Hello everyone, as I was reading a response by "Carbon Arc Junkie" describing how he got his start in the trade it occurred to me that it would be interesting and entertaining(at least I feel it would be) to hear stories from some of the folks on the forum of how they got their starts in the trades. I also have an ulterior motive here, I am hoping to be able to relay some of these stories to high schoolers, folks interested in retraining after losing their jobs, and community members in general to hopefully entice them to pursue a career in the trades. I am hoping to illustrate to everyone that you can come from all sorts of backgrounds, experiences, and walks of life and still find a rewarding and satisfying career in the trades. So if you feel so inclined I hope you will post up a little something along these lines. Thanks for the consideration and hopefully enjoy the results. One footnote here, I don't expect for folks to get too personal, so don't feel that you have to include anything like that, I believe generalizations would be just great in getting the point across. Thanks and enjoy, Allan
Guess I'll go first here.
I met a girl who met a man who welded motorcycle frames. (Think JESSE JAMES only better) I was stuck in a dead end (GOOD UNION JOB) job and wanted better for the family. I knew I could do better so after a few beers and many hours of conversation with this fellow I researched welding opportunities on the internet of all places. I came across a web site that sold me on the idea of being an underwater welder. I completed the school at the top of the class long after many of my fellow students dropped out either due to fear or common sense. Long story short I entered the field taking a $5/hr pay cut but currently make $15+/hr what I would have made at the other job.
I don't work as a underwater welder. Just didn't work for the family life. I am an Inspector and am proud to be so. I burn rod on the weekend so I can relate to the guys I "judge" during the week. I'm currently building a trailer grill to feed the family as I am a practicing chef on the side. The sound of a grinder pisses me off and I don't think there is any other sound that can be sooooooo annoying. BUUUUUUT rod burning in the morning air,,,, Welll can I say anymore?
Hello Rander, thanks for taking the time, that is indeed an interesting story. Now as far as being a chef goes what's your specialty? I'm somewhat of a meat and potatoes man, however where I live there are a host of seafood and fish type items that provide any amount of alternative taste possibilities. Thanks again, best regards, Allan
In 1983 I started by chopping fire wood in the back yard of an Iron working contractor, who after he saw I was willing to work hard, allowed me to go to one of his job sites and carry heavy objects all day. Then I was handed a roto-hammer for a number of months.. Soon after that I was allowed to cut galvanized posts into pieces for a few weeks and that did it; somehow I was hooked.
They diddn't have any training as they were smalltime... So on days that it rained or between jobs I went to the local private welding school (Cal Trade Welding School in Sacramento Ca). The owner/instructor made a special deal with me since I could only come part time; He asked how much I made hourly at my job ($4.50) and said he would charge me my working wage per hour to use his facilities until I got certified.
Ken Algood is the name of that generous man who quietly encouraged me to make welding my career.
Working as an apprentice Iron worker until two coworkers fell in the same week... Slowly loosing my nerve until I was fired for only being able to crawl any more where I used to be able to walk..... What to do? Join the Navy!
The recruiter told me "anybody who could weld going in the Navy got to work on the jets!!!" Oy vey. Somehow that is exactly what I did.
Sparks, Fire, Noise.... Making anything from sewer strainers to steel buildings to things still quite possibly in orbit.... Repairing Strike fighter aircraft F-4, A4, A7 FA/18, Blue Angels, scary helicopters. Then to work for the biggest airline in the world. The 747 of the King of Saudi Arabia really does have fur carpets and gold fixtures. Airforce One, parked right outside my office during the many presidential visits to SF. Learning, teaching, being proven wrong and right. Working with real certified geniuses, helping them develop patented repairs that GE and Pratt Whitney still covet.
Helping top learners compete for top jobs, finding new ways to inspire not so toppish students to learn how to compete and then watching them do it, Shaking hands of former students when making plant tour visits.... These three things are the most satisfying parts of my career by far.
Reflecting on it all... I'm still just getting started, so much to do....... what will be next?
Special thanks to Ed and Noreen Bergida for giving me the opportunity to chop fire wood in their back yard.
Top to bottom, start to finish...... What's not to love?
