Don, back gouging usually refers to carbon arc gouging. This is using a special torch with air supplied to it and a carbon electrode. It requires a high amperage welding machine with a high duty cycle. The welder will generally put in a root pass on one side of a weldment, move to the other side and use the carbon arc torch to "gouge out" the weldment to expose the root pass put in from the other side. The purpose of this is to guanentee a full penetration weld without an open root. Structural steel fitting and layout to me means they must be able to take the steel off of the truck, look at the blueprint, lay it out and then install it. This sounds exactly like an add I would run in the newspaper to hire new employees for my business.

Mike Sherman
Shermans Welding

Structural steel usually means columns and beams. Connections are a big thing in the structural steel industry. You work with connection angles, gusset plates, and base plates. Layout where holes need to be drilled or punched, locate gusset plates for fitup to the beams and columns. A good layout person has to be able to perform geometric layout of angles for bracing and other non-perpendicular connections. A fitter usually locates all of the connection materials in the right location at the correct angle and a welder usually follows up by adding the required welds. Some smaller shops have all of the activities combined into a single person. Of course all of this mean that the employee must be able to read shop drawings and understand weld symbols. Some of the common shop tools would be a framing square, level and tape. Therefore they must bring a few more skills than just welding to the company.