[BreakPads?]

Im looking for work in the Phoenix area, I've got alot of experience with stick, and i can use a mig and stick welder, but i need to find the best opportunity for me, i'd appreciate some input from some experienced welders

[kermdawg]

The Union has a bunch of work in phoenix for pipe fitters/ welders. Intel has a fab goin up and theres a water treatment plant in Tucson. Non-union, not a whole lot of work west of the rockies right now. East coast is boomin though, just pay usually aint all that great.

[BreakPads?]

Thanks kerm, I guess a better question would be how the hell do I get in the union out there? I'm going to school at Central Arizona College for all my certifications, will that help me?

[kermdawg]

http://www.ualocal469.org/organizing.aspx
2950 West Thomas Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017-5512
(602) 269-8213
Bus: Thomas Rd & 29th Dr

First is the organizing department link with some information for you. Second is the address and phone number of the local. Call them and tell them your qualifications and see if you can organize in as a journeyman. They can also tell you what certs you will need to qualify as a journeyman. If they dont organize you in as a journeyman you can still probably get in the apprenticeship as a second or third year apprentice.

Good luck, I might see ya on the job down there, Im thinkin about headin down there in a month or two to get on that intel job.

[BreakPads?]

Thanks kermdawg I called and she told me that I have to go to gateway college and take an entrance exam, then I go on a waiting list. I wish I could just walk in there with my hood on and yell "let's do this shit!." are you a part of that particular union Kerm?

[kermdawg]

I am. Im out of Las Vegas Local 525. Usually you have to take an "entrance exam", but that waiting list part is new to me. You told her you wanted to come in as a journeyman right? Might have better luck going down to the hall and talking to an organizer in person. He'll also be able to tell you exactly whats on their entrance exam, what you should study for etc...every local is differant.

Most locals in the country will take every qualified welder they can get, cause they are so hard to come by. For example, if you want a list of all our union's welding certifications, check out http://uatravelers.com/UA-WeldCerts.html. Probably a good idea to be proficient in stick, tig, tig root/stick fill/cap. Orbital certs are HUGE right now, if you can get them in your college course I can almost guarentee you could get a job out of the phoenix hall.

[BreakPads?]

Well I sure appreciate everything, would you happen to know what kind of pay scale I'd be looking at if I could bust out a 3G weld test and got picked up by the local?

[kermdawg]

pay in phoenix is 33 an hour + full bene's, tucson is 28 full benes.

Better practice that 6g too brotha. To get your welder on yuor book you need to pass a test, a 6 inch pipe coupon half 2g half 5g. All the rest of ours are 6g as far as I know.

If your lookin at welding plate, try the iron workers union down there. No idea what the pay is or what kind of work they got though. The only plate we do really is for hangers.

[BreakPads?]

Alrighty, I know I would definitely like to practice, but I don't have the facilities to do so right now, I could try calling some local shops to practice at. Its a 45 degree fixed pipe? With an open butt root pass right? TIG and stick?

[kermdawg]

To qualify as a "welder" i.e. prequal, you have to pass a 2g/5g combo test, open root stick. 6010 root/7018 fill/cap. Half the pipe is welded horizontal, then its moved and the other half is welded vertical.

Check out that cert page I linked a few posts up. If you need help deciphering it, PM me and lemme know, I can help translate some of that for ya. As for joint make up, it all depends on the cert/type of material. Some of the stainless and mild steel is fusion weld (tig), some tig root/stick out, some open root, some closed root, some knife edge land, well you get the picture. If its pipe welding, we do it. End of story.

As for practicing, what I did, since I live over an hour away from my hall and it didnt make sense to drive there and back everyday gas bein what it is for a few months practicing for differant cert tests, I went and bought a used welder off a guy on the job. Upgrading it shortly to an everlast machine. Their like 350 bucks, and their very similar to the miller inverters from what I hear. BTW, you'll more than likely be using a miller inverter machine in the field on the job. Every job I've worked on in the field, they use millers. Dont ask me why heh. In the shop its anyones guess.

I take that back. The tin knockers busted out an old tig machine. It actually said heli-arc on the machine. That was the model name. Thing musta been 40 or more years old. Weighed about 150 pounds. Still welded up that stainless steel kitchen prep table right up though!

Sorry, kinda got side tracked there. ANyway, I went and built a little welding table out of some angle iron, and made a little pipe test holder out of a piece of pipe, with a bigger piece slid over it, allthread and nuts welded to the pipe so you can place the weldment any witch way you want.

For your practice, get some sch. 40 or sch. 80 pipe, dont really matter what size, a couple differant ones might be best actually. Get a box of 1/8" 6010/6011, a box each of 3/32 and 1/8 inch 7018, and weld away. 37-1/2 degree bevel plus/minus 2-1/2 degrees, 1/16 land 1/8 gap, both plus or minus a 32'nd.

All in all, you can have a good welding station set up in your garage for around 500 bucks. Add in the cost of runnin the 220 (cost me 150 plus 100 for wire, but mine was a 120 foot run). So after all that, figure if it'll be cheaper to drive down to the hall everyday for a few months practicing for your cert tests.

Oh ya, dont forget you can throw a scratch start tig torch on that inverter.

Kudos to ya if you spend a grand and decide fuck workin for somebody else and start up your own welding repair shop. You got everything you need right there just need some gas and a generator :):)

edit again (third one now!) I think they changed the 6 inch pipe to the 2 inch super coupons. Thats like 2 inch 160 wall.

