Welding Tips and Tricks

What is your dream job in the welding universe? I have been trying to define mine, but I am relatively new to welding, and therefore, don't know what all is out there. What you find fulfilling may inspire me to pursue a similar career track.

I have been welding for just over a year now (8 months in a welding program and 6 months at a shipbuilder). I appreciate my job and work hard at it, but don't really enjoy it. Maybe it is the 12 hour days, coupled with the occasional repetition and physically demanding nature of the job. Also, my status as an entry-level welder means I am sometimes subjected to more menial non-welding/fitting related tasks. I realize that I will find the job more satisfying as I gain more experience and am welding/fitting more. However, I don't get the sense that even the welder/fitters look forward to their work week. I am not exactly sure what career track I want to pursue, but I do know I would like a job that just so happens to be something I could see myself doing in my free-time. So, what is your dream job that you would find so fun that you forget you are even working?

Thank you!

I have spent 12 hours in an office in a suit, 12 hrs in a Crown Vic, 12 hrs in a Humvee and 12 hrs sitting in a hot boiler room at the rear end of a package fire tube boiler welding tubes to the rear sheet. Every one of them had great times and worst times. Financially and personal satisfaction.

The perfect job for me would be this based on my experience.......

In the middle of nowhere in a field with the sun coming up over a mountain. About 45 degrees (F). My thermos full of coffee the way I like it. A 24" carbon steel pipe 4 foot off the ground tacked up ready to go.15 minutes from my house making $300.00 per hour, with no schedule to meet.

So it really doesn't exist for me. Everything eventually turns into work I think. I retired for 18 months and that was the WORST.

The only thing for me that makes my life a little better now is that I am in a position that I don't have to put up with a lot of BS. When I have had enough I can just say F*** it and be fine.

Working for myself, creating custom motorcycle frames, sub frames and parts, with a bias towards performance/racing.

I think you could work your whole life on bike frames and learn every day. Then there's the fact that you could be working with aluminium extrusions, 4130 trellis designs...so many variations.

Then there's experimenting with the various angles, flex, tuning out chatter. It never ends. Design, ride, alter, destroy, start again.

I reckon that would have to remain entertaining for quite awhile.


Kym

If I had the resources,
I'd like to start up a factory like Morgan.
http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25-Ee6pq4yQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJLcoGMPQ94

I am presently in my perfect job.

I say "presently", because the definition changes as my life changes. I'm 47, and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

(DLewis, we're going to have to compare notes, as I've also been everything from a grease monkey to a suit-and-tie guy... Had top-shelf liquor in my office because of who I'd entertain...)

I'm very satisfied at the moment, and have held this position for eight years. The details are not important. The thing that holds my interest is that I'm almost constantly learning something new. Often it's new to me, but sometimes it's actually "NEW", and I get to share that. It's small things... I'm not defeating Ebola, but I'm finding new techniques for early detection of stress cracking, or discovering new ways to reduce the time spent in vessel retest.

I primarily TIG weld in the description above, but this is only a fraction of what I'm allowed to do in my job. I'm not happy if I'm not interested, so I might do work in eight trades in a five day week.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:I am presently in my perfect job.

I say "presently", because the definition changes as my life changes. I'm 47, and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

(DLewis, we're going to have to compare notes, as I've also been everything from a grease monkey to a suit-and-tie guy... Had top-shelf liquor in my office because of who I'd entertain...)

I'm very satisfied at the moment, and have held this position for eight years. The details are not important. The thing that holds my interest is that I'm almost constantly learning something new. Often it's new to me, but sometimes it's actually "NEW", and I get to share that. It's small things... I'm not defeating Ebola, but I'm finding new techniques for early detection of stress cracking, or discovering new ways to reduce the time spent in vessel retest.

I primarily TIG weld in the description above, but this is only a fraction of what I'm allowed to do in my job. I'm not happy if I'm not interested, so I might do work in eight trades in a five day week.

Steve S

You nailed it Steve. The perfect job is the one you're happy at. I dread when the union calls me to build scaffold because I hate it. I hate the industrial atmosphere, I hate the badass, lowlife attitude of most of my co-workers. I hate my foremen who sucked some peg to get the foremans job, I hate that most of the company brass have inferiority complexes and need their asses kissed all day and what I hate the most is the back stabbing lowlifes that are more than willing to kiss that ass and won't hesitate to throw you under a bus. I make far less money being self employed but I can at least treat myself and my customers with respect.

Like you if I am not interested/engaged I am no good. My history is easy. Grew up in a mechanical/electrical contractors household, swept shop floors since I was 8, could not wait to escape. Went and got an engineering degree, went to work as an electrical designer designing automated welding equipment, press projection, seam, flash/butt, robotic MIG, robotic material handling, etc. for 3 yrs. Took my PE test, passed then quit and went to police academy. Could not make enough to support family so thankfully the department was on 3-8hr watches allowing me to work two jobs the other back for the family business as an engineer/superintendent/welder/electrician/estimator/gopher, whatever was needed. Retired, came to Florida worked part time for a friend that owned a law firm as his private investigator. Went through second divorce and right back into skilled trades, it is always pulling me back in.