Hi Lawrence, thanks for taking the time to share a pretty amazing story. As many stories go there is a trigger person(s) involved. I don't know that I have a specific person myself, more so a collection of individuals, but nonetheless all very important to where I am now and will go, as I believe you said also. Your mention of Boeing aircraft encompasses a small portion of my career also. I was a part of qualifying some new equipment to be implemented on the 747 assembly line at the time of the manufacture of the last air force 1 to date. When I saw that particular aircraft it was being fitted with engines and readied for painting I believe, it's next stop would have been for electronics. Very Cool. Thanks again Lawrence, Regards, Allan
My Dad was a carpenter, but also a clever mechanic. He built anything He needed. There was a drilpress, a lathe and a welder in the home shop as well as woodworking equipment, and I knew from a very early age I would need to know how to use all of it. From about 8 years old and on Dad would let Me strike an arc with the rod ends when He was done fixing something. I made My first welding repair on a friends mini bike and got paid $5 for it when I was 9. The repair held up fine, but looked like a big pile of bird crap. My welding skills have improved a little in the folowing 39 years. I majored in machine shop in VoTek high school and became a tool & die maker [4 years] after graduation. At some jobs I did some welding. In the meantime I continued to weld at the home shop, and still do repair and small fab projects there.
Hello Dave, thanks for the reply. Sounds like humble beginnings brought you on to more substantial endeavors as the years passed. Also sounds as if you have had a broad introduction to a host of different types of skills. Many thanks for sharing. Best regards, Allan
You looking for welding only or inspection?
Hello Gerald, I'm thinking any sort of trade related story. Whether that includes welding, inspection, management, engineering, procurement, anything trade related. I'm sorry if I made it sound as if it was welding specific. Thanks for asking and I hope you have a story to reply with. Regards, Allan
Mine is more inspection related, but got it's start with casting and welding. My Grandfather was x Navy WWII, His father was a veteran of WWI, and his grandfather back to the civil war who worked at the college hill arsenal Nashville tn. Which is where the story begins, He learned to cast metals there, and passed that onto his grandson, who among other things took up moonshining in the hills of Cartwright tn. Between them all, and between the ages of 7 and 16 at which time my grandfather died, I received an education in welding, metal casting, blacksmithing, internal combustion engines, among other things. I'd made my first batch of shine by 12, and cast, machined, and welded my first lawn mower in it's entirety by the time I was 15. (Asked my grandfather for a lawnmower so I could make some money, for which he replied I won't buy it, but you can make it. I still have it, and it still runs, I'll get some pictures posted when I get back home) All the males on that side of the family believed strongly in doing it yourself. I didn't have much time to play during summers as most, as I was busy working on the farm and things mentioned above, but in the long run it was worth it (although I didn't think that at the time).
Got an offer in high school to go work at an inspection company. Received initial training in 85, and haven't looked back. My grandfather always told me never to rely on one trade alone, as you never know when the demand for that trade will go away. So I made a point of learning everything I could. Shear, phased array, AUT(tofd, etc), EMAT, and every other form of UT I can lay my hands on, RT the same, MT, PT, VT, LT etc. At various points in the mix, I've taken classes on Auto narrow groove welding, SMAW, SAW, GTAW etc. not because I wanted to weld for a living, but because my grandfather always taught me never to judge another mans work unless you can do that work yourself. I've picked up an associates degree in applied science as well along the way. I've worked on everything from sewer lines to the shuttle to boomers. If it flys, floats, stands, orbits, holds pressure, or goes down the road, I've done a little of a lot of different things.
In effect my career got started when I was 7. I am now 41. I've made a career out of seeking out new things to do, and with inspection, there is never a shortage of it. 22 years of being certified in one method or another, and an additional number of years with undocumented skill sets, and I still never find myself short of new things to learn. Which is why I do it. I have a terminal case of curiosity. I'll be turning over the new rock and looking over the next horizon until I die.
That's a synopsis of my story,
Gerald
Hello Gerald, that's a great story. Dads, Grandpas, Moms, Grandmas, all of those family folks get a little smarter and a little wiser as we tend to get a little older. Enjoyed the story emmensely, thanks for sharing. Also hope to see some pictures of that lawnmower that you built. Human ingenuity, that's what makes the world go round. Thanks and regards, Allan
It's in storage in TN, along with the casting molds used, When I get of this project, I'll make a photo survey of them.
