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Parent - - By cmays (***) Date 09-05-2007 14:49
Accually Ive worked plenty of them and as you do, I  have plenty of friends in the ground.Trust me, its nothing new to me. Been around it my whole life. Obviously accidents will happen but my point was that it doesnt matter if Im on the tail end of a 36 hour shift, its just as important to be on top of your game from start to finish.
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 09-12-2007 17:18
I hear you cmays But - the last shift I pulled that was more than 24 hours I was walking around with 1 glove, looking for my striker and when I found it my bottles were off. 

You are a true welder, I can tell. There are some people on this forum that have to look at a book to tell what is right or wrong. You and I are one in the same........
Parent - - By cmays (***) Date 09-13-2007 00:01 Edited 09-13-2007 13:22
HAHA I know what your talkin about man..... Feelin like a dang zombie walking around with that thousand yard stare. One time I was on the phone with the company man (about 3/4 of the way through one of those shifts) and was pissed off cause I couldnt find my cell phone while I was on it!
Parent - - By Shane Feder (****) Date 09-18-2007 20:24
Hello guys,
This will probably get some noses out of joint but how the hell are you allowed to be doing those sorts of hours in 2007.To joke about stumbling around like a zombie is hardly professional and is downright dangerous (You may not care about yourself but what about your workmate/s). Yes, I have done some 24 hour plus shifts when I was young and silly but that was in the early 80s, not in this day and age where safety is treated much more importantly.
In Australia you are not legally allowed to work more than 16 hours on any construction or mining site. Generally you are forced to have an 8 hour break after 12 hours of work, this is to stop people walking around like "zombies" and causing accidents to themselves or others.
It is obviously your choice to work these sort of hours but I certainly wouldn't want to be working next to you in a potentially dangerous environment after you had done 36 hours straight.
Regards,
Shane
Parent - - By cmays (***) Date 09-20-2007 21:14
Some guys just arent meant for the job. Someone has to do it, and you learn quickly how to do the job safely. If you would have read some of the above posts you might have noticed that the subject of the matter dealt with maintaining your "professionalism" and saftey awareness in these long hour situations. If its any consolation to you, I wouldnt want you next to me either.By that time im not usually in the mood to listen to a lesson in Australian labor laws. The "zombie" thing was just an exspresion by the way.
Parent - - By Shane Feder (****) Date 09-21-2007 05:09
cmays,
My posting was not meant to be a shot at you or anyone in particular, it was a shot at the employers / industry that allows guys to work those kinds of hours.
America is supposedly a world leader but that sounds more like the kind of thing you would hear about in a third world country.
An earlier posting stated that 5 guys died "in the patch" last week, that is 5 too many.
I lost my best friend in a car accident, he was killed on the way home from work. He was a roustabout on an oil rig in New Zealand, working nightshift. Worked 14 hours then fell asleep while driving home,he crashed into the school bus carrying his twin sons to school.
How do you get home when you have worked your 30 odd hours, do you drive your rigs ? Lack of sleep can make you as dangerous as a drunk driver.
Just my thoughts,
Regards,
Shane
Parent - By cmays (***) Date 09-21-2007 13:14
I have a sleeper in my truck and most guys who do this line of work have some sort of sleeper or camper they pull on location. To get in my truck and drive home after a 36 hour shift would simply be "unprofessional". I do care about my self and the workers around me saddly most of the time the company doesnt share in the love so you have to gritt it out and do what you gotta do.
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 09-21-2007 13:30
I won't go into the stats of the accidents when work hours are running overboard, but purely from a production standpoint.....I would much rather pay two fresh welders working 8 hrs than one guy busting his butt for 16hrs working on my steel. I have found that our guys don't really put out any more work on 10hr shifts than they do working 9hr shifts when you get to week 3 and beyond. Bodies and minds need to rest, I don't care who you are.
Parent - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 09-27-2007 07:08
when you are self employed as some of us on here are and the phone rings at what ever time of day or nite it rings you go and stay until the work is done i've pulled the 36 hour strit shift and drove home not because i wanted to but because i had to to put food on the table and a roof over our heads yes i was tired as hell and yes i dozed off behind the wheel thats when you stop get out walk around a bit a drive some more its called survival most oil field companys could care less whether you live or die as long as you get the rig back to drilling it's not the companys that make us work so much it's our drive and ambition that do it  and haveing a wife and 3 kids helps alot too i wish i had some of those days right now my 9 week old son has been in and out of hospitals with brain cancer has already had 4 brain surgeries and the tumor is still there i havent been able to work for 2 months so i can be with him so if you dont want them 36 hour jobs send them to me i'll take them
Parent - - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 08-16-2007 22:59
Where in wyoming i've always wanted to go there
Parent - - By ZCat (***) Date 08-16-2007 23:02 Edited 08-16-2007 23:07
roadtechs.com has an ad for rigwelders in northeast Colorado...Ranger Plant Construction or something like that. Also saw one in Phoenix paying 50 and 40 per diem

you guys ever try googling rig welders needed or hiring?
Parent - - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 08-17-2007 00:27
i looked on road techs and couldnt find the 1 in colo. could you send me the link if its not to much trouble teamroperone@aol.com thanks so mu8ch for your help
Parent - - By ZCat (***) Date 08-17-2007 01:10
Ranger Plantl is now hiring Rig Welders for Natural Gas Pipeline in Northern Colorado. 60/hr weeks/Excellent Wages. (877)505-2888 -

I just googled ranger plant construction and got that
Parent - - By ZCat (***) Date 08-17-2007 01:13
they must have taken it off roadtechs, it's probably full up, here's 2 more

http://www.roadtechs.com/search/search.php?search=rig+welder
Parent - - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 08-28-2007 03:39
SOURDOUGH
quote "Please do not take this the wrong way, but.........how do you people survive on 40 an hour and still buy your own consumables, insurance, etc..?

Maybe I'm ignorant, maybe the cost of living is completely different.....

I'm asking, not making a statement."

$45 was the price for the GOOD (one time) service here 17 years ago...central Arkansas...then it was tough to deal with when you were BUSY.  I cannot imagine supplying everything now at even $55  maybe in shop not portable.  Actually I know the cost of living in Colorodo is pretty high..I wonder how you do it even considering what you pull down...then I think its simple  LOTS of hours/jobs...40 hours is a vacation right?   Heat and air guys charge $75 just to show up from two blocks away, plumbers at least $65 for same....all you guys running rigs I thinks it is time to go up in price a bit.  A fellow I know who is working on his second million told me a long time ago.... "You can sell quality work at almost any price you want to ask....but you cannot give away crap no matter how hard you try"    I guess all I am trying to say is if you know your good don't be scared to ask for the money.

I admire you guys cause I know how tough the work is and how crappy the customers can be.

Best regards
Tommy
Parent - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 08-28-2007 05:09
I talked with a guy today in san antonio asking for work on water pipe he asked me what i have been doing told him i had been working on oil field equipment stand pipes mud pumps etc. he told me he needed a pipeliner not a structural hand i informed him some of the pumps and piping i worked on was 10,000 psi schedule 160 piping he repeated the structural b/s to me again needless to say i didnt get it cause according to him i'm just a structural welder beats the hell outa me. I never been on a pipe line in my life and it looks like its gonna be hard to get my feet wet but just keep trying right?
Parent - - By makeithot (***) Date 09-02-2007 17:48
I with you.You boys need to charge more ,skilled tradesmen are hard to find and with the investment one has to make in equipment and trianing in order to be versatile $40.00 and even $65.00 hr is just sad. I run anywhere from $85.00 to $90.00 hr in town and more to go crawl around in the bush. I do ofcourse for that kind of money supply the consumables but on some jobs fuel rods etc are supplied depending on the client. With out sounding to harsh if you choose to run your gear for $40.00 hr for some stinking oil company that for the most part could not give a S@#$ what happens to you after the work is done or how long you have to work in order to get it done and won't in some cases even call you in for dinner after a 16 hr shift in the mud you have no one to blame but yourself . There is plenty of people and work out there which pays a reasonable rate and for the most part folks are just happy you showed up. One more thing they are most likely the same bunch of A-holes that expect you to wait any where from 45 to 90 days to get payed. When they in most cases have already recieved payment up front. I just looked out the window to douple check but nowhere on my rig does it say mobile banking service. With out going into the politic of union verses non-union it would be nice if as a whole all those that run mobile rigs could get together and say this is what the the price is take it or leave it ,so we that choose to work in the field have the oppertunity to make a good living without worrying about that guy that thinks he is doing the world a favour by giving it away at $40.00 hr( not that he is going to be much of a worry as he will most likely be out of business in less then a year) . I think it would take very little to organize an aliance so to speak and the oil company can just go pound sand if they don't like it. Unless we turn the clock back 20 years or so I can not see how $40 hr pays the bills I don't care where you live. Well maybe if you live in a tent. Just my two cents worth and no offence to anyone has been intended. But I do like that aliance ideal though. 
Parent - - By smaurer 2 Date 09-06-2007 05:57
I've been welding for 10 years. Started TIG welding bicycle frames then got into custom pieces of furniture and other work in the off season of bikes. Now I'm into the rig welding routine here in Colorado. The two main reasons I'm into it is that it's rewarding work and also the pay is good IF you have the right contacts. I have a family to support so the money is a big draw.