Two wives, 7 children, lost two new homes that were paid for and almost 75% of pension. As much as I hated dirty finger nails, busted thumbs and burn marks on my forearms, it is where I had the most success financially and at the end find my most satisfaction.

DLewis...your life sounds like mine, I don't have the pedigree you do but I have the ex-wives you have I lost 2 houses in 5 years and almost every dime I had saved. It's not easy getting up off your knees when you get near 50 but life needs to go on and it usually gets better. I struggle to make ends meet sometimes but I am far happier doing what I want than getting pushed around by some bosshole every day for a lousy paycheck.

Seems like a there are a few recurring themes:
1. "ideal" is a fluid concept. it depends on age, personal finances, etc.
2. It's not uncommon to have a list of wildly varied endeavors through your life. hopefully something useful is gleaned from each experience.
3. enjoy the ride.

My previous lives:
Electronics Engineer
Dog Trainer
Presently taking a break and deciding what's next (when/if I grow up) Maybe custom fabrication, furniture, etc?

Luckily for me, our finances allow me to take the time to figure things out. It also allows me to decide I was headed in a direction that I didn't want to go (dog trainer?! WTF was I thinking?). I'm also less tolerant of BS.

I spent many years as an electronics engineer (20+) for small research companies. The best times there was learning new things (various CAD, new science, new technology, building one off's, prototypes). The worst was doing production builds. Writing documentation. The truth is that the production and documentation was necessary to bring in money to allow me to do the fun stuff.

So what's my ideal job?
thinking. creating. learning. building. using my skills collected over the years (woodworking, metalworking,electronics).
Will I find it? Ask me in a year..... the ride continues

steve

exnailpounder wrote:It's not easy getting up off your knees when you get near 50 but life needs to go on and it usually gets better. I struggle to make ends meet sometimes but I am far happier doing what I want than getting pushed around by some bosshole every day for a lousy paycheck.

Tell me about it, I am pushing 55 in a few months. It might be a Midwest thing (born and raised in the cornfields of central Illinois). Always have a positive outlook because you can't go back and change anything. The real crime is I have come to realize most of my plight is nobody's fault but my own

Not going to say that the big house, boat, Harley's aren't nice. But also raising the kids, their cars and insurance all the extra curricular expenses you do comes with a tremendous amount of pressure/stress. Kids are raised, very few bills and I don't have to put up with crap from anyone (except the girlfriend and that can be rectified at any given moment with zero cost). Going to work now is more like therapy than mandatory. I think when it comes to true wealth it is more about freedom.

Dream job. I guess as close as I could come would be welding heavy wall superheat pendants with a good welding partner on the other side. One pass TIG, go to stick, ring it out slag welding non stop until the last pass of the cap. Turn off the lights and let the glow light the area. Weld the next one the same way then go back and final pass the cap on the one before. 100% x-ray on a high critical coal burner. More fun than a guy can stand and they actually PAID you to do it.

Yeah! Any job where you like the people / and trust them. Is gold.

I can appreciate welding projects that are just as much of an art as they are functional. I think one can experience a great sense of pride with customization: something one-of–a-kind that can’t be readily replicated. Bike and automobile customization fit these criteria well. Additionally, I would imagine high-end home-builders and contractors integrate custom metalwork into their projects. Gates and railings are two candidates that come to mind.

Are there any other markets aside from custom bikes, automobiles, and home-building where there is no shortage of creativity? A job utilizing a high degree of creativity would add a level of excitement that would blur the lines between work and play.

Gates and railings are really an industry of their own...known as Ornamental Iron Work. I have seen spiral staircases that are literally a work of art, combined with glass and cable work to just name one of many. Very good money in ornamental but there is ZERO room for inferior quality, a death sentence in that business field. Most successful guys literally have a "portfolio" of projects they share with clients during the sales process.

Gates and railings are really an industry of their own...known as Ornamental Iron Work. I have seen spiral staircases that are literally a work of art, combined with glass and cable work to just name one of many. Very good money in ornamental but there is ZERO room for inferior quality, a death sentence in that business field. Most successful guys literally have a "portfolio" of projects they share with clients during the sales process.