Good topic...it was fun taking a stroll through memory lane (not that it was all too long ago). I needed a summer job between my sophomore and junior years in high school back in 1993. I wandered upon a union pipe fabrication near my house and they gave me a broom and said get with it. That first week was the dirtiest week of my life. I knew nothing bout nothing. I remember that I broke my wooden broom and asked a welder to weld it up. :) It wasnt a bad gig at all but i hated it. 8 bucks an hour made me the envy of all my friends. Then during the school year i would come out and work in the evenings. I was planning on going to college after HS but a broken arm ruined my basketball scholarship so when that healed I showed back up at the shop and started my pipefitter apprenticeship. Work all day and drive 50 miles for class 3 nights a week. It was tough and boy did i want to quit but after about that 3rd year I had to finish. I finally broke out and i thought i would spend my whole career at that fab shop. But in early 2003 the place closed down and i had no idea what to do. I had worked for the same company for 9 years so i was lost. Since then I have made my rounds in the petrochemical and nuclear plants until I took a chance and a big pay cut for an inspection entry-level job. Good decision! My background helped me pass the CWI test and earlier this year I joined an engineering firm as an inspection specialist and hopefully i can keep moving up. I have got quite a few lucky breaks along the way but I guess i am still just starting. Joining the union was a good decision for a young and dumb kid. (I thought i would never find that sky-hook)----john
Hello johnnyh, I also appreciate your taking the time to make that stroll down memory lane and relive a part of the history of your trade involvement. Sounds as if you also worked your way through some of the challenging times to end up with something that you find personally rewarding. Appreciate your sharing your story here. Best regards, Allan
WOW that is far out...I won't be near that interesting as others.
I was "unruly" in high school and got myself kicked out. Well I got a GED and was halfway thru my Associates in electronics before 18. I had zero job skills except for washing dishes and making tacos. The field was overpopulated and wages were terrible. So I took a job in a sattellite shop (anybody remember those big monster dishes?) The job was just temporary to help a maintenance guy wire a new shop and install machines....after three days they let me have it all to myself. After about six weeks of work it was all over and they offered me a job in the weld shop because of my "work ethic". I did not know beans about it (mig) but they told me to practice for a few days and see if I liked it. 2 1/2 months later I was the supervisor over the weld shop. They folded up about a year later and I began a wild journey of learning...I liked welding far more then running a calculator and reading schematics.
I worked factories (learned presses, brakes, shears, screw machines welding etc.), did boiler work in shop (went thru that first round of xray/code work), eventually I got sick of the big shops and started running a portable rig for a local welder. What he could not pay me in money he certainly paid me in experience and learning skills. I became very adept with a wide variety of smaw, tig and brazing technique...and learned how to fix it with what you had. I was good with layouts but he still showed me a lot in a short amount of time. We did a lot of heavy equipment repair and fabrications. Work got slow so he had to lay me off....I eventually ended up taking a job at a small boat manufacture and started making some real money....I enjoyed the job a great deal and stayed with it for 5 years untill I moved (wanted my kids to grow up in a nicer town). Good jobs in welding were hard to comeby so I started Ironworking as a welder .....It took a while but a landed the best job where I was living as a CNC machinist and did a 3 yr stint running every kind of control you can imagine....and even did some co2 laser welding with a robotic system. I could not stand the new management so I gave it up and eventually ended up where I am now working on corporate aircraft and private jets as a welder.
I have job hopped a lot (the grass is not always greener lol).....but everywhere I went I was able to pick up somthing I could use somwhere else. A constant learning experience is what it has really been...along the way I have met some great people and had some great mentors in the trade. I have taken jobs outside the trade and even run my own computer programming/design business...but I have always ended up back at welding ...its what I do....its what I like...its what I am I rekon.
p.s. Gerald I would love to see pics of that lawnmower...thats just awesome man.
Tommy
Hello Tommy, I find your story "no less interesting" than any other I have ever heard or will possibly hear. I think the thing that really shines through here with everyone's story, is the pride and satisfaction that everyone displays in regard to where they are in life as a result of their association with the trades. In most cases I would venture to guess that this little trip down "memory lane", as one of the posters put it, has been enjoyable for all of us as a reminder of where we have been and where we might go. Thanks again for sharing Tommy. Regards, Allan
Tommy,
I think this is a good topic, and your post is no less interesting than others. Going from a taco stand to welding on corporate aircraft.. thats a hell of a leap.
