hey guys, first time on this site, so please be gentle.
i have always wanted to add certified welder to my resume. i currently hold many certifications in the marine industry and am looking to add to my collection. you can never know too much. i live in southern california, corona to be exact, and i have no idea where to start. i've heard of the l.a.city cert. is there a california cert.? i have welded in the past and can run a simple bead with a mig but from what i understand the tests use a stick welder. isn't that a little out dated? i mean, do you really still use the stick method out in the world?
well any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks for your time.
Greg
Hi Greg,
Welcome aboard! I cannot help you with whatever Cali needs for certs, but what I do know is that despite SMAW or "stick welding" age, it is still one of the most reliable method to join metal together especially when you need six or 8 welders in different locations on a site. Don't take much to run a lead where a MIG machine has spacial limitations as you know and while it is definately faster....sometimes the set-up is not compared to smaw.
Anyway, there are alot of people on this site that have far more knowledge than I do so you are in a good spot.
Have fun!
Greg, i guessed the marines didn't live in the real world of welding.
Its sounds liked all you ever did was head down and pull the trigger. If you want to be a real welder, then you had better learn the art of welding pipe with SMAW and GTAW. I'm from Canada and for the past 30+ years, i have done my share of welding in the field with GTAw and SMAW. I really don't think that you can pull a mig system through a pipe rack with ease. I belong to the UA plumbers and Pipefitters and like a lot of my brothers down south, we are used to using the SMAW process in very difficult places.
i appreciate the feed back so far. i was talking to a longshoremen (chassie mechanic) friend of mine, he said a good one to get first is the aws 1. anyone help me out with what this is? can you practice and learn outside the class but just sign up for and take the test without being enroled in the school. my current work schedule doesn't allow time for commuting in so. cal. traffic to a class. nearest one i can find is over an hour away.
Yeah u can take tests. People will give you the test, they like money. As long as you know the basic mig welding and know saftey in welding. It cost 80 pass fail for plate1'' structural test plus other fees for overhead shop fee maybe lab fees etc. I drove for a year hour away to school and got my certs in feburary of this year. Hope this helps
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