It is very helpful if you know AutoCAD 3D. A trick I use that works well is get the clients "vision" down on paper. I quickly model it, not really even caring if dimensions are out a little, render it, fly a camera around it and generate a WMV showing the 3D model of their vision and email it to them. It really gets their juices flowing even if it's not exactly what they want and they get real involved for some reasons. Must be a human thing, lights and bells things that are flashy.

sru_tx wrote:Seems like a there are a few recurring themes:
1. "ideal" is a fluid concept. it depends on age, personal finances, etc.
2. It's not uncommon to have a list of wildly varied endeavors through your life. hopefully something useful is gleaned from each experience.
3. enjoy the ride...

steve

That sums it up for me. While in college, I worked building (wiring) limousines one year, fabricating and molding plastic another. I've been a manual machinist, and I've painted $10M mansions in five-color faux finish and brushed varnish cabinets. I've always made quick side money fixing cars. My first job out of high school was high-end remodel work with my brother Mike (RIP), but I'd been installing car stereos for my classmates. I was maintenance manager for an exclusive country club (and even filled in as bartender from time to time). I was a project manager for an ambulance remanufacturer, where I jumped all the hoops to scratch-build an approved paint booth in St. Louis city, rubbing elbows with the mayor, fire chief, division EPA, and union heads in sprinkler fitting and mechanical. I sold water treatment in Florida, and built ethanol plants in Iowa. Through it all, I could rely on a handful of skills, including welding, to keep food on the table regardless of the transition my life might have been in at the time. My "ideal" job did indeed keep changing. But the skills and knowledge added up and put me where I am today.

For now, I'm pretty well satisfied.

Steve S

Steve, you are a breed of us boys born in the 60's and early 70's that are no more. We work and if we need more, we work more, do whatever it takes.The economy doesn't affect us, we were baptized with downsizing and layoffs and were smart enough to learn we need many weapons in our tool boxes. Pipe job dry's up ok I will go hang and finish drywall, install car stereo's, fine, DO SOMETHING, make it happen, is it easy?, hell no, is it a cut in pay? yep, need a part time job now also. Now day's the government should take care of me, WTF. I have worked two jobs for most of my adult life in some capacity.

And I know for a fact that a good young man like you never ventured across the river when in St. Louis. Never heard of Route 3 or Brooklyn Illinois I am sure. Although I wouldn't blame you for Alton, best steak in the Country at Tony's.

Learn more earn more I always believed. I have done so many things to earn money I don't remember them all but I always considered myself a survivor. Any job is a dream job when they are shutting the lights and heat off. Young guys today don't think like that. They want $15 an hour to say "you want to supersize that?"

exnailpounder wrote:Any job is a dream job when they are shutting the lights and heat off. "

Say's it all...... "

DLewis0289 wrote:

exnailpounder wrote:Any job is a dream job when they are shutting the lights and heat off. "

Say's it all...... "

This is true. In my 'real world job' as a professional writer, I took on a task last year for a big national building industry company. The bottom line is that the job entailed writing a half a million words for an online learning suite, within parameters that made the whole thing brain-meltingly tedious and counter-intuitive.

I knew it would be tough but I took it on as a bread-and-butter task. Well, it turns out that yes, the work is awful, but the client is a prompt payer, easy to deal with, and 6 months down the track that job is still grinding along and paying the bills.

I won't ever feature the work in my C.V, but I'm reminded of how worthwhile it has been every time I turn on the ducted gas central heating that it has paid for!




Kym

I will admit to one thing. I would mug crack dealers before I would paint a living room with a roller and brush.

I was born in 1950, so I'm in the "we learned how to do it all and a bit more to keep food on the table" group. I've wrenched on cars, trucks and heavy equipment, been a residential/commercial electrician, worked in a boatyard as electrician and welder, welded for a fence and fab company, been a sound engineer (live and studio), radio announcer, worked construction, done retail sales, managed a military surplus store, and owned and edited a weekly newspaper for three years. And for the last 16 years, I've been planetarium manager and telescope repair tech for a university. Just hobby welding now. But when I retire in a year or so, I'm going to set up a small shop and do some custom fab in addition to my own projects. Custom ham radio consoles and such like.

What's my dream job? Pretty much anything that let's me be creative in some way, and that challenges me. It's better if it involves working with my hands and getting to build things. Not as much of that as I'd like in the current job, but the pay is good, the insurance is excellent, and the benefits are great. And retirement's close.

This is a great thread with a lot of wisdom. Thanks guys.

DLewis0289 wrote:I will admit to one thing. I would mug crack dealers before I would paint a living room with a roller and brush.

I don't blame you there. I came to hate it, and I don't toss about words like "love" and "hate" like most people...
I abruptly abandoned a 12 year friendship, moved 800 miles, and changed career paths because I came to hate painting.

That said, I can show you how to two-coat a huge room in under four hours. But I won't. Because I'd hate it.

Steve S

i have been in the same trade since i left high school.
not by design but to put food on the table of an early
family. i did the manual work for years the took over
the business in my early thirties and expanded our
scope of work. not complaining as it allowed me
the money to raise my family, race motorcycles
buy what i wanted ash travel as i wished.
now 50 yrs later I'm retired.
that is my Dream Job. free time to play with
40yrs of acquired tools and machinery.
craig