Welding Tips and Tricks

What's good guys. I started a new welding school this week and just have some questions. Ive been to school before for welding but this is more advanced welding i am getting into. The program i am in is called qualified welder in the energy sector. Well anyway's we are able to decide how we go about everything. For example you could start with TIG and then work through all the assigsments up to pipe level or you could do this with MIG/MAG or Stick. You can also have multiple process's going on. You could weld TIG one week then Stick the next week for instance. You also may not get to pipe level on all the process's so I need to decide what process comes first and what comes last. I want some help trying to figure out the best way to structure everything to get the most out of my school time. By the way the school is for 1 year. Thanks and keep on burning

Experience: I have been to welding school before for 1 year. While in school I learned the basics of MIG, stick, and TIG. I am most experienced in TIG because i ended up at a place for 6 months while i was in school welding solely TIG on stainless steel. I also worked a bit over the summer doing some MIG work and have also taken a license for TIG on a horizontal T-Joint. TIG is my favorite process. I am least experienced in SMAW.

I would first ask, "what process will you primarily be using on the job?" If TIG, then you want to focus on TIG.

Let's say it is TIG ... and you are pretty much designing your own program ... here is what I would do:
Start with SMAW, work up to 3F or 3G configurations, the do the same with GMAW. I would not ignore these because they might come up in the future, and it DOES help your overall skill level. Remember, you skill levels grown like a balloon, not in columns. What I mean is that as you practice GMAW, your skill levels with SMAW gets better, and so on.

I would go to out of position TIG ASAP. Vertical up and don't ignore the HORIZONTAL. Do some OH. Don't ignore the HORIZONTAL. Practice open root V-groove with the TIG 2G and 3G, then when you feel confident with that head to pipe. No matter how good you do with the groove welds, transition to pipe is like throwing a hand grenade into your brain. Go slow at first. Practice movements with the machine off. Do this a lot. Practice movements with the machine off. Do this a lot. Practice movements with the machine off. Do this a lot. Oh ... don't forget to practice movements with the machine off. Do this a lot. You might want to practice your open root with a bit narrow of a root opening to start, then work up to real size.

Hope this is helpful!
Gary

Thanks alot. Some very useful tips.