Any professional welders/fabricators in here?

[spooled240]

I'm strongly contemplating a career change due to the fact that I kinda hate where I'm at right now. I graduated in '12 with a business and marketing degree and it's simply not for me. I an online marketer that works 40+ hours a week on my ass behind a computer screen that occasionally deals with angry clients and unrealistic goals. There are some positives to this field and I have learned a lot, but its simply not my cup of tea.

I'm 25, unmarried and I don't have any kids(thank God)so now is the time to really make sure I'm set up for what I really enjoy. Welding has been something that's been in the back of my mind since I've always had a strong passion/obsession for cars, mechanics and fabrication.

There are some local schools out there for welding, but I wanted to get some advice from some people in the industry on how and where to start before I make any moves.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

[aymaeid]

in for the advice

[S14kouki_10]

Not a professional welder, but i did take some courses on welding back in high school. To get certified you just take a test. Then idk what you'll do with that certificate, i guess look for a job and work for someone else.
Is being certified make you a "professional welder"?
Maybe start by buying a welder and just start welding stuff.

[ManoNegra]

Look to get into an apprenticeship with an established fabricator.
Pay will suck and it'll be grunt work.
Do it for a few years to gain experience,
start doing jobs out of your garage for free and/or cheap to build a name
once you have a reputation and are getting busy start thinking about opening your own shop
that's how the few fabricators I've known did it

[ultimateforce]

Certified TIG welder chiming in:

Skilled labor (and labor in general) in America has been looked upon for at least a full generation as something stupid people do, so be ready for that stigma from the get go.

Oh you work with your hands? You must be illiterate.

A ton of welding is being out sourced to China with the finishing instillation done by the lowest bidder, least skilled, welder a company can pull from the streets or out of work release. These jobs pay accordingly and will burn you out quickly.

I know of a local company that does aluminum walk ways in schools. They pay the welder $8hr. to do the finish welding, with all the main stuff assembled in China, again to the lowest bidder. AMERICA.

Good luck getting health insurance too! Oh you want to be in a union to protect yourself from injury doing a dangerous job? There's a dozen meth-head scabs willing to take your spot for $8hr. right behind you. They do a worse job, but a weld is a weld to the foreman.

ON THE OTHER HAND!

I enjoy welding more than I do working on computers, which is what I went to college for.

I make the exact same amount of money as I did as a computer janitor (which is also a job that can be out sourced to Asia).

Eventually I am going to move to Canada or Australia where my skills are in demand I can escape this sinking ship of a country. Hopefully before all the other rats beat me to it.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY:

Learn arc welding, get certified to weld 6G pipe.

Go on Cragislist and take any lame low paying job for a few months till you develop a dip habit (this will help you fit in).

Pack all your shit in a truck and move from one oil pipeline hot spot to the next. You CAN make good money doing this if that sort of life style appeals to you.

There is zero money in MIG welding in my experience, and TIG jobs pay can pay well if you find the right place and stick with it.

[ultimateforce]

Welding plug:

http://i.imgur.com/pIvFOm8.jpg

Buy the things I weld. [email protected]

[spooled240]

^good info, thanks! Have you ever considered opening your own shop? I worked as a mechanic and I know about the stigma of skilled labor, but what initially attracted me to welding was the ability to create anything out of metal. My ultimate goal if I were pursue a career in welding would be to open up a fabrication shop.

[redline racer510]

I have an advanced welding cert(arc pipe welding) from a chevron sponsored welding school and unless you work for a contractor that has a contract with a major industrial company(ie chevron,shell,valero etc) that utilizes pipeline you wont be making a reliable pay wage, if you work out of your garage you can supplement your wage but i wouldn't rely on garage work and side jobs solely unless you can get enough clients.

[ultimateforce]

^good info, thanks! Have you ever considered opening your own shop? I worked as a mechanic and I know about the stigma of skilled labor, but what initially attracted me to welding was the ability to create anything out of metal. My ultimate goal if I were pