Spinoff: Fab shop welder qualifications

[yankster]

Is he a certified welder or a certified inspector or just certifiable? ;D

Definitely certifiable.

 

[Beerj]

Taking knowledge from my last fab job, I'm going to create a little gizmo with a few 2-3" tubes sticking this way and that and a couple flat plates with T-joint, butt joint, and lap joints all welded up purty, slap it on the desk and ask what they'll give me. My last job I walked in at $17, maybe a little proof can get me more?

You should attach a stainless plate with your entire resumé tigged into it.

 

[Beerj]

Having never been trained or even given any pointers by friends/etc, I always wondered if my welds were at least "good enough". Like many others, I tested one. Granted, it was a perfect scenario but nothing broke.
1/4" plate "T" joint, welded both sides. And yes, I did miss running over that tack.

 

[toyota1]

I havent had any formal training other than a few hours of class with a local fabricator who is one of the best welders ive ever met. I just got done welding my buggy chasis and ill say its a whole lot harder to get perfect welds out of position on a tube chasis than a coupon on a table but im confident in all my welds just not happy a few unimportant got a little porosity around the tacks. Ive seem shops put out some pretty bad welds especially trailers.

 

[halcat]

Welding small pipe inside a roll cage and getting a good looking strong weld can be a trick. You need to be flexible , steady and care about your welds. Being young helps. I'm to old and fat to do that any more. It's frustrating when you try to do something you could do and now you can't because of your age. Can't see, can't bend, when you breath your fat belly brings the rod plumb out of the puddle. I'm 62 now. I certified on gas pipe at age 16. I was running a crew of men laying gas pie and couldn't drive to work. Didn't have a drivers license. I was the youngest welder to certify at pittsbusg laboratories in Knoxville tn at that time. Putting a strong good looking weld with today's equipment in a shop with clean pipe is really not that difficult. Try welding a 8" collar on a 8" pipe under a drilling rig with half your hood under water in the pouring rain at 2:00 in the morning with a 30' flame blowing straight up. When you cap it off, it can't leak. My .02

 

[5BrothersFabrication]

Sometimes it's all about doing what you gotta do to get the RIGHT weld on a tube joint, and not just A weld. Also, joint prep and fitment is key. I've seen tubes fitted together with a bolt thrown in as filler. I would never let that leave my shop, even if it is a no-name small time 20'x20' and just me and the occasional volunteer.