Wood Carving

My boyfriend works as a mechanical engineer at a private aeronautics company. He got that job directly after graduating from college (he only has his bachelor’s degree). I don’t know how much he makes, but I imagine it can’t be THAT much, right? He even complains about how they’re giving him the shaft salary-wise.
Yet, he lives as if he’s absolutely loaded! The guy is 26 but already owns a 2-story house in a nice neighborhood, 2 cars (one of which is a $70,000 Audi RS4), tons and tons of really nice stuff (62" flatscreen tv, industrial grade woodworking machinery, etc etc). How the hell can he afford all this stuff? I also know that he didn’t have to take out a loan on his Audi.
I see him buying and trading stocks online sometimes…do you think he’s making a sh*tload of money from that? Or are his parents helping him out? I know that they’re loaded, but he seems completely independent of them.

Would it be rude or out of place for me, as his boyfriend, to casually ask him how the hell he can live like this?

I bet he is up to his eyeballs in debt.

With a Bachlors and 3-4 years of experience at a large or medium size firm I think the upper range would be around $80000. I don’t think he is making it up with stock options or bonuses either, as they have been pretty slim in recent years.

Seems like you already have concerns about this guy, if you think his spending habits are way different than yours then maybe it is time to move on with your life. Most big arguments in relationships center on money, so having a partner that is in sync with your views is important IMO.

My boyfriend works as a mechanical engineer at a private aeronautics company. He got that job directly after graduating from college (he only has his bachelor’s degree). I don’t know how much he makes, but I imagine it can’t be THAT much, right? He even complains about how they’re giving him the shaft salary-wise.
Yet, he lives as if he’s absolutely loaded! The guy is 26 but already owns a 2-story house in a nice neighborhood, 2 cars (one of which is a $70,000 Audi RS4), tons and tons of really nice stuff (62" flatscreen tv, industrial grade woodworking machinery, etc etc). How the hell can he afford all this stuff? I also know that he didn’t have to take out a loan on his Audi.
I see him buying and trading stocks online sometimes…do you think he’s making a sh*tload of money from that? Or are his parents helping him out? I know that they’re loaded, but he seems completely independent of them.

Would it be rude or out of place for me, as his boyfriend, to casually ask him how the hell he can live like this?

Btw, I’m fairly certain that he’s in no debt whatsoever…the guy is very good at managing his money and he clearly has a LOT…but where did it come from?
I ain’t trying to brag about him and I feel uncomfortable asking him cause I was taught to never talk about money matters

if he’s good, 50k, if he’s great, 60k per year

My boyfriend works as a mechanical engineer at an aeronautics company. He got that job directly after graduating from college (he only has his bachelor’s degree). I don’t know how much he makes, but I imagine it can’t be THAT much, right? He even complains about how they’re giving him the shaft salary-wise.
Yet, he lives as if he’s absolutely loaded! The guy is 26 but already owns a 2-story house in a nice neighborhood, 2 cars (one of which is a $70,000 Audi RS4), tons and tons of really nice stuff (62" flatscreen tv, industrial grade woodworking machinery, etc etc). How the hell can he afford all this stuff? I also know that he didn’t have to take out a loan on his Audi.
I see him buying and trading stocks online sometimes…do you think he’s making a sh*tload of money from that? Or are his parents helping him out? I know that they’re loaded, but he seems completely independent of them.

Would it be rude or out of place for me, as his boyfriend, to casually ask him how the hell he can live like this?

Why do you want to know? Yes, he is your boyfriend but is he also treating you very nicely? Why rock the boat. But according to Payscale.com the average range for a mechanical engineer for an aeronautical firm is between $53,659 – $74,783. More than likely, if his parents are wealthy maybe he has a trust fund form a grandparent or aunt or something like that. Stop looking a gift horse in the mouth and enjoy your boyfriend and stop worrying about where he gets his money.