Regards,
Gerald
you fellows are kind gents is all I can say.....jeez Gerald you cast your own lawnmower dude thats heavy duty at that age....Dave boyer has similiar raising....I kinda envy it a bit...but its cool guys its just neat. My dad was dead before I was a year old...I am not whining I just had to learn a different way......that shit is cool casting lawnmower blocks at home...that is the shizniT!!! I want to see more posts here because I know there are some amazing stories to go with them. You are right Gerald this is a cool thread...ALLEN great idea starting it! Don't worry bout me guys I am fine....my life just seems lame when I compare to how you learned thats just me no kniefe to my head on that no way LOL! Like I said your some kind gents
I wasn't alone in the effort. My grandpaw was the man that taught me. The casting part was actually the easy part in my mind. What sucks is all the re pours because you screwed up the machining beyond repair, and especially when you thought you got it right and go to fire it up and it blows the rod through the case. (Didn't understand the importance of proper torque) After a trip to the wood shed for wasting his time and the explicitives that came out of my mouth, I had to do it again. Even in that, I had copied one of his designs. All in all, I caste the block 5 times, the crank 3, the head 6 times, and made about 2 dozen valves and 3 carbs before I finally got a working model. My grandpaw had a thing about finishing what you started, After the first month I was regretting opening my mouth and agreeing to the plan. Having a 6' 10" grandpaw that was strong as an ox that frowned heavily on screwing up has a way of instilling motivation not to screw up in a teenager. The chief lesson I came away with was don't volunteer for something you may not want to finish, especially when it would piss off grandpaw.
In high school shop, when I was 15, I welded wear rods for my snowmobile skis because it was cheaper to make my own. In my second year of college, I took a welding class. It was enough to get me a summer job welding earth movers and heavy equipment and offshore drilling rig parts. I went back to school in the fall and changed my major to BS welding engineering technology, and the rest is history. I have worked in equipment sales, structural steel, nuclear, automotive, and aerospace so far as a welding engineer. I suppose I could try for shipyard and pressure vessels next, but now that I am getting close to retirement, I am getting tired of learning new stuff all the time.
My first job was a second shift job my mom got for me in a cotton mill when I was 18. I'm not sure how she accomplished this, but hopefully she didn't use the same tactics that Forrest Gump's mama used to get him into public school. Anyway, the first day on the job the boss put me with this guy and simply told me to follow him around and do whatever he does. Later on that evening, the guy had gotten his work caught up and decided to leave work and walk to a convenience store, so naturally I followed him. We were only gone for a few minutes, but when we got back to the mill, the boss was waiting on us and asked the guy where we went. When the guy told him, the boss immediately fired him, and then he fired me. I tried to explain that I was just following his instructions and doing the same thing the guy was doing, but the boss wouldn't hear it. I guess you could say that my first official job title was "Target for Middle Management Hostility". A few days later, a welder friend got me a job in a big structural steel plant. I thought I'd be welding because of the welding and drafting courses I had taken in high school, but I started out as a punch operator in the plate shop at $3.00 per hour in 1976. Here I am thirty years later, still trying to learn all I can.
Sounds to me the guy did you and and the world a favor by firing you from the mill. TMMH. A new acronym.
Hello swnorris, not that it was funny at the time, but I did have a similar experience once early on in my career. I took a leave of absence from school to work a shutdown in a paper mill. I was really pumped to be going out to apply some of the pipe welding that I had been doing in school. Got placed with an older hand and ended up being the bitch, being young and not understanding the progression of things I was rather resentful at first until I figured out that this was somewhat a right-of-passage type thing. In the process of doing this work there were a few instances where we finished up on some joints earlier than he felt we should have, he would tell me to go get lost for a while while he grabbed some shut-eye. This was a very nerve-racking sort of thing as I was used to working until the job was done and this was a foreign concept to me. In my case I did end up doing exactly what he said, I found something else to do and stayed out of the sight of the bosses until he was ready to get on with the job at hand. I was lucky and wasn't found out or fired for this scenario. But it did make me think real hard about what exactly would have been the proper way to handle it if it ever happened again. Thankfully, I didn't ever have to find out. Thanks for sharing your story here. Best regards, Allan
Hello OBEWAN, amazing how those humble beginnings can get a person hooked. One of the things that always held my interest in welding and it's associated offchutes has been necessity, if I couldn't afford to buy it, I always schemed different ways to try to build it. Have actually built many things that I couldn't have otherwise afforded to buy. Thanks for sharing your story. Best regards, Allan
Thanks for the kind words, Allan.
Well, in HS I was into music in a large way and decided that would be a wonderful thing to study in college. My father agreed...as long as he wasn't footing the bill LOL. In the meantime, I had taken a metal shop class that gave us hands on exposure to machining, sheet metal, blacksmithing and...welding. Thank goodness for 7024 rods, or I would probably be an unemployed musician ;)
In addition to being a wise man, my dad was also the hiring manager for a very large east coast shipyard. He did a lot of the college recruiting for the engineering positions and knew that welding engineers were in demand, and the rest as they say is history. In the 30 years since, I have been a draftsman, shipyard welder, welding engineer and now QA manager for a welding consumable manufacturer. I've been on the design side, the end user side and the supplier side of the "welding industry" equation and wouldn't trade it for anything!
Hello Phil, that's a great story and it's also great that your dad was able to have some influence on giving you a start. I think many times individuals tend to avoid the help of their parents as they feel it's a control issue or they want to be able to say that their lives are a result of their own personal efforts and no one else. It's great that your dad was able to help you out and you were able to accept his help. Thanks again for sharing. Best regards, Allan
I started out as a chicken farmer - only jobs available at that time were restaurant bus boy or shoveling out chicken barns. Probably should of taken a bus boy position, but I got to drive trucks, tractors, Bobcats and other things that were fun to a 15 year old. I got so I knew a bit about chicken farming, so I was given full time work.
The chicken industry crashed in this area (looking back I have to say "thank goodness"). I heard about a local iron works while on unemployment so I went there and filled out an app. Turns out they had just gone on strike so I turned around and went elsewhere. After the strike, I was called in as a no9n-union janitor. While doing that, I could see that what the work was seemed fun to do. I found I could read prints better than some of the fitters so some would ask me for assistance.
After 6 months I filled an opening as a helper, then moved to machine operator, then fitter/welder (3rd class, then 2nd, then 1st), then layout (2nd class, then 1st), then leadman- all within 4 years in a union environment. After getting thoroughly bored making structural steel, tanks, cones, bridge members, and etc, so I took the position of QC checker. I got my CWI just as the company went bankrupt in the early 90s (a lot of companies folded during that time). On my last day, a DOT Fabrication Engineer that I knew was visiting to check out his project, he took my name and number and,as I found out, gave glowing recommendations to several inspection companies.
I went to the Unemployment Agency office on Monday AM, was having lunch back at home, and got a call to interview for some inspection work. Tuesday AM I went to work doing contract inspection (didn't even get to enjoy my "time off").
Work got scarce in my area, and I was tired of traveling, so I took a job with "local" fab shop.
So in a nut shell, 27 years ago "i cudint eevin spel welldin inspektah n tuday i is wun."
Hello Chet, I can somewhat relate to the feeling of not being able to take a breath concerning going from one job onto the next. As a younger individual I was graced to live in a rural farming area. Starting about age ten I got to go out into the fields and do any number of types of work(you could do that back then, not so today), I too had the opportunity to operate tractors, farm equipment and trucks, the stage was set. Haven't really had any serious slack time since then. Great story and thank you for taking the time to share. I know that I have enjoyed the responses from everyone as I am sure many others have as well. Best regards, Allan
got my start as a workin man at 11 yrs old,i seen a box of tools i wanted and my dad told me to get a job to buy them,so i washed dishes after school and summers for a buck an hour cash! at 18 i joined the army and broke my pelvic bone just after basic training, got discharged and my wife's father knew a guy that had his own welding shop,hired as a painter/helper, painted one beam with a paintbrush in the dirt and he showed me how to fit and weld,structural. after 6 months i was running a 8 man field crew then he went broke and i started in a fab shop. soon after they laid the whole shop off except 1 fitter and 1 welder, that fitter was me! had alot of the old timers hating me but i did my work,fast, and accurate. done alot of rolled staircases and architectural stairs,trusses etc, done a stair for a gun company,diamond plate looked the same upside down as rightside up,with gun blue for the finish, got pretty upset when it went to the helpers to get cleaned and they used grinders to put their name on the side of it,lol needless to say that was the last thing they cleaned there. working earthmoving and tunnel boring stuff now,along with fixtures boeing gonna use for their new jet.not as interesting as some,but most of it has been good to me!
Hello ctacker, very interesting story. The heart of this story, as well as a lot of the others, still revolves around your apparent enjoyment of using your hands and your brains. Sounds as if your aspirations haven't led you too far astray, also sounds as though you thoroughly enjoy what you're doing. I've noticed that you're not located too far away from my "home 20", just a tad bit north of me. Maybe we'll run into one another sometime here in the future. Thanks for sharing and best regards, Allan
I have always been one to make things. My father, grandfather, and great grandfather(as well as my great great grandfather, who's trucking CO. is still running) have always been self employed. I took welding in High School and learned the basics, then got a job welding(and learned soooo much more). I was making more money cheffing(go figure, and free lunch) in a resturant than welding at the time so I stuck with that for a while. The resturaunt owner pissed me off a few years ago(I told him where to go and how to get there), so I bought a machine told him to go screw, and here I am. I do something different everyday, and can make more $$$$ in a day that I ever made in a week and then some. Sure it can be tough, but a good work ethic pays off.