What we need is a pay scale forum in the form of a web site. So my concept for now is a "Rig Welders Group". (This is NOT a union, no money is involved) Basically it would be a simple web site where you could go and anonymously (no names) enter in such things as type of welding, location/city, hourly rate, per diem, travel pay rate and years of experience. Most people have access to the web, either at home or on the road via internet cafes. A website is the easiest way for people to share information that benefits every one involved. The pay scale needs to be discussed and reviewed over and over because it is always changing. If every one is informed and on the same page then your pay negotiation hand just got a lot better. All I read about is the shortage of welders out there. Here are a few stories.
http://files.aws.org/pr/shortagefactsheet.pdf
http://www.datakey.org/gawdajournal/1q07/weldershortage.php3
http://www.thefabricator.com/ShopManagement/ShopManagement_Article.cfm?ID=177

So here are the basics to keep in mind and why we should do this:
Cost of living is going up every year. There is a serious welder shortage. We are highly skilled workers. We deserve fair pay.

It's time to bring this together in our information age and look out for one another. Give me your input, good or bad, if you're intrested, additional ideas. I can get the web site put together and give it a home, just let me know if there is interest. Please pass along this discussion thread for everyone to read. Thanks for your time.
Parent - - By makeithot (***) Date 09-09-2007 05:30
Thats a good concept and would work well if everyone agreed to follow the rates qouted on the site. The other taught I had though was that by a more formal association one would be able to offer independent operators things like health insurance dental etc.
Parent - By pipefitter100 (*) Date 09-23-2007 03:17
so whos gonna get started,i feel a rig welder should get 75 per hr and 120 a day perdium,combo fitters should get 60 per hour.
Parent - By hurricunning (*) Date 11-02-2007 08:28
Well here might be something along the lines of what you are thinking, although it might be a little north of most of you....

