certified welder

By new-welder Date 01-10-2006 00:49

Hello, my name is Don and I am not only new to the forum but I am new to welding. I started welding two years ago. My training has been on mig OJT. I did take a welding class at the local vocational school. That helped me immensely with the set up of my welder at work as-well-as learning stick, tig, and torch. I want to become a cerified welder. I have downloaded the CW requirements from the AWS website. I am confident about passing the sheet metal test. I am also confident, thought not nearly as much, I could pass the pipe welding requirements. I have a few questions about the whole process. 1. Can you certify in just the sheet metal or just the pipe welding or is this a package deal? I realize the pipe welding requirements only covers a couple of positions. 2. Is there a written exam or is it all practical application? 3. When it says you are responsible to provide the materials for the test, what does that include? Is it just the steel or is it the rod also? Am I responsible to provide the tools such as clamps for fit up, grinder, torch, or welder? 4. What is a coupon? 5. On the pipe welding test am I required to prep the pipe edges on site or is it allowed to have that done prior to reporting for the testing? I am sure I will have more questions and any information you could volunteer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

By aevald

Date 01-10-2006 08:20

Hello Don, I'm sure that you are going to receive a myriad of responses to your questions and also comments on what you perceive to be some of the things required for certification. A real brief overview of welding certification and some of it's ins and outs, I would say that there are literally thousands of certifications for a vast array of welding processes and fabricated products, there are also many different types of certifications, AWS, ASME, Military, Coast Guard, Local and State jurisdictions, although many of these actually use AWS criteria, they still may have their own interpretation of these and their own way of managing and tracking these. Some certifications are only good as long as you are in the employ of a specific employer, others are issued directly to you with specific conditions that you must meet in order to maintain your certification, still more require requalification after a specified period of time such as 6 months or some other period of time. In some cases even changing the diameter of wire used for a certain test will require you to certify with another test. You need to target specific areas that you plan to work in, ie. structural steel, pressure piping, boiler repair or fabrication, whatever area you have an interest in. Once you have selected an area you wish to pursue you need to research the types of certifications that are required for that type of work. Find out specifically what certifications are required and then work at becoming proficient in passing these tests. Even after receiving certification in a given process or processes, it doesn't end there, in most cases when you go out looking for work an employer may have you do an in-house certification to prove to them that you indeed posess the necessary skills. Good Luck, aevald

By medicinehawk (**)

Date 01-10-2006 09:48

Welcome to the forum Don, you should be able to find alot of good advice here. As Aevald said, there are literally thousands of certifications you can get but you really have to decide WHY you want to be certified and in what procedure(s). It will be of no use for you to be certified stick welding carbon pipe if you are going to work Tig welding stainless steel sheet metal. See what we mean?
If your current employer has the need for you to be certified(in a specific process...be it GTAW or SMAW or GMAW) than you would want to find out the details of that certification and it's limitations.
Every certification is needed depending on what you will be welding on. Aerospace welding (making parts for aircraft engines) requires specific certifications depending on what welding process used and what alloy and even the wall thickness of the metal. The Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) strictly enforces the codes and certifications surrounding these welding processes.....After all, NO ONE wants a failure in a weld while you are flying around at 40,000 feet. This is just an example, but as Aevald said, you should get some feed back from this question.
Feel free to e-mail me if you have specific questions or post-up more specific questions and I'll be sure to check up on it.
Be well.

Hawk