Hello Tozziwelding, it sounds as if "necessity was the mother of invention" in your case. I'm chuckling with the mental picture that your story is invoking. It also sounds as if circumstance often brings us to where we are the happiest and in your case I would venture to say that you are much happier with your current situation. That's great! Thank you for giving us that piece of yourself. Best regards, Allan
There seams to be a common thread in many of these stories. That being starting young with the guidance of a realitive (father, grandfather, couple cases of great grandfathers), or starting young out of necessity with all showing early signs of motivation and work ethic. This is a highly interesting thread for sure.
Hello Gerald, I definitely agree. Have enjoyed everyone's contributions immensely. Regards, Allan
Hey Allan,
I was blessed to have an uncle who had an auto-body and motorcycle shop. I was introduced to both worlds of 2/wheels and welding in the summer of my 11th year. My uncle could really weld, braze, and use lead on auto bodies...he hated plastic filler materials. He started me with O/A and coat hangers for 3 months till I could control a puddle and make a good weld. Then it was the stick....took me another month to learn how "strike a match" and light them up. I really liked that. Following the next 4 summers, he taught me brazing, silver-soldering, fusion techniques, and forming metal. After graduation, I chose to enlist and serve my country and obtain some handsome educational benefits. After 4 years, at 21, I was out in the big world to make my mark. Went to some vo-tech schools for machining, welding, and electronics. Worked in several shops to learn different production techniques, welded part-time at a fab/tube shop a riding buddy got me into, and in 3 years started my gunsmith career. I was blessed to apprentice under an Austrian Master Gunsmith and for the next 2 years really learned the world of metal. Franz was the Merlin of Metal in my book. This man could do things I never imagined and he taught with his mind and spirit. His favorite was O/A and I never forgot all he taught that helped me all thru my career working with metal. During my gunsmithing career, I would do part-time work at different factories & shops in the "off season". When I finally retired from the gunsmithing, I went back out in the workforce and got a position at a local manufacturing company that manufactured industrial electrical contact assemblies. Started in the furnace brazing department and within a year was promoted to run the 2nd shift weld dept.. There I learned the induction, friction, and resistance welding processes. The tool room guys were quite generous with techniques and design when they found out I was a gunsmith.....you know....trade for trade techniques. I found production design came quite easily and I was able to do my own design & fabrication on most any process. This all finally led me to where I am today.....partially retired, working a job I love only 3 days a week(4 hrs/day), a sweet side welding/fab operation, and blessed with good health and a new Yorkie........Denny
I started in the old mans garage on my own, he helped a little, than got to highschool, had a great teach, we had a foundry, machine shop, welding shop. It was awsome, than he retired the next year. I was forced to be a shop millwright on my own. the autoshop teach "ran" the metals shop or as he said "was the guy to keep the doors open" so we could have a place to burn rods, went to tech-school, and learned as much as possible, and had a great teach who really knew how to teach a bunch of screw off welding students how to weld. Got a job near home in a structural shop, did that for 2yrs then moved to Ft. Collins CO. worked in a shop till I proved I could go and hang iron. Came home and started my own gig and been doing it since. not to exciting but i'm still young. lol only 30.
Hello rig welder6g, everyone has a story, yours is no less exceptional than anyone elses. The fact that you were so persistent in learning and being willing to keep on going and remain "teachable", if I can rob one of Henry's terms, just goes to show that you will do well in your future. I would venture to say that if you sit back and look at where you are today, you may not have ever thought that this is where you would be. Prime thing to consider in your story, is indeed your age, 30....., you've got your whole life ahead of you. Thanks much for sharing, best regard, Allan
Hello Denny, your story brings me to a slightly different take on folk's varied beginnings. The things that this story brings to me reminds me of the many lost skills and practices that have gone by the wayside with the passing of prior generations. I am really not inferring an age thing here, although I believe you are in a senior group compared to many of the folks that frequent the forum(what that really means Denny, is that you are a teacher and a mentor, I for one have come to enjoy all of the comments and information that you have posted since I have had the pleasure to read your comments). I have always had an interest in the history of how things begin and how they come to be in the present. Your talk of some of the various techniques and practices associated with your start brought me to consider many of the things that have changed in the trades and possibly some of the still valuable practices that future generations may not have exposure to. I greatly appreciate your taking the time to post a very valuable and informational piece on yourself. Great to hear from you again and best regards, Allan
Allan thats a very valid point......mentioning that one particular mentor of mine.....I have met MANY welders who had no idea of how to go about some of the techniques and practices that one man taught me. I could go on and on with that subject but will not. Suffice to say it may all be written down somewhere but I believe where the rubber meets the road a lot of skills are being lost to time.
