Well, I guess I should stay out of this cause it seems like you guys are out for blood or a good ol' hangin. After a tour in the Marines though I can take a beatin, they were kind enough to de-nerve me on Parris Island, my wife even says I'm cold and heartless.
I'm 38, went through school in 98 and currently going through more welding school. I was asked by a guy, pipeliner, if I was a good welder. Surely did'nt know how to respond, told him I have not had any leaks or problems and keep working to make every weld better than the last. Passed my 12" butt, tensile, bend and even had a kodak moment.
I'm a guy, out on the road around TN with my most likely not considered a real rig truck. It's not an s10 or yota, it's a real truck, with a real diesel engine. I have a ranger 8. At $900 at the time it was what I could afford. To this point my 51' shorty looks real good, wish I had $3000 to put her back together or all the kings horses and all the kings men. Unfortunately I don't and thought about it the day I was out with the big pipe guys and their welder had a classic 200 and my ranger was annoying everyone with it's 3600 rpm.
I've been trying to get into something where I can learn from guys such as yourselves on here. After 20 years in the biz bustin knuckles I would still learn from guys my senior and was more than happy to listen to their advise. Again, unfortunately I have been unable to find anything. I have no oil field experience, don't know anybody in the biz, brother, dad and so forth. According to some job sites with no oil field experience I can't even make it as a helper or for that matter a mechanic...no oil field experience. You guys born in Texas and Oklahoma are lucky, you were born in the oil field! LOL!! I'd be willing to pick up stubs, empty your stub bucket, grind the root, wire out the hot, fill and cap, hell, what was it you wanted for lunch??
I've worked on jobs now from gas pipe to structural. I've done some work for a group out of hotlanta and used my welder, they supplied materials, gas but the pay was not much better than single hand work. Was I proud of it, nope, thought it sucked but at the time wife was thinking how nice it would be to continue living in this house and not a box under a brigde. I worked for them twice, spent two weeks. Kept my house and the truck for a few more months. They called again, this time I decided against it. Making good money on the job I'm at right now, more than I would if I went down there and used my own welder. No worries though, called them a few days later to tell them I would not be coming down and they already had a guy to replace me. If I was jobless right now, I'd probably be there again. Weld procedures? Worked with several contractors now and nothing. I had one ask me if I had papers. Told them I had my own papers for my company, not theirs. Most of the times it's hard to even get the code out of them. Put in a grease vent at a restuarant, tells me nothing, practically had to beat the code out of the guy in order to install it.
However, the contractors who hire guys, younger or less experienced guys and do not follow the rules of the road, WPS and so on are the ones bucking the system, just as they do with the illegal immigrant hirings or making sure when your on a scale job that your getting paid correctly. Got a duct guy making $7/hour more than the welder. What can I do, my house is getting paid and keeping the truck and just all out tired of being the only one that's willing to stand up and say anything anymore. Spent years being the "stand up guy" at other places and when you stand up to say what everyone else is complaining about before the meeting, when you get in there and say it and your ding dong is hangin out in the wind cause everyone has gotten job security shy. What the contractors do will not affect my welding. The welding part is within the welder himself. How much pride he or she takes in what they do. I like what I'm doing now and strive to uphold the tradition that you older guys have built up. Make every weld look better than the last, always try harder to become a better welder, listen to guys with more experience.
Plate has been compared to pipe as pipe that has not been unrolled yet. Why do I like pipe welding? I don't know. Done some structural stuff and no a real big fan, I think it sucks. No offense Cactus, God only knows you are one of many on here that I respect and never met ya. For some reason I like the roundy round of pipe welding. Perhaps 15, 20 or 30 years ago if you old timers look back you'll realize what it was that got you into the roundy round. I thought for sure that welding pipe in some dirt hole under a 150 year old plus building was not my cup of tea. The last 5-6 weeks I have enjoyed the he__out of myself doing just that. This includes shoving my body into places, wriggling between four 4" pipes in order to get in behind and make a weld. Laying upside down, sideways, rightways, anyways and getting burned all over ways. Little sparkies trying to find there way into my brain cause I can only have my beannie covering one ear and even some good ol' fashion mirror welding which has been interesting to say the least, a very large challenge and in some sick mentally sick way I look forward to more and think I'll even hit the shop and practice more mirror welding. Covered in old dry dirt and dust, laying on your back with your head resting on some rocks and the hole time your running your weld wondering what sort of creepie crawly is just beyond the light looking out at the back of your head wondering if your worth a taste.
