Anything welding

lol overhead 60s find any and every hole to burn you possible.

 

I never weld without earplugs. It's been so long that without them, I can't properly concentrate on my welding.

Welding is therapeutic for me. I find it much more relaxing when the volume is turned down.

But, yeah, you get a hot in your ear, it's a wild experience. Usually only the hair in your ear is burnt, so no real damage. Still, not gonna risk it.

 

Work has gotten me so safety focused that I don't even like using grinders without handles and guards at home. And I won't use anything without safety glasses

 

Speaking of pay and welding... I just got the call to goto a job in OK. $33/hr for combo structural. Hours ain't worth a fuck but the pay makes it worth it lol.

 

Is your gas on? If yes, what gas are you using?

 

He's running SMAW, not GMAW. No gas.


IMO (and I'm no pro arc welder) I'd try keeping the arc short as possible, and possibly turning down amperage a bit. Definitely just getting too hot and blowing open key holes

 

Can tell when you keyhole you're hanging around and trying to fix it but just making it worse lol. Use shorter whips. Keep the arc tight and travel faster. May turn amps down too.

 

Your really giving yourself a big handicap with that thin material. Before you throw in the towel get some thicker material 3/16, 1/4, 3/8 and some 6011 1/8 inch rods. Try a small forward/back whip.

 

Fuck 6011. 6010 is life.

 

Ahhh... i could only do gas...

 

Still looks like doo doo. But looks better. Now you just need to practice.

 

looks better then most of the welds i see when giving the get in the Door Welding tests

Like I said those short plates get hot real fast .

When I went to school back before the Dinosaurs all the welders just had a arrow pointing to the right that said up.

The machines were turned to zero when you were done You learned to set it up quick.

I agree about ear plugs I always use them Had a coworker years ago lose a ear drum from a Spark just being in the wrong place at the right time

Welding is relaxing for me as well now that it is by choice

 

Even more so when you're building a boat...

 

Awesome! Thanks for the response. I knew there was money in it and the levels of pay scale but didn't know there was a potential to make 6 figures! I just may consider it if things don't pick up out here soon. Thanks again bud!

 

Theres quite a few welders I know who make 6 figures. The Nuclear Pipe Welders can do it pretty easy (base for them is like 65-70k). Government benefits so nice amounts of leave, retirement, "free" equipment to use (shipyard provides it), plus hardly any fit up or prep work as the shipfitters or pipefitters do it all. Course the pipe guys get quite a bit of scrutiny with plenty of VT, PT, and RT's. And if you mess up a real joint they get to go explain why to a lot of people lol.

But as mentioned theres a lot of money to be made in welding if you put in the time and practice at it

 

This is truth. Burnt my bodyweight 100x over in 5p+

Welding work is good work. Just need to have the drive to work while others are home drinking beer. I started in large scale structural fabrication, moved to pressure pipe (b31.1 31.3, and api), and finally settled in the aerospace field doing all sorts of tube work. I benefited from having a mechanical / plumbing background growing up from my father who is a master plumber which helped accelerate my career in the pipe world. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

 

Yes you can make a Good living !!

The thing I see is so many thinking they can walk right into a super good paying job .

That only happens to a very few lucky ones The majority of us pay our dues before things work out just so.

Then it depends just what part of the country you happen to live in.

If your getting into this field only for the money and not for a love of what your doing things might not be what you hope for.

 

Amen to that. A wise man once told me,"Do what you love, and the money will follow".

 

We do it for the girls and fame, right?


Kidding.


We do it for the shut downs.

 

Fuck, fight and weld pipe!