Hello Tommy, in the area where I am located there are a number of mills, some of these mills are now closed, others are looking as if they might. One that has closed and another that might, had and have blacksmith shops. Forges, furnaces, power hammers, heat treat ovens, etc. they have all of the items to make a variety of things that are used in particular areas of their production needs. As the folks retire who use and possibly teach others to use these fantastic facilities, there are not others stepping in to continue on and when these facilities shutdown generally the equipment is dispersed to all different corners of existence and the "experience" is lost. As I mentioned, there is still basically one mill where they have their blacksmith shop, there is also a business that is run by an individual who went to England approximately 20 years ago or so and traveled that country offering his work in exchange for learning to blacksmith. He currently operates a high-end blacksmith shop that does intricate entry gate, window covering, security oriented, and other ornamental iron work. In his shops he has equipment that covers the range in age from hundreds of years old, to the present. I have been and will continue to be intrigued by this sort of work, after all, this was the beginnings of the trade that I am currently involved in and the basis for it. I do hope that this will not be lost. Fortunately, even though I mention the above situation and how much is now gone, there are groups who still practice and continue to promote this art. Hopefully that will never stop and the interest in it will never wane. Best regards, Allan
Allan, there are still plenty of people interested in blacksmithing, but as You mention there are few of the industrial shops left, and many of the "old timers" are really old, or already gone. I just got back from Quad State, the biggest and best blacksmithing conference in the world, held in Troy Ohio. Attendance has been growing steadily over the past 30 years. Most of the people are hobbyists, some manage to make a living from it.
Hello Dave, I would venture to say that is an awesome event to be a part of or even view. For the most part I am spoiled with the technology that I have access to. Considering all of the amazing things that the craftsmen of yesteryear were able to conceive and bring to life with not much more than muscle, basic hand tools, and tenacity, I do stand in awe. Thank you for sharing that information. Does this event have a website and are you by chance a participant? Best regards, Allan
Allan, modern blacksmithing incorporates current technology as well as everything preceding it, but the anvil & hammer work has changed little since the invention of steel... The event is sponsored by Southern Ohio Forge & Anvil [SOFA] the website is sofablacksmiths.org , there is a gallery on that site, and some pictures of the Forgemagic gang which includes Me at Forgemagic.com in the "recent" section of the gallery there.
Hello Dave, thanks for the reply. I will definitely check that out. Best regards, Allan
Hello again Dave, I did check out the sites and I even noticed a gentleman they referred to as "Dave Boyer", now I have a face to go with a name. It looks as though there was plenty to do and see, it also looks as though plenty of interesting things were going on.
My pastime has changed a bit as of late, it used to be motorcycle preparation and modification as I had two boys who were racing motocross, one grew out of it and is pursuing work, a girl, and school, the other is in school, wrestling, and pursuing a girl. The wife feels better, but I somewhat miss the excitement and comraderie between the boys and their racing buddies, all of us dads usually had a pretty good time too. It has all been fun though. Thanks for sharing your pastime with myself and the others of the forum. Look forward to hearing from you in the future. Best regards, Allan
Hi everyone,
I am fairly new to the forum here and generally read the tech. section but thought I would try something different. This is cool and I've enjoyed reading the responses for this question.
As far as how I got my start welding, First of all let me say that I am female and have been in the welding trade for close to 30 years now. I was a very young 18 year old single mom with a very bleak looking financial future. I was unemployed and completely desperate when I heard that there was a government funded program that would pay for attending technical school. I'm guessing that everyone knows the decision I made. I immediately signed up and talked to an intake officer that would ultimately make a big impact on my life. Unfortunatly all of the traditional "female" classes were full. Being desperate for a paycheck I ask "what courses are available?". As he began to list the classes he ran down the list, automotive mechanic...NO diesel mechanic...NO and then he came to welding,as he began to laugh (I'm assuming that he thought the idea of a woman welder was totally unrealistic). Being the rebelious sort that I am my immediate response was "SIGN ME UP".
