Iv been watching this thread for the last few days i was not sure to comment or not never know who has you made out on this.
I do a good bit of steelwork part time but still have a full time job to. I started by making feeding barriers and calving gates shed doors that kind of thing try to avoid it now if i can at all
id do it for anyone local that i know but thats about it no money to be made at it. You could never charge enough to make it pay.
I mostly either do machinery repairs and i make bale handlers and trailers and the like.
If you do a good job and charge a fair price people will recommend you and you will get more work out of it.
You really need to get yourself registered as either a sole trader or company depending on what your doing you need to be able to take a cheque and give a docket if you want to get decent jobs.

You dont need to register for vat once your business turnover is less than 35000 ish im not just sure.
What you need to watch is if you have a good job lets say earning 30000 euros gross mobile welder dallas ga. If your part time business earns 10000 euros profit your going to end up handing a lot of it over to the tax man the 20% tax rate goes to 33000 so you will have to pay 20% on your first 3000 and then your into the 40% bracket for every euro you earn after that. You dont get any extra tax credits they will all go to your day job.
You can deduct all your expenses and any tools or machinery you buy is all put against it.
Fbd do the kind of insurance you need for the steel work.

Its ok you can make a bit of money at it and you are your own boss its best to keep as quiet as possible about it with your day job never let on your making money or that try and say as little as possible people wouldnt like to think you were making two wages. I do have ads on done deal for double bale lifters and trailers and that and it doesnt take long for people to see what prices you have on stuff they wouldnt get that you might only have 20% of the asking price out off it.