Well, took me about a year but I graduated from the tech school and got my diploma yesterday, said I was a combo welder, yeehaa!! At least now I can say I graduated and have that piece of paper. Will school count for experience?? Been welding on my own since January of 08' with my rig so trying to tabulate my "experience". Have done welding since I went to school in 98' but not as a steady job, well I was the welder at an equipment place for a little over a year. I've found a new interest in the Tig though. Didn't figure I'd want to much to do with it until I started running pipe and then the challenge it offered roped me in. Now I'm considering building myself the little box so I can work on the restricted test at home. Got it in my mind that I want to be able to do it......even if I never have to. Sounds kind of sick that I want to put myself in that position when I think about it but it's on my mind and usually will not let it go. Really don't want to be in a "shop" environment though. I think with my personality I need to have the change. In a shop I believe I would get bored with the same ol' hum drum everyday. Spent 4 1/2 months on this job running this chill/hot water pipe and got laid off today. Was happy to be moving on with thought's of newer pasture's, or a least different one's. This is why I don't think I could take the teacher job some of you may have read about.

Now it's out to shake the bushes and see if something will fall out. Would like to keep running the rig but getting a decent welder seems to be a problem. Especially now. I've re-evaluated my thoughts and I have the 51' shorthood in the shop but I figure I'll be kinda limited and then end up needing to buy something else. I know I can run tig off the shorthood but want to be able to run a dynasty 200 for aluminum or other such things and the ol' Sa just ain't gonna cut it. Have had thoughts, get out your whipping sticks, of a used Vantage. Buy one machine and get other stuff to plug into it and having the aux power at hand would better suit me. Maybe not a Vantage, perhaps something blue but it really won't match with my red truck!

The more I do the tig the more I like it, especially pipe. I just like welding pipe, up, down don't care. Spent one day plug welding decking and thought that was the suckiest thing I'd ever done.....welding. Building the stairs and handrail, stuff like that is great. Never seen a rig built but something like that may interest me, never done it though so could not be for sure. Still, thinking about it though I like the pipe and the roundy round. Well, just thought I'd put that out there. Really a good paragraph about nothing huh?