skoti89

Well, darn. Can someone move this to fab?
I'm what I'd call a "dumb" mechanic. I can take mostly anything apart and put it back together, but don't have the know how to go out and get ASE certified. I've been working off and on, part-time, full-time, random-time in the automotive shop my parents own for about 6 years( doesn't add up to much). Two semesters into an Automotive program, I've decided it's not for me. I don't like electronics, and new cars are way too complex than they should be.
The amount of knowledge modern technicians need to know doesn't justify what I see guys getting paid IMO. It no longer interests me. Now, I've taken two semesters of welding, beginning and intermediate. I've loved every minute of it so far(even those hot 105 degree days in the welding shop, and doing those awesome 4G position welds). I am going to start a full time(48 hours a week) 2 semester welding program next year and get my AS degree.

How many different welders do we have here? Some manufacturing guys? Some pipeline guys? What about some gear heads working in some custom fab shops?
I spend many hours a week researching the different type of jobs I can do as a welder. I love working outside, and pipeline welding has caught my interest. I'm going to do the extra summer semester to do the pipeline classes at the college just to do it. The more I hangout here on Yotatech, the more I'd like to get into 4x4 fabrication. Fourwheeling and taking my 4runner apart and fixing it, wrenching on it has been my main hobby for about 3 years now.
What do you guys do? Tell me some stories, tell me how you love or hate what you do, and why it's better or worse than what those lazy a$$ saps working in cubicles do. Ramble about anything about your jobs, I don't care.
Thanks, Scott

donomite49

If your going to weld for a living, learn how to weld pipe.
Pipe is where the moneys at.

I am a certified stick, tig and pulse mig pipewelder.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

going to school is great it gives you a good foundation .

One does learn so many things in the real world.

It is like any other job depending what your doing it can get old real quick

I was making a good living doing any kind of assorted work(fabrication and repair) that came along till the wife ran off with her girl friend and cost me my business.

We are all different it seems we all pay our dues one way or another.Some might get lucky and fall into a real good job but most often your going to work for it.

Now I just pretty much weld for fun after getting back on my feet after my divorce .

My day Job is now Working for a company the rents and repairs welders and plasma machines.

So I do get around and see pretty much every thing.

Some places are really bad other places are decent .

Do you like the big company environment or the smaller more personal type.

would you rather be building huge pieces moved around by crane or smaller parts Tig welded on a bench.

A real glutton for punishment welding floors in garbage trucks.



Now I hated production type welding some people just love it.



The welders working for a local 4x4 shop don`t even get there trucks off the pavement anymore. Building cool trucks is just a job.

One of the best things is to learn as much as you can have a good work ethic .

Show up for work and take responsibility for your actions .

I know I come home every day pretty much covered in dirt soaking wet sweated in the summer.

Then some places guys work in nice AC in the summer and heat in the winter.

most places hot in summer and real cold in the winter.

Back in the day I had my certs under ASME Section VIIII today most places are going to retest you in house

Truth be told if your looking at money a good auto tech starting out will do much better with a lot less responsibility for the first years .maybe as long as 10

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

If your free to travel go where the big jobs are.

The hot set up these days is to buy yourself a nice camper lots more like home then living in motels .


This is an interesting story Back a good many years I was going to say a few years but it was close to 20 years.

This is a strippins story a different world then what many can think .

Big old Airco 400 amp diesel no doubt running about 200 amps using 5/16" 6010 welding a 12" shaft to a gear.

Rule of the strippins do no prep work I think this has changed a little since those days some places.

This is one of the foreman his whip is so long his arm is moving a good 6" putting so much heat into this piece by the time he gets all the way around it is a nice orange.

As it cools down we can hear the ping as pieces of slag fly off about 10 minutes later .

Crack and it falls off .

SCToy

I'm AWS 6G certified for GTAW, all the job postings around here are a waste of time, offering minimum wage. That or they want 10 years experience or something. Hard to get your foot in the door. At least that's been my experience.

whitecollarredneck

Still in school. Gonna try to go work for Wagstaff. They make aluminum casting machinery for companies worldwide. Starting at 52,000 a year

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

We all pay our dues one way or another.

If your getting into welding for the money it is never going to be what you want.It will be one job after another chasing the highest $$$$

If it is to practice a craft you love getting satisfaction from a job well done the money will come.

donomite49

In my field you can chase the money and earn 100k plus a year, I know people that do it.

You have to give them what they want, x-ray quality welds.
If your going to be a welder be a good welder or else you are just another employee.

skoti89

that's of great opinions and info. I actually like welding, and I want to be the best i can. thanks

ksti

Well said,
I can definitely relate.

phildelfino

I am not a welder but can tell you that the schooling and certification you are after will be important. get all of them you can. when it comes to the trades, certs are important. then start looking at different areas where welding is needed. get your foot in a door and get some experience, maybe get a couple part time gigs in different arenas to see which you like.

do you like working in a factory? punching that time clock?

or would driving a repair rig be better?

as previously said, does a small shop appeal?

finding a good fit for you is more important than the money most times.
otherwise the drudgery is too much.

good luck.