As I said in the beginning I have welded for the last 30 or so years. In 1999 I took the AWS CWI seminar and passed. I have been working as a CWI for the past 9 years and I'm currently enroled for the RT seminar in Jacksonville this Nov.
I run a specialty welding dept. i.e. projects that are over and above general fabrication, Cast Iron, super austenetic alloys and duplex alloys, many welding processes are used in this dept. SAW,GTAW,FCAW,GMAW,SMAW. We are a support system for the machine shop and do build up work to restore shafts,trunnions, pumps etc. I also do the quality control for the fab shop, maintain all ASME records,qualify procedures and welders,develop welding specifications and oversee the general production welding.I do some estimating and also project managment as time allows. At times I'm involved with field services and QC of the code projects offsite. needless to say I stay busy and work alot. I wouldn't trade what I do for anything and I suppose that starting where I did and being where I am now I haven't fared to poorly. I recently introduced my son to welding and he is now working for the same company as I.
I would love the opportunity to share my success's with students and encourage them to pursue a welding career. Welders are a dying breed and the youth of today really could and would benefit if they took advantage of the training available. Tracy
Hello Tracy, thank you so much for taking time to include that terrific story. Fortunately many females are realizing that there are certainly places for them in this wide and varied trade. We just started a new quarter at the school that I teach. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we have at least a dozen women signed up for classes, out of that group there is only 1 who doesn't plan on making it her primary trade, I will change that eventually. You made a very valid point with your inclusion of the fact that fortunately for women there are specific aid programs aimed at helping women to pursue what is termed as a "non-traditional trade". Because of this view by government aid programs there are a number of additional funding sources for females to take advantage of so that they can attend school. I have been associated with the forum for a while now and noted the many and varied success stories as well as the terrific contributions in all aspects of the topics by the gals who have posted here, even before this association I have known that women are definitely suited to this as a trade through the training that I have done and the shared work out in the trade. According to your bio here you got an early start, I have had gals anywhere from 16 to 60 something come through the program and experience success. Just a small sidelight slightly off topic, I have also had two marriages come about in the program, those couples have doubled-up so to speak on their approach to the trade. Once again thanks for sharing and taking time to respond. Best regards, Allan
Attended welding class in High School when it was still around (back in 1973) and was offered a apprentice traing working for the city. Learned from a old Army guy from vietnam welding on garbage trucks. Was making around $4.25 an hour then.
Dropped out of school in "74", was lay wayed by the 70's for a few yrs. Then went into the Job Corps took welding back-up and learned from a old Army man again. Loved the way he taught and fell in love with T.I.G. welding. He always had a saying the was "He only knew one number 1 weldor and that was Superman because he could x-ray his own shit".
After moving back home and welding for a company making undercarragies for diesel trailers at $5.25 for swing shift. I went looking for better work, all I heard was you need more experience. So in "78" I joined the navy and became a Hull Technician.
In "86" reupped again for 6 yrs for nuclear weld school San Diego past the school and became a 4956 nuclear weldor in the navy. Well after welding on aircraft carriers to trident submarines, I retired in "96" and have welded on fishing fleets to manlits, then as a engineering tech for manlifts and back to welding on carriers. Have worked quality control and quality assurance for the last 4 yrs with performing inspections for welds.
Now at 50 yrs old bronchitis set in from welding in Scotland so it is on to CWI and a new trade hopefully.
One suggestion try getting some companies to do a student hiring program to get weldors back out in the field. Too many have dropped out of recruiting. All kids here about is computer work and the good money. I always took pride in the work that I welded because I knew it was the best and I did it. Welding is a art and people forget it can be just as much of a challange to perform it right.
Hello nec4956, your mention of high school welding, if it was still around, definitely hits home. Unfortunately, there are substantially fewer programs in place now than when you and I went to high school. You're also right about kids being pushed to go after computer and white collar jobs instead of making it in the trades. I do believe that businesses are waking up as far as offering more opportunities for the upstarts in the trades. Recently, I have been associated with a consortium of businesses that are interested in doing exactly some of the things that you mentioned in your post. I have also noted that the unions in my area are actively seeking membership and making opportunities much more available. Bottom line here seems to be, if we don't have the folks to provide the services, industry will look elsewhere or will import the manpower or outsource the work. We have all seen enough examples of this. Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post and good luck on your new endeavor. The forum is a great tool for many things that relate to the welding trade, I hope to continue to see your participation and read your comments. Best regards, Allan