I recently bought a drafting program, SOLIDWORKS, something like AutoCAD, at a garage sale. I want to use it for woodworking hobby projects (designing my birdhouses, furniture, etc.), but not for business, which is illegal, of course.

I tried to install it on my new (2009) laptop, which runs on Windows Vista Home Basic. During the start of the installation process, a pop-up appears saying that I need to install it on a system which uses Windows 2000, NT4.0, or Windows 98/95, and the aborts the installation. The software disc is from the year 2000, by the way.

How can I make my computer allow the installation? Can I download something? What, from where? I don’t want to have to buy a new computer just to install this program.

HELP! That bears repeating: HELP!

You should try running in it compatibility mode for one of these older versions of Windows.
To do this:
Insert the install CD into your computer
Explore (not run) the CD. You should be able to see the files on it. (My Computer, Right click on the CD icon, Explore)
Find the installer file. It will probably be called setup.exe or something similar.
Right click on it.
Select Properties
(at the top tabs), select Compatibility
Check the box that says "Run this program in compatibility mode for:"
Select a version of Windows from the drop-down box (I recommend XP or 2000, but try both)
Click Apply.
Click OK.
Try installing by opening the setup file directly.

This should work.
If you cannot change the compatibility settings, then this is because the file is on a CD. In this case you should simply copy over the entire CD to a folder on your computer, change the compatibility settings on that, and use it to install.

Additional (hopefully) helpful links:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itproappcompat/thread/cdd894f8-1ee2-43e5-952b-d04c25779a7f

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-compatibility-mode/

Good luck!

I am trying to purchase a bandsaw as a gift for my husband, and I have narrowed it down to these two bandsaws. My parameters were under $500, a big enough bandsaw for an amateur woodworker who mostly makes small furniture, and well-reviewed brands. Can those of you who are more familiar with actually using this equipment help me out? If you think there is another bandsaw I should consider or a larger bandsaw would be more appropriate, I welcome any suggestions. Thank you!!!

i own a GO555, billed as the ultimate bandsaw by grizzly…i like it. i dont know about the jet , never owned one…

He is:

26
mechanical engineer

Hobbies:
Woodworking!!
Cars (he owns an Audi RS4 and Jeep Cherokee)
DIY home improvement

i"m sure there are plenty of woodworking tools he needs, but I want to get him something special, ya know?

How about a good leather tool belt. He can model it for you nude, and it comes in handy with woodworking.

What degree and/or experience do you need to work in the set design shop of a theatre?

Would earning a degree in carpentry/woodworking work, and then apprentice under a theatre?

Generally speaking, one does not require a degree to work in a trade such as carpentry; however, there are some high school level trade schools that teach some classes. Such training would definitely be an advantage, but one can simply start by taking a job as a carpenter’s helper. There are apprenticeship and journeyman training programs available within certain companies that employ union workers.

To work in the theaters in New York and to work in the movie industry, one will most likely need union affiliation.

One can probably work in community theater without any training or without any credentials. Simply inquire within the theater management. They will probably be willing to train their volunteers.

Good Luck.

what is considered the best all round router for around £200.00. mainly to be used for general diy work

B&D machines are usually good. I wonder why a router is needed for general diy, though? For a lot of jobs a plane is fine. Perhaps you are making furniture. I use mostly hand tools but my jigsaw is very useful.

Where I can download the best plans for my wood house?..

You can download wood working plans from source site.. Tedswoodworking.com offers you best collection of woodworking plans.. They have helped over 3673 woodworkers and carpenters.. It contains step by step woodworking plans, also with blue print and material list.. This also suitable for all kind of skill leveled person.. Beginners also like and understand these plans easily..

Tell me a site to download the best woodworking plans..

You can download wood working plans from source site.. Tedswoodworking.com offers you best collection of woodworking plans.. They have helped over 3673 woodworkers and carpenters.. It contains step by step woodworking plans, also with blue print and material list.. This also suitable for all kind of skill leveled person.. Beginners also like and understand these plans easily..