My fiancé is a 40 year old male. He will be having back surgery, again. This means he will be off work for many months and will probably have to retire early. He has always worked hard and been a builder and grater driver, hard manual labor. He does some welding.
He does not like to read or do word puzzles, etc. He has always been active and a provider. He hates the thought of being worthless. What are some good hobbies or light activities that he could maybe sell or just feel good about. Could anyone please help with suggestions. I don't want depression or worthless thoughts creeping in.

Thanks so much.
Blueou

Building model cars, boats, airplanes, buildings, sky scrapers... :)
Something like that might be fun and interesting...

Painting?

Have him look into some schooling by mail, he might even work himself into a desk job. Just don't let him give up on himself and please don't you give up on him.

Desk job got me thinking and I am a Vet, contact your local disability office and see who around town hires disabled folks with bad backs. Get started in that field, computers, programming, accounting, the list could go on and on.

I play classical guitar and thought that if I lost my hands in the war that I would build two really ugly mechanical hands to play guitar and I would program these robotic hands to play for me, the music is very soothing to me.

I also want to stay at home and do consulting work, if you as the client needed something, I am the go to guy for information, I send you to a certain shop based on many things, price, experience, reputation, etc and I charge the client a small consult fee and the shop gives me a small finders fee.

Stock market brokrage, buying online some product and re-selling it for a profit, make a deal with the seller of a product based on quantity (costume jewelry), too many things to go into, these are just a few of my ideas for my later years. I have a Japanese / American friend who sells leather wallets with chains hanging off them, they are sold to bikers and young people that are into that style, he make mounds of money here in Japan, bought his dad the 50th Anniversary Vette when it was new.