[BreakPads?]

If I'm closer to the local hall will they let me practice there? I got about a million questions I could ask lol

[kermdawg]

Unfortunately I dont think so. Hey its worth a shot though. Whats the worst they could say, No?

Are you still in school or did you finish up already?

[BreakPads?]

Well I'm 19 and moving from Michigan to Phoenix, I was set up with a college up here to get my welding engineering degree, but due to some shady dealing we lost out on a house and were pretty much homeless, sob story much lol. Alright I plan on as soon as I get down there to get registered for some classes (trying to find a damn school down there is ridiculous) I'd like to be able to find work while I'm going to school though.

[kermdawg]

If your just trying to "find some work" while your goin to school, call the union back up and see if their taking any pre-apprentices/helpers. Itll be a good way to get your foot in the door down there, and hell, if your a pre-apprentice you might just be able to shmooze your way into the weld shop to practice, if you impress/befriend the right people.

Unfortunately your best bet these days to get work, union or non union, is through people you know. Think hard, do you know -anybody- that could put in a good word for ya, anywhere? 10 bucks an hour aint nothin to shake a stick at if you aint got nothin else comin in, and noone dependin on ya. Cost of living's pretty cheap down there.

Remember something else-employers can't legally ask how old you are. Thats the beautiful part about welding, if you can pass a weld test, you got a shot at gettin the job. Of course not as good a shot as the guy thats been doin it for 20 years. But your not walkin in there with nothing to show the employer either. Hard part is gettin to take the weld test. Remember, before you go blowin 200 bucks on a cert test at a lab, certs are only good for 6 months. As far as I know, thats all of em. Structural and pipe.

Anyway, if your desperate for work, ask the hall if their takin pre apprentices. Its way better than unemployment, i think they start around 15 bucks an hour, and there probably workin overtime. Pretty much all ya do is push a broom, drive a forklift, and fetch parts all day. Aint gotta know shit, but again, if you can weld and prove it to the right people i.e. your GF/Super, they'll put in the word and make your ass a welder, if they like ya. I can almost guarentee it. IF you know what your doin Good luck again brotha.

[BreakPads?]

Thanks again, i guess im just slightly nervous haha, its my future and a career that ive always wanted. i gotta find a school down there that has the programs i need even if its a cert program. hows the union on training after you get in?

[kermdawg]

Best in the business. Im sure you could go ask for the class list they have at the JATC, and most of their classes are free to journeyman, and apprentices.

[BreakPads?]

I'm really excited about this, thanks for all your help and advice. You're definitely on my list of people to ask question lol. I gonna see about doing as well as possible with that test and get my ads some security for my future

[Otto Nobedder]

Just so you know...

You don't want to "bust out" a weld test. That's slang in the industry for a "fail".

I busted out my first x-ray on this job today. Film showed a 1/8" inclusion. I ground out the section and found nothing, so re-welded it and called it good. I think they smashed a bug with the film. I suppose it might have been a cold lap in the root, but it was round, like a tungsten strike. I dunno.

I've been here six weeks and this is my first busted x-ray, so I think I can live with it.

Steve

[BreakPads?]

Thanks Steve I appreciate any help or advice given, which reminds me. Any other advice you have about training possibilities, union related experiences or any tips on welding are more than greatly appreciated, I'm a firm believer in learning as many ways as possible to skin a cat. Thanks fellas - Kyle

[kermdawg]

Dont ever clean anything with brake cleaner before welding. It will create phosgen gas, and it will kill you.

Dont ever weld or cut on a tank that ever contained anything flammable unless it is backpurged. It will explode and kill you.

Learn the proper ways to handle Compressed Gas Cylinders (CGC's, or oxygen and acetylene) tanks properly. If you dont, they can kill you.

Always try to get some sort of fan if your stick or flux core welding. Your lungs will thank you.

DONT use a fan or even try to weld with TIg or MIG if theres any kind of breeze. You'll just waste your time. It doesnt take much to blow that shielding gas away.

Dont ever do something on a job you dont think is safe or right. Ask questions. Make sure that line is the right one. If you dont feel safe tell your foreman to get someone else to do it. They will. They wont fire you for it either. If they do, sue the fuck outta em

Remember, welding is a skill. Not everyone can do it. In fact, alot of really skilled hands I've met on the job can't or won't. Dont ever stop practicing and dont ever stop learning. My old boss, 60 years old, said he learned somethin new everyday, and if he didnt, he wasted a day.

[BreakPads?]

Thanks fellas I've been TIG welding aluminum the past couple days for the experience, and that has been fun

[03ramit1]

breakpads, if you looking for a welding program look into arizona automotive institute. thats wehre i am going to school for combo welding. i just started the course a few weeks ago, but bassically its a 10 month program and they cover MIG, TIG, Stick, Flux core. let me know if you have any questions about the school.

[BreakPads?]

well guys ive made it to phoenix, and we're slightly settled, so im gonna start working towards getting into the union, and meanwhile im gonna look for work around the area. so if anybody has any friends and family that would let me walk in and take a weld test, let me know.

[kermdawg]

You ever go down to the hall and talk to an organizer?

[BreakPads?]

have not got the opportnity to yet, but what do I need to do and ask when I'm there?