Graduating was a great time for me. Now I've got a fancy degree (Master of Architecture), time to work on my cars, surfing is getting me healthy and believe it or not i'm back down to my natural weight probably due to the reduction of gummy bear and beer intake.

But the old saying "graduated into unemployment" definitely applies to me. Well, not totally. I am doing freelance work for a few firms but its not 9-5 by any stretch.

So I'm going to be building type 4 cylinder heads on the weekends. Actually, I've already been doing it but not nearly this much.

Some of you may have seen the cnc work I did with don bolton at Bugpatch. If you haven't seen or heard of it I can say that it is the most accurate way of matching chambers there is. Don and I have worked on a few other projects as well, and I've been welding heads and mag cases for him in my spare time during school, along with just about every other procedure you can do to a head.

Welding - preheating and cooling
Seats - measuring holes cold and hot and calculating the proper interference.
Guides - checking holes for size and alignment, reaming and hand fitting new guides and valves.
Studs, decking, facing, cc'ing, matching.... and just about anything else you can think of.

Its not rocket science, and for a detail oriented guy like me its actually enjoyable to make things right again. I'm a fixer like everybody else here.

So i'm going to be posting my own heads that i've built for sale here in the classifieds. I built them all to varying degrees of finish and will describe completely all the work done to each pair. If anyone likes my work and wants heads done to order I'm open to that as well, but its not really my goal at this point. Just a heads up on what i'm doing and where I got all these heads from.

any questions let me know.

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Congrats on your M-Arch!
... where was it from?

The Real Estate Development/Construction Industry is cyclical & it always has & will go up & down & back up again, & it may not get rolling great again until 2013 - although jobs will open up before then.

So keep your hopes up & feelers out, & try to get involved with both AIA & developer/builder industry orgs. such as BIA/NAHB, NAIOP & ULI (they may still allow you to be a lower cost student member or new member reduced rate with this economy - email me if you need SD contacts there, or at least attend their "open" meetings/events - all to network). Also, stay on track for your licensing exams & use the slow times to advance that process to be more ready & more valuable when things do pick up.

I too graduated into a bad economy in `74 from USC with a BS-Arch, & struggled to stay fully employed until 75/76, so I know what you're going through (went to HS in SD - Uni 70).

Good luck with your "head jobs"!

Cheers!
Tom
///////

Thanks, yes its a great time for more studying.
I'm trying to spread myself out as much as possible right now work wise, but the competition is tough down here. If you're in the area i'll buy you a beer and we can chat about it. Contacts are always welcome as well!

you just gave me the idea of a lifetime........













Gummybeers

Seconded! Tom gave you some great advice. Don't get discouraged - this is a really bad time in construction. I remember classmates of mine who never ended up getting an architecture job because there was nothing out there when they graduated. I got laid off back in July from a firm that I *thought* was really stable, but luckily found a new gig in a week through contacts I've cultivated over the years.

There's been stories about out-of-work architects offering low cost design services running in the trade magazines. Might be a good way to start developing your career - or at least better than nothing.

HOLYCRAP THATS HILARIOUS!

This thread is worthless without gummybear pictures...