Say there buck, the information being passed on is good info. The pipeline business is nothing like you have ever been in. You call and call until someone gives you a test. Then you are on your own. Do you know how to lay out a 12 on 12 branch with a blue book and adding machine tape? You see it done a couple of times and wreck some perfectly good barbeque pit material and you start getting the feel for it. You roll up to the test line and the testing inspector has a rule the first five bust out on the bead. You tack up, run the bead and he looks at it and he says nope. Spool up. No reason. He dosen't have to have one. Bronc, today just isn't you day. Maybe he dosent like the fact you rolled up with a Miller or Hobart or even a diesel Lincoln. God intended for pipelines to be welded by SA 200's. Gray ones. Maybe his road wife took off with the tie in boss. If you think this is BS run the road for a little while and you will see what I mean. You need to make a couple of friends working in the business. It will cut the learning curve a bunch. Learning the in's and out's of pipelining will take a few months to a year. I test lots of welders breaking out. You have not even begun to pay your dues. Wallerin around in the stinky pipe racks and basements does not even begin to equal being drug to a tie in with a D6 pipelayer and hooking the front end with a stump and the operator just keeps pouring the coal to it. You get to the bellhole and water is four inches below the pipe, the tie in boss has three pallets and a 2 inch pump to keep the water down. And your brother-in-law drug up when he found out you were being drug to the weld and did not want to get his truck tore up. Yea this is the life.
BABRT's

ZCat

I am willing to believe that you could beat pipeliners in the quality of the weld deposit.  However, I find it incredible that you think you could out produce them in Joint weld deposit numbers.

Cole,
Pipeline test will require a 12 on 12 butt in 5G with a 12 on 12 branch. Beg borrow or steal some 10 or 12 inch pipe. Run your bead, hot pass and if allowed a hot fill with 5/32. Grind your stops and starts. On the test, the inspector will usually look at the bead before the hot pass. Some will look after the hot pass. But, any IP and you spool up. Test is over. You go home. Some inspectors will not allow any undercut. This is pretty easy to pass on X42 but you get X60 and above running 70+ reverse, you better watch your travel speed and keep it slow or you will wind up with undercut. Some of the more enlightened pipeline companies allow the bead to be run straight on high grade pipe to lessen the chance of UC. But they watch the travel speed as you can race horse on the bead running straight.
The next hurdle will be the 12 on 12 branch. Bo to a welding supply shop and have them order you a Graves Blue Book. It will give you all the measurements for laying out a branch on different schedules of pipe. The most common you will see on pipeline test will be 0.375 wall. You will have to lay out, cut and fit the branch then cut out the hole in the carrier pipe and weld it up. Any IP and buck, it aint your day. Spool up, test over. Also, on a test Arc Burns can cause an immediate bust, sometimes. Ask the test inspector. This is up to him/her. On the job, on DOT regulated lines or new lays, it is a cut-out. Usually two and you get asked to leave (run off). If you know a pipeline welder who can show you how to lay out, fit and tack up the branch, the weld is just an endurance test. Most pipeline companies require a bead and hot pass with 5/23 and 3/16 on the fill. Depending on the inspector some will let you cap out with a 5/32. Also find out if there are time limits on the test. When I test welders it is 30 minutes on the butt after tack up approval and three hours on the branch after tack up approval. The butt and branch test will take a full day for most welders.
If you do not have a buddy in the business, hire out as a helper until you see a couple of test. If you have been doing this for a while, you should figgure it out pretty quick. The rest of it is just getting hired. And that is another thread.
Good Luck
BABRt's  

Man pipe line work is cake compared to pipe welding on your big industry jobs been there done it.  Blueranger i feel ya brotha, and i know what kind of welding goes on up in those piperacks and boiler rooms.  I know pipeline welding would be cake for ya, and doing things the way those guys do things might take a little getting used to is all thekoz was trying to imply i think just like any new job.  I don't see how those pipeline guys are so cocky, but hey i respect all welders and the things they go through to bring the bread home.  Pipe line work= easy money if you don't mind getting dirty, but it's the being away from the family and going hotel to motel that makes it tuff.  Takes a special state of mind to be a pipeliner, but the cash flow helps keep you in that state of mind.;-)  You shouldn't get a bad taste in your mouth from this forum over one thread.  There is so much to actaully be learned on here it's crazy!!!!!  There are some guys on here that can type you through any question about welding you can think of.  Lots of helpfull ideas are at hand also.  Any who Good Luck to ya with becomeing a pipeliner.