I have not served my time in the trenches....well, not the welding world trenches. As said though there ain't a whole heck of a lot I can do about it. Apply for jobs and get turned down or nothing, gotta get experience somehow and some of the welds I've put down are not the best looking on the outside, I keep concentrating on every bead, watching the puddle, evaluating what I'm doing and how it looks. Every little imperfection burns my az more than you know. You could call me every name in the book right to my face and I could give a s__t less, little gas pocket hole on my 6010 cap pass at the end of my weld will stick in my craw and eat me up, even though the rest of the weld is 100% that one little blip will chap my butt and I'll think about it til my end, especially on my next cap.
Well, that's my many cent's, surely I'll get blasted by someone about something....oh well, not like that has'nt happened before. Now just to be certain, not once did I say anything about being a great welder, best welder or anything like that right? To use the Army phrase, "being all I can be".....ewww, that was hard to say. Still like " The Few, The Proud,....." much better!
Shawn
Cummins, It's not the guys like you I'm knocking your giving it a fair go and trying to build up.....and like you said you want to learn and your trying to......
It's the the original post that gripes me! That kid is no better than the illegals that are running rig in southern CA every day the drive to the U.S. work for less wages than anybody else.....Most do a crappier job than anybody else....they collect there check and run home to spend it in mexico so that it does nothing to help our economy!
Graanted that kid is not doing all that but he doesn't want to learn either just want to jump in!
Did you leave any thing out Shawn?:-) You been taking lessons from Henry?:-)
I sure hope you dont take any of this to heart, its just a bunch of folks in the lot sitting on their tailgates drinking a beer and moving the air around. Let'em blow they just like to get things of their chest.
You servered your time as a US Marine my friend protecting the rights of folks like this post is all about to do just what they doing-trying get a piece of the "American dream".
If that aint paying dues then no one has paid any dues. I did my bit on different continents along time ago and I want thank you for picking up the slack for me but watch what you say about the Army!
Thanks Ron, do you think I left something out?? I hope not.. LOL! No worries about taking it to heart just wanted to point out that not all of us newbs are like the one guy at the top. I understand where you guys are coming from, show up to repair something and see some stuff a dirt dobber would not call his own. I could lay down my worst weld and the client would think it was gold compared to what was on there.
Ah heck, what fun would it be to serve in the military if us folks that served our time could not poke at each other, it's our right. Outsiders poking at us and that ain't right, then the Army guy, Navy Seaman or Air Force Airmen is my brother, kinda like family. Thank you for your service back when.
Shawn
By strother 
Date 10-31-2009 21:07
Edited 10-31-2009 21:14
Shawn, just speaking for myself but I think you're the kind of guy we all want in this business . Don't worry about your ranger 8,Ive been at this 20yr. I had no family in the business, They're all loggers. I worked regular job and welded for loggers on the side and hunted something better.Its been aslow go but I made some pretty good connections now mainly in construction.
been on my own 9yr. I'm running a Ranger 250 its paid for and it gets the job done . I've burned 5/32 7018s with it one after another 10 and 12 hrs. a day. only problems I've had was water in the gas one time ,it leaked around the gas gauge, and the on/of toggle switch went out . When I can pay cash for good used Vantage then I'll get one .
Right now is hard time to go out on your own. Two things I've learned the hard way, keep you price high and your debt low. Hang in there!
Cumminsguy, I dont take offense. And for what it is worth I post alot of BS to get a rise out of a certain few and it works EVERYTIME ! As far as pipe or plate ? This is my thought. If it is made of a weldable material then a WELDER should be able to handle it. The shape should not matter. I do know that pipe welders run colder than the structural guys. And vice versa. My machine has a adjustment that allows me to weld what ever I choose. It is also my conclusion that the guys who weld strictly pipe,seem to think that there is some big trick to it.Once again I dont get it. Either you can weld or you cant weld. Shape, position, machine or rod should not make much difference.
It seems to me that pipe welding is more difficult than structural is. If you can weld pipe uphill Structural would probobly not be a problem, and if you dont think the machine makes much difference than why is the Vantage all you seem to talk about?