http://rigwelders-r-us.com/home

Cheers,
Chris
Parent - - By tnhnt (***) Date 08-27-2007 23:50
Ranger Plant is hiring in North East Colorado. Call Stacy Brooks, 1-877-505-2888. The test is a 12"on 12" and maybe a 5G test as well...
Parent - - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 08-28-2007 03:20
is the 12 on 12 a branch or a butt
Parent - By tnhnt (***) Date 08-28-2007 06:13
Branch
Parent - By Cole Welding (**) Date 09-01-2007 23:44
they are all full up because i called to take a test and they said they didnt need no more.
Parent - By raftergwelding (*****) Date 08-20-2007 08:07
with perdium thats 3500 a week how often does he get paid
Parent - By shorthood2006 (****) Date 09-09-2007 12:37
pipe work or rig work
Parent - - By gregnmegan (*) Date 09-01-2007 05:25
[deleted]
Parent - - By Cole Welding (**) Date 09-01-2007 23:45
what is the test?????
Parent - - By gregnmegan (*) Date 09-02-2007 05:59
[deleted]
Parent - - By Cole Welding (**) Date 09-03-2007 00:25
how much work is there up there?????  and can a begainer pipeliner get i job or do you have to be more experience?????
Parent - - By gregnmegan (*) Date 09-03-2007 04:19
[deleted]
Parent - By Cole Welding (**) Date 09-07-2007 11:58
when is the best time to call
Parent - By texasrigwelder (**) Date 09-10-2007 00:01
yall full yet , how far yall from okc
Parent - - By KSellon (****) Date 09-07-2007 14:11
Unit Drilling is running 90 days out. They pay great for the first 6 weeks or so, then suddenly you don't get a check on Monday, or the following Monday and so on. Before you know it you haven't gotten a check for a month. Alot of the rig welders coming into the shop are having this problem. Just a heads up.
Parent - By Cole Welding (**) Date 09-08-2007 10:44
whats up with not getting paied by that company
Parent - - By shorthood2006 (****) Date 09-09-2007 12:42
that is why i DID like working for nabors drilling. you have to fill out the application with the secretary named FAITH. she will tell you more. PAID WEEKLY. i was one of over 100 welders in the yard.
Parent - - By Cole Welding (**) Date 09-09-2007 21:12
why are you not still there. i have been triing to get ibto one of them yards for a year. everytime i go into one of those yard they say we are not hiring.  and a week later why want to hire and they no one is called. i dont know what i am doing wrong
Parent - - By shorthood2006 (****) Date 09-10-2007 01:00
i quit because of one of the rod bosses named NORMAN. when it was 106 degrees outside and 130 inside of a shaker pit, he wanted to know why i was wiping my brow. i told him i was damn hot. he said to get back under my hood and get my a$$ to work.  he would "birddog" the welders all day. i told him to %&^* off . they are going to work me like that.

Hell, when he got hot, he went into the a/c office and cooled down. and then....would come out to bird dog us. im not going to work with the rodboss up my a$$.
Call faith at nabors...go to okc and fill out the app..   they will hire you..hell, they hired me!
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 09-11-2007 00:56
NABORS DRILLING........much different than who you worked for....billion dollar company.
Parent - - By shorthood2006 (****) Date 09-11-2007 01:46
same company!
Parent - - By rig welder6 (**) Date 09-12-2007 02:37
I weld pretty much anything off my rig from structural to steamline, or heavy equip repair, as well as aluminum, been doing it for 10yrs.  is there any rig work around ND, MINN, ILL, IA, WI, or MI?, I from N-WI and looking for more work than I have here. thanks for anyones help.
Parent - - By shorthood2006 (****) Date 09-13-2007 00:23
oklahoma is full of work. im guessing that texas is too. Sourdough knows about all the work going on in colorado. craigslist.com has had several post on welding jobs across the country. also go to the shop talk part of aws forum. there is a LONG talk about work going on in the US.
Parent - - By rig welder6 (**) Date 09-14-2007 02:58 Edited 09-14-2007 13:21
I talked to guy from elkhorn const. sounded like a good guy, and was from WI, heard good or bad from that company?   Thanks  Does anybody have any #'s for Co. or Wy thanks again. And one more question, is there any structural rig job out there anywhere, and are there any structural welders on the forum? P.S. I am new to this computer talking stuff.
Parent - By shorthood2006 (****) Date 09-15-2007 02:43
i dont want to get blind sided by sour puss.... I mean SOUR DOUGH. There are #'s  on this forum(shop talk) for companies in oklahoma and texas. Ksellon has listed names and numbers. Again, I welded for nabors drilling as a 3rd party contractor and was paid weekly. OH NEVER MIND. I dont want to get SOUR DOUGH bent out of shape.
Parent - By richardson_weld Date 09-17-2007 19:18
i have some numbers for co.its chasing rigs the work is good but 30days or better waiting on pay....
Parent - - By richardson_weld Date 09-17-2007 19:19
I just got back from Rifle Co. and its busy for sure
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