Toyota~Boy

iTrader: (2)

I am a welder and my first job was at a shop that was Called S&R Welding. It was a fab shop that made done everything from custom jobs for individuals as well as big jobs for commercial industries. I've welded everything from Beams to pipe with both Mig and Stick. 6011 on the pipe line is were your money's at tho. Trust me.....

I just learnt to weld aluminum in the last 3 years. If everything goes as planned I will be opening up my own shop the first of the year called M&S Auto and Welding. My old boss / Owner of S&R Welding will be joining me in my new business as a partner since he shut S&R welding down about 4 years ago.

Welding is a great profession to be in. But don't solely rely on it. Always have a back up plan. You never know when a layoff will come. Get your contractors License or something so you can have a little trade for the side.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Well said it is always good to have as many skills as one can.

Your automotive back ground is a good help.

You should not be scared of the electronics you see it is just the way things progress .

With welding it is a far cry from the early transformer /rectifier machines that lasted forever till the transformer delaminated .

Now we have computers that weld.

The tech is there to even monitor and adjust output from a remote locations

so add as many skills as you can.

skoti89

absolutely. If the college lets me, I want to go back and finish the auto program after the welding. It would only be 3 additional semesters at 20 hours a week, so I could try and find a job welding part time or in a shop part time.

skoti89

I am a cert HOG. They may not mean anything to a lot of people, but having that ASE cert means everything to a auto shop owner. I'm ASE certified in auto part because I worked for NAPA auto parts for years. That alone has gotten me jobs by itself working for 4 different auto parts company.
The beginning and intermediate welding class will get me AWS level one cert, which I don't know how important that is, but it's something and proves I have some experience. If I finish the auto program, I will leave my community college with 3 degrees.

I wouldn't mind doing any or all of the above that you said. Working in an auto shop, I like the small shop environment, but hate that we constantly get POS cars in that no one takes care of. Then, no matter what goes wrong with their car, it's always going to be our fault. I seriously had someone try to blame their blown head gasket on us because we did a starter on his truck a month before. Replacing the starter was his diag, he wouldn't pay us for diag, just said it's the starter, brought his own starter in and told us to replace it. We told him absolutely no warranty except on our labor, even if it doesn't fix your problem. It didn't, it wasn't his starter. So small shops, I love and hate at the same time.

Wreck7

I've been welding for about 30 years. I started out as a laborer in a structural steel shop and worked my way up. I've worked in fab shops building structural,plate and pipe. I've also worked at the mines and on heavy equipment. At this point I'm considered a pipe fitter/welder/foreman. I either run myself and a helper or a crew. The advice I could give you would be to try it first by working for a small company. If you like it and can handle the work then commit to some schooling. After that go after what you want. Also, if you want to make in the business don't be one of those guys that stands there and waits for someone else to figure stuff out,make parts and put it together so you can just jump in and do the welding. Those guys are a dime a dozen, even the good ones. The other things are: Always make your next weld better than your last and never let a day go by without learning something new about your job. Also learn trigonometry and memorize your fractions in 100ths. And most of all learn to enjoy getting dirty because you're gonna.

HARLEYORANGE

Listen to his advice, it is sound. Certs are a good start but experience is king. I have seen alot of welders that had certs. and would not let them weld for me.. Welding is fun and it allows one to do alot of things but I personally would not want to do it day in and day out. I think you have a good idea about the mechanics and welding trade, the mix is perfect for not getting burnt out on one or the other. Just my 2 cents, I have been in the trades for 30 years. Do what makes you happy and the money will follow if you do it well..

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

One of the best things to learn is how to set up every process with as many different machines as you can.

Never fails when I think I might only work eight hours I am just about finished with my paper work.

Phone rings my welder wire speed keeps changing by itself . Drive an Hour every one but a select few of us working everyone else was at Walmart returning Bras that were to Big!

When they put the 33 pound spool of wire in they did not know enough to make sure the pin on the wire hub was in the hole on the spool.

Lots of slop when feeding then the wire drag was adjusted completely loose. I won`t mention how hard the gun was bent.

fixed this ." try it now"

These are some of the things self taught welders do

This is just a ball park price but that little lesson will cost over $200.00 till it is billed through the distributor .

Learn how to trouble shoot weld problems like this till it is second nature .

Just like dealing with ARC Blow learn to not even think about correcting for it.

87-SR5

Been fabricating for a very long time. I am in Clarksville, TN and work for a company called Hard-On Performance. Here are a couple of bumpers I have just completed!

Wreck7

Those are some mighty nice looking bumpers. They are what I like to call "Functional Artwork". You can always tell when someone takes a lot pride in their work.

Here's one of the tailgate I made for my 92. I had a nice grill guard I built for it at one time but, I used it to kill a cow in AZ one night out in the middle of nowhere.