I have a question

Date 12-02-2002 22:03

Scott, before you spend that kind of money on anything, including a school that I respect, have you ever tried welding? There are many aspects and options open to a welder. It is a wonderful trade that has made me alot of money. It is also at times dirty, hard, painful and physically demanding. Any school you go to will only take you as far as you want it to. In other words you will get out of it only what you put into it. I believe that you can get a decent job out of school if you apply yourself and learn everything you can at school. You will not make $100,000 your first year, or even your second, but you might make $35,000 your first year if you truly enjoy the trade. Just knowing how to weld and not enjoying it will not get you the best jobs. Please be sure you enjoy it before spending that kind of money. I hire many people out of the local vo-ed here in Ohio and Northwest Pa. I try to teach them as much as I can while they are here. Some of them appreciate it and some don't care. The ones who like the work stay and make a good living as pipe and structural welders. The ones who find it just a way to make a living stay in the shop and mig weld all day for what is truthfully not that much money. Good luck.

Mike Sherman
Shermans Welding

By hillbilly_2121 (*)

Date 12-02-2002 23:18

Mike, thanks for your reply. I do agree with you about enjoying the trade. Yes I've welded before, mostly mig but played with smaw. Welding is the most enjoyable job I've ever done. I enjoy doing it. I am just worried about going to school and ending up stuck in a shop because I don't have the field experience. I have been looked over for jobs because of lack of experience. The problem is finding a company that will give you a chance to prove yourself and get the exp...Scott

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 12-03-2002 05:56

actually, if you weld in a school, then you already have about 50% of the experience you need. the other 50% is learning how to fabricate and use shop tools and machines. I think I recall Hobart having some fabrication and layout classes when I looked at one of their brochures. most of the time you'll get hands-on experience w/ fabrication and layout if you take those kind of classes...and sometimes you get that experience from certain welding courses.

and a national certification, i my opinion, would be better than a state certification, because you could move around. AND, any certification is better than no certification because that shows that you've been tested and proven. and w/ those kind of qualifications, most welding shops will be willing to work w/ your inexperience in the field or a shop setting.

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 12-03-2002 12:03

Tell me more about the national certifications. What are they? How do you get them? Where and what do they qualify you for?
Just curious,
John Wright

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 12-04-2002 01:40

an AWS or ASME certification is a nationally recognized certification. there are lots of different certifications for plate and pipe, in all sorts of positions, and using any welding process. way too many to list here! to get them, you have to be tested by a certified weld inspector. that weld inspector could be at a college, tech school, or a private institution. and it can't be just any weld inspector off the street who tests you...they have to be able to legally "notorize" your certificate w/ their stamp and inspector number. a friend of mine could have gotten me certified in all kinds of stuff, but he wasn't employed by a testing company at the time, so legally, he couldn't sign the certificate.

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 12-04-2002 13:58

I am a CWI and I notarize and put my seal on my Certificates that I hand out as welders pass the 1" Plate Unlimited thickness test in 2G with a 5/32" 7018 for SMAW and 3/32" E70T-1 wire for FCAW w/100% Co2(2G is all that is required in a shop because you can turn the piece to always be in a Flat or Horz. position), but that piece of paper is no longer valid when the welder leaves my employment, even though it was done according to AWS D1.1 : 2002 Section 4. AWS is a Nationaly recognized oranization, but I didn't think the certificate I issued the welder is transferrable across the nation. Otherwise, I would have guys getting jobs here just to get certified and then leave for employment nationwide. I test every welder that is hired in our shop regardless of the papers he is holding in his hand at the time.(our field work hasn't been following this policy, but it is changing as we speak because of problems that have arose out of this, as you have probably read in other posts on here)
I'm not sure I follow you on this nationaly recognized certification. Help me out if I'm wrong, OK? I'm just trying to get a handle on what you are saying.
Thanks for your patience with me on this,
John Wright

By TimGary (****)

Date 12-04-2002 19:37

I don't have all of the information, but I do know that any Welder can go to an AWS Certified Testing Facility, weld up some test coupons and upon passing the test and paying his bill, may walk out with a CWI stamped personal certification backed by AWS. This cert does not belong to the company he works for, it belongs to the welder and goes where he goes. I'm not sure how the continuity and/or retention works.
Whether or not a company will accept this cert without re-testing would depend upon their paticular quality procedures.
Surely somone out ther has the rest of the info... How about sharing?
Tim

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 12-04-2002 20:10

Thanks Tim,
Hey guys keep the info coming, I'll learn something one of these days.
John Wright

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 12-05-2002 01:54

you can test somebody to AWS standards, and as long as another shop or company is using the same standards you were tested w/, the cert would be transferrable. some companies weld on some specialized stuff, or their procedures are specialized, and so a cert from that company might not be transferrable to another. say if your shop only uses spray arc MIG and somebody comes to you w/ a short-circuit MIG cert. they wouldn't be certified to work in your shop.

I went to a testing institute and was tested to AWS D1.1 for plate and ASME Section 5 for pipe. it was just a regular generic test...weld, grind when needed, weld some more, let it cool off at room temp, cut it up w/ a bandsaw and X-ray it. and the same thing w/ the pipe test. some companies might not accept my certs, but for most work they're acceptable.

By hillbilly_2121 (*)

Date 12-10-2002 04:41

I found the info in the hobart welding institutes book on aws national test.