Advice about the industry

By mprasse178 Date 06-28-2008 20:27

Hey guys my name is matt and I wanted to pick your brains for some direction. This is my first post on the forum, I have been coming to this website for about 2 years just reading post's and looking for topics that apllied to my work. I live in Fort Worth, TX and I have 5 years of welding experience. I started when I was 19 by walking into a company and letting the plant manger know I wanted to be a welder. He put me with this 57 year old welder who taught me quite a bit about wire welding Mettalloy 110 wire and Fluxcore, Backgouging, Fiitting and Blueprint reading. It took me 3 months of being his help (gouging, cleaning bevels) to pass my own weld test. It was a 2G position 1 inch plate, open root with 820i FLuxcore wire. I left this company after 14 months and went to another that was going to give me experience in TIG welding 304 and 308 stainless and 2024 aluminum as well as continued wire welding experience and blueprint reading. Now since I gave you a brief backgroung of my ability my questions concern how, or where someone like myself can get into a good career with welding. These jobs that I have mentioned won't ever pay too much. Right now I make 16$ hr but I never seeing them paying me more than 20 if I stayed there the rest of my life. Any texans out there that want to point me to any unions or schools that are good. Or even any industries to look into that will provide demanding ability and competitive pay. I am talking with someone from prudhoe bay to see if I can get up there and be a helper or do anything for them (I'll clean bathrooms if it gets me in the door.) Basically I am intereted in getting into an area like pipe welding, pressure vessels, or boilermaking because that **** matters and requires skill. I don't expect to make it to the "big show" immediately I just want a chance to work my way up and learn. How does someone like myself get in the door or find the experience neccessary. Thanks

By dbigkahunna (****)

Date 06-29-2008 16:34 Edited 06-29-2008 16:37

If you dont mind working really hard and traveling contact:
Matrix Tank Services
http://www.matrixservice.com/CareersCraft.asp
or
TANCO Engineering Jon Prall at (970)776-4200 in Longmont CO.
http://www.tancoeng.com/careers.htm
or
Consolidated Fabricators Pat Howell (918) 621-1411
http://www.consfab.com/about.html

this is not the most glamorous welding but you could start out making more than you are right now and have an opportunity to increase your pay and skills. Again this is HARD work not standing at a station and going home clean every evening. You will have to swing a hammer breaking down joints for welding, tack , grind and then weld. Both use SMAW and GMAW process. They have a lot of work in Texas/Oklahoma right now. With your background and experience if you can pass a Section IX 3 plate test you should be in the $23-$26 plus sub range. Sub is running 80 to 100 per but YMMV Some have end of job bonus, some dont
I will warn you if you cannot pass the UA, dont even show up.
Good luck and I hope you follow this path as the heavy plate steel industry is really hard up for good workers.
I do not work for any of these guys, just know the people who run them. They stres safety.
Also Matrix and ConsFab have Union sides.
BABRT's

By Sourdough (****)

Date 06-29-2008 17:05

Hey Matt -

You are walking thru a door that will take you to financial freedom. There is a big shortage in the USA of qualified, (all around), welders.

I dropped out of highschool at the age of 14 and went to the testing school to get certified. I had a job rebuilding a fedex hanger at the Anchorage airport right after that. I was making the same wage you are right now, BUT I am making well over 300k a year now working on the western slope. Had it not been for a miscreant lifestyle and a 5 year stint in the pen I would be a millionaire by now.

If welding is what you want, (you really have to have a love affair with it), then money is gonna come your way. If you are a well rounded welder with the skills that you are talking about, you will go far..............period

The only thing I did that most welders don't, is getting a colleage degree in business mgmt. Having the gift to gab is good, but knowing when to hold, and when to fold is a must. If you know how to run an outfit efficiently, you can't lose, no matter what industry you're in.........stacks racks nipples and cracks!

Oh, and as a born Alaskan, I can tell you that getting to work on the "slope" is not an easy thing. It's who you know, and the policies up there are tight. It's a whole nother world......but the bennies are good!

By mprasse178 Date 06-29-2008 18:25

Thanks for the advice. I have been working since I was 14 years old (mowing neighborhs lawns) and when I turned 16 I got a car and worked for employers. I consider myself a hard working person who is reliable and completely capable of anything with a little help or training. I hear about the type of work you guys do on this forum and I admire your skill and knowledge. I want to get some of that myself. As far as the alaska dream I have been referred to a man named Tyler Noreen who is a native alaskan and works up there for BP. CH2M HILL is the outfit he refereed me to for jobs and opportunities. He has been giving me e-mails of people I need to get my resume to and answers any questions I have about life and work up on the north slope. Thanks again for taking the time out to throw this youngster some good advice.

By Sourdough (****)

Date 06-30-2008 17:45

I appreciate the response!

One more thing about working on the North Slope: It's seasonal. Once the ground thaws, no supplies can make it up the haul, (ice), road. You will work 5 months a year if you're lucky.

I spose that could be a good thing too.........?

By Pipeslayer (**)

Date 06-30-2008 18:47

Thats the truth. The slope has its own rules!!