Like I said and YOU prove me right EVERY TIME. I post alot of things to get a rise out of a certain few. And YOU ( My stalker)are always one of the first to want to argue a point. When I broke out There was no Downhill fill and cap. Every thing was either tig root and 7018 fill and cap or 6010 root and 7018 fill and cap. I would venture to bet that you are one of those who think that Down hill is the only way to weld. I would also venture to bet that you would have a hard time passing a plate test with a 7018 because you think everything should be welded downhill. As far as MY vantage goes. I think it is the best because it is mine. I chose it and I weld with it. No different than I would probably like My Boat better than yours or My Truck or My Harley. Get it yet ? If you dont like what I have or use then dont use it ! I could really care less. I will make a deal with you. I will be testing for a new yard sometime between Dec.15 and Jan. 15. Think you can pass the test? I will even let YOU pick your Poison. What do you think ? Think your good enough ?
Well said cactus, there are some welders where i am always asking me why do you build my beds the way i do, why do i run a sa-200 and not 250. they tell me what i need to run etc. everyone is different, i built my bed for me to use with ease, not everyone else to use. i like my machine and its set for the way i like it not anyone else. everyone has there own choices. my opinion. you ever have any work in louisiana.
From time to time I work in LA. I will be about an Hour and a half North of Bossier in this new yard I am putting together
you looking for anyone or do yall normally use the same guys. im on a job till the end of the year and looking now for after that ends. thanks
Cactus. I hear you talking from time to time bout working in north LA. Do you happen to know a man named Bob Vidrene? He works up north alot. (north LA)
Thats fine if Cactus likes his Vantage. I hope he does, but he is one of those people always trying to push the Vantage on everyone else. Look through his posts and see how many time he has said something to the effect of "Maybe you should try a Vantage"
Why dont you test someone who wants to work for you Cactus cause Im not that person. As far a me being one of those guys who think downhill is the only way to weld your wrong. As a matter of fact im taking 2, 2in pipe tests on tuesday one is tig root and hot 7018 out and the other is 5p+ root and hot 7018 out. Im curious to know what your test for this drilling rig yard is? I have taken MANY plate test and passed without a problem. Try taking an open root plate test on 2 inch plate with stainless flux core. Sounds fun doesnt it. On top that I have worked in a lot of rig yards and never had to take any tests other than the Oklahoma steam card test and that was a pipe test..... o yeah an UPHILL pipe test.
I passed the visual on both of them with no problems but they send them to californina to a lab with a realtime xray machine so I wont know the results until next week sometime. Im confident they will shoot. The only hard part about it was, it was on 2in pipe and the pipe nipples were only 2in long each so it didnt take long till it was scorching hot and had to let it cool down a little bit before I put the top cap pass on. I guess they make them so small to save on shipping weight. So all in all it went good.
Ya I have taken those 2" tests alot and they are no fun. Good luck and hope that they shoot for ya!
When exactly did you break out welding because they have been doing Downhill welding for a long time?
Damn okwelder82, you've got issues man!
So how much work do you have at this new rig yard you are starting and what kind of plate test are you giving?
Thats a good one ! And how fitting it would be !
Cactus, I think I'm good enough, do you hire wet back canadians, and I don't care what kind of machine you got I can even weld with a miller and pass. I'm thinking if I stop saying ah and switch to ya'all I can blend right in no offense intended.
Where you from in Canada ? I have some freinds in Airdrie, Alberta
Was born in Edmonton Alberta, Raised in Africa my father worked for Canadian International Development Agency [CIDA] on returning to canada Moved into the peace river country and once I finished high school and welding apprenticeship moved to British Columbia for Diving School and have lived on the coast ever since. Airdrie is just north of the wife's home town of Calgary and I have to constantly remind her that she had to travel the glope to finally find a real man from Edmonton as there is a real shortage of those in Calgary apparently, but no shortage of queers or steers.
use ear plugs. keeps the sparks out of your brain.
Cumminsguy71 good write up man you sound just like me striving to be the best you can be, one weld at a time. Friends ask me why do you want to quit this job and go somewhere else. I'm like hell I want to learn to weld everything monel inconnel metals I can't even spell or pronounce.
I just can't understand how someone is cool with the same job or working at the same company on the same type of steel for 30 years, it's beyond me. I always strive to do better, not sure where the h*ll i get this drive, I guess it has been people saying you can't do that or this maybe that is what drives me even harder. Take there negativity and turn it into something positive
Well, the thread certainly ran off track... it went off quite a ways from pipe welding and the round plate vs pipe topic....
Sorry about that john!!! I just had to let everyone know what kind of thinking was behind the name "Donkey Blank" :) :) :) I also do understand why you deleted my post as I expected you to do so when you read what the phrase meant so, my plan worked out pretty good, don't you think??? I agree that we don't need to express ourselves in here the way we do in the OTBG so, you will not get any whining or complaining of any sort from me for deleting the post at all!!! :) :) :)
