Experience can train inexperienced welders

Date 03-25-2014 15:30

Hi,
I'm a retired welder with almost 50 yrs. experience in the trade. I've gone from paper sketches to prints to AutoCad design and welding inspection and QC. Iv'e worked with steel of many different types and grades, stainless of many types and grades, aluminum of many types and grades. I have never had the luxury of in house welding engineering. Through need and with help from you gentlemen, and ladies of the forum, I have made it through procedures and qualification of some pretty exotic materials. AL6XN and 2205 duplex just for starters.

Now that I have retired and have all of this free time, and read about the shortage of experienced craftsmen, in our business, I'm left with the idea that I need to do something about it. I was talking, to a friend that is a doctor the other day, and we were discussing our training. Mine is every bit as diversified and valuable as is his. You wouldn't call me for a colonoscopy though. I went to school for 50 years to do my job. I learned everyday, some more than others. Now I do little projects for friends and family, and the gym where I build big muscles. But these pursuits are not all that fulfilling. I get bored, you know what I mean?

I tried the volunteer thing at the local High School, but it's a hobby class with no expertise or desire to educate. The goal there is to keep enough students so that the instructor has a job. {"If you require too much they will pick a different elective, then I will be out of a job."}

I would be open to travel a little and share what I know, or do inspection work, as an unbenefited employee. If you have any ideas about how I could use some of this free time, that I have an abundance of, please let me know.

Dennis

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 03-25-2014 16:26 Edited 03-25-2014 16:29

Dennis,
There is another member here who is training pipeline welders....maybe pick an avenue like that to start a small bizniz and make some money while helping teach a trade.

http://www.aws.org/cgi-bin/mwf/topic_show.pl?tid=33051

Just a thought.

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 03-25-2014 17:05

Look into any local community colleges. Many often have nerds for additional industry experience that the instructors may not have. Or even need instructors.

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 03-26-2014 08:59 Edited 03-26-2014 09:05

Just to add to Gerald's response Dschlotz, seek out the community colleges and technical schools around your region that offer on site or off site business and industry training packages to the area companies that require their welders or their employees to learn how to weld or to be prepared via training/coaching for qualifying to various processes and WPS's in which some may be their own and some may need to be developed by you... There may be a technical HS that's looking for a part time welding instructor for nights or weekends also...

Offer your services to the regional utility companies and medium to large manufacturing companies in your area for contract training and network with any inspection services in your area as well as offering these services to the previously mentioned possibilities... Start networking with your local and regional welding supply stores and any other entity in your area that has the potential need for either contract training or inspection services also and there are many other options if you really take the time and make the effort to find the different avenues of contract work... You would be surprised just how many opportunities do exist for a person as experienced as yourself! :eek:

Now before you even start this, the first thing you need to develop is your calling cards and your resume/CV credentials as well as letter of recommendation to use is presenting and selling yourself to the various opportunities that will become available to you once you start looking for them... Make sure you don't oversell yourself as the greatest thing since sliced bread so just state your experience and make sure it's concise and straight forward and to the point and then make many copies to share with all of your potential contract opportunities... Make darn sure that you come up with a decent neat not so flashy business card also to distribute amongst potential clients and don't forget to start networking with your area's AWS section meetings, ASNT meetings as well as SME meetings also that will have many of your peers attending who may just be looking for someone like you... In any event, I hope this is helpful for you in your new journey... PM me if you want to discuss this further D! I always look forward to your posts in here friend.

Respectfully,
Henry

By dschlotz (***)

Date 03-26-2014 14:21 Edited 03-26-2014 14:23

Henry,
Thanks for your thoughts. I live on the coast of California, 85 miles south of the Oregon border. There is one state Jr college, that has a welding program. They are not open to any assistance. There is one program in Redding CA, that is impacted. This program is one I will visit when I go to Sacramento, in April, for my 9 year renewal. There is another in Mendocino Co. that is too far to commute. I'm at kind of a disadvantage because of the closed off area where I live. I was hopping to generate some interest by posting on the forum. I'm not looking for long term employment. My real goal is to be an answer guy. I want to go in to a place that has a problem and help them fix it and move on.
An example: A local firm, where I did inspection, was having a problem with porosity in the welds that attached the stair stringer to tread saddle plates. They were priming the HSS with a so called weldable primer, then placing the treads on the tubes. The welding was being done with E71T-1 with Co2. There so called weldable primer caused porosity. Since they had a number of units fabed they needed to be able to weld them without defects or rework. I had them burn the paint away with a torch and wire brush the weld area. No more porosity. In the future when they do the job again they will layout and wire wheel the weld area before fab. A little brush touch up after and it's a good job.
Another area that I have had success locally, is in teaching heat straitening. But once you teach the technique your done.
The closest section meeting is 5 hours away.
By the way what are CV credentials?

Dennis

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 03-27-2014 03:48 Edited 03-27-2014 03:52

CV = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curriculum_vitae

or you can look at this explanation o0f what is a Curriculum Vitae (CV):

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/641/01/

"I would be open to travel a little and share what I know, or do inspection work" You said you were open to travel a little - well then expand your horizons some more.

Respectfully,
Henry

By Josephp (**)

Date 03-28-2014 21:19

Dennis,

FWIW consider making training videos, You stated "teaching heat straitening" not many people know how to do this. And or short welding course's (5 day, like Lincoln Run's) on certain procedures. Just a thought.

Regards

Joseph