# Welders



## KidRock (Nov 19, 2010)

Anyone who is/was a welder? I just started my welding class last week and I love it. Basically the same thing I do at home for fun, only there I have unlimited steel, and rods to play with. They have a MIG I got to use today and all I can say is wow, it's so easy and clean. The only bad thing is the class is only two days a week, but my teacher said I can go in any time and practice. I was there at 4:00 today and class ends at 2:45. First time I picked up a MIG and they had me welding pipe for posts on a shed. I really think this is going to be a great job for me. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Stogi (Feb 24, 2010)

Welding is a great skill to have. It's like most any skill, the more you do it the better you get at it.


----------



## Polaris425 (Dec 16, 2004)

^ Agreed. It's not a clean or easy job at times, but if you get into it and stay in it, good welders with the right job can make some $$$. 

I learned to weld at LeTourneau in their welding school, then went to work on the yard building oil rigs. It was long days, hard work, and average pay. But some of the guys who had been there a while, would go to Texas for "leg-up" jobs or out to a working rig for crane repairs, and they made BANK while working away like that. They got tripple pay, plus travel.

look at the welds on the leg joints in that second pic.

My fitter and I installed/welded the big doors on the drill floor, one of our many projects.


----------



## JPs300 (Mar 23, 2011)

Great skill to have. - If they teach it, learn TIG. Much more time consuming, but if you're good at it you'll love the way it turns out.


----------



## KidRock (Nov 19, 2010)

They teach everything. I will learn that next. And I will have no problem getting a job. My dad said he can get me a good job when I'm done with school. He said "I can get you a good job, but I can't keep it for you."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Waddaman (Oct 3, 2010)

In high school im taking a metals fab, and welding class next semester (next week) every day until the end of the year. Dad's a welder in the union, grand father used to be, and great grand father used to be and it could have gone even farther then that. I may follow in their foot steps but not sure yet.


----------



## 2010Bruterider (Jun 20, 2010)

You can't go wrong learning how to weld, even if you don't do it for a living. I like to make stuff, and being able to weld goes a long way. So I say, Go for it. Learn as much as you can, practice all they will let you.


----------



## Stogi (Feb 24, 2010)

2010Bruterider said:


> You can't go wrong learning how to weld, even if you don't do it for a living. I like to make stuff, and being able to weld goes a long way. So I say, Go for it. Learn as much as you can, practice all they will let you.


Agreed... it's a great basic skill to have in your "tool box". Even if you don't do it for a living , it's nice to be able to build , mod , or fab just for the fun of it.


----------



## Butch (Aug 29, 2009)

I learned to weld getting my undergrad in Engineering. I remember the final exam was a written test that counted for 50% of the grade and the other 50% we had to take 6 pieces of 1/8" steel plate and weld a box using 4 different welding types then put a valve stem in the top with 10 psi and submerge it in water. If it any bubbles appeared you failed. Needless to say 28 years later and I can still weld pretty good. I got me a little Holbart 140 mig when I want to blow off stress. Great skill to have,


----------



## Rubberdown (Apr 16, 2010)

JPs300 said:


> Great skill to have. - If they teach it, learn TIG. Much more time consuming, but if you're good at it you'll love the way it turns out.


Agreed 110%, TIG is very neat, and looks great and with the slower speed of doing it, you can really see the 2 pieces of metal turning into one solid piece.

Knowing how to do all methods of welding are a great skill to have, but from a guy that can do all 3 (some better than others, and non of them like a professional LOL) if you are doing something really important, and its not for you personally, maybe let a PRO do it for you until you have the experience , I have a guy do all of my RDC Lift Kit welding, but he is amazing at what he does.


----------



## 06BRUTEFORCE (Jun 17, 2010)

That test sounds very hard! I work at a railcar repair shop and weld everyday. Had to weld about 2,000 inches on a pressurized car the other day that had to seal 100%. Needless to say I had some leaks to fix when I filled it with air and sprayed it with soap-water, but I did get it to seal. Working there I have welded in pretty much every position, in every direction, and on allot of different qualities of steel. Rusty paper thin railcar roofs are a pain!


----------



## Polaris425 (Dec 16, 2004)

Ditto. I've welded upside down, laying in the mud, hanging in a basket, and everything from thin metal doors I had to use 6010 Rods on up to 3" thick plate that had to stay 250* consistently to weld, and it was %100 weld (X-ray tested)


----------



## 06BRUTEFORCE (Jun 17, 2010)

my worst was probly when I had to drop a ladder into a railcar from the roof. Had to hang onto the ladder with one hand and weld directly above my head with the other, o and i was using stainless wire too. Got a couple extra scars on the arms from that one!


----------



## Taklebx (Aug 6, 2011)

I'm a welder. I started as a helper in a fab shop and would practice whenever I got free time. I can TIG, MIG, and Stick weld now. In my shop we weld many various types of metals. All the welds I have to make are 100% x-ray. I've been welding for about 5-6 yrs now, I'm only 29. I consider myself very fortunate to be were I am in life and have the things I do. I choose this as my work trade/skill and it's paying off, I have a job that pays very well, full benefits and retirement.


----------



## CRAZYCRACKAZ71 (Oct 8, 2011)

Weldings amazing I love it. Rigs the best. Like rubberdown said u can see them becoming one peace. It's amazing, I got offered good jobs with welding pipelines and offshore but turned them down cuz of time away from my family. Its a good skill to have and id practice as much as possiable of I was u. 


I rather be riding rack deep then using TAPATALK on my iPhone 4


----------



## biggun132 (Oct 9, 2009)

I am too a welder. I travel all over the states working in oil refineries and chemical plants. Its a good job and pays very well. But I'm away from my family 7 to 10 months out of the year! Its something to get used to but someone has to do it lol. We mainly use tig and stick. Tig for the alloys and stick for regular carbon pipes. Its a great trade and can pay very well if used right. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


----------



## bruteman92 (Nov 19, 2011)

im in my 5th semester of welding school. an wow i thought i knew alot in highschool! i couldnt be happyer with the schooling choice.. im just ready to start makeing the money! lol


----------



## kawa650 (Dec 19, 2008)

Welding can be a good trade to have but me being a felid pipe fitter/fabricator, steel fabricator I deal with "'welders" that think they can weld but in reality can't very well.I hate cutting welds out, I work hard to make all fits correct the first time and dont want to do it again because of bad welds(sometimes me), it happens with good welders at times but not often), deal with full PTs, X rays so need to be good. When you do decide to break out be good at it, learn all you can with all deferent metals/alloys, a little fitting knowledge can help to on how the pipe draws/grows. Most all the pipe welds I deal with are tig except some with a different welding procedure that will be stick. You can get a job in a fab shop to get some real word practice behind the hood or go single hand for a company until you can get a truck and rig out. But depends on what kinda welding you want to do, im just assuming pipe. Practice practice and good luck with it!!


----------



## wcs61 (Jun 7, 2011)

Get your feet wet. By that I mean Underwater Welding $$$. But they say it has it's drawbacks as well. 

ANY welding inspecters on here looking to work over sea's? Easy money where I'm at and good pay. Message me and I can point you to the right people. Certification required and I believe 10 years experience.


----------



## mpr3369 (Feb 11, 2012)

I learned to weld in a fab shop. Then went through the ironworker's apprenticeship. Probably one of the best things I've ever done. There's nothing like hanging 300' in the air and building launch pads. It's a wonderful trade to learn!


----------

