and its not fun wrestling a 18' x 35' pontoon canvas while you work on it and while a dockside job can be a dream "office" on a sunny day, it can also suck while 15' in the air clinging onto the side of a cruiser in the rain trying to get to that last snap. I guess like any day it has its ups and downs, but I look forward to working on hot rods and producing results that look too good to want to sit on!

Unfortunately I've had to try to postpone but in reality turn away more upholstery work than I'd ever want to due to being swamped with good paying canvas jobs and not having the knowledge on vinyl and leather, but now that the season is all but over in PA I finally have the time to get after what it is I really want to do - upholstery, especially for cars. While I probably won't be able to give up the cash cow that is marine work within the next 5 years or maybe longer, I look forward to learning everything I can from the folks on this site. I was blown away when I came across it and have no idea how I didn't find it during my 10 years of dreaming while sitting in a cubicle wishing I was doing something else. I guess I should have spent a little less of my free time drooling over the overpriced car market while daydreaming and a little more time absorbing everything I can!

To everyone I come across here in the future - looking forward to sharing info with all of you. For now I'll keep overloading my brain with everything I can retain and keep heading out to the shop to practice and practice and practice.

Greg

[Henry Highrise]

Hi Greg...Welcome to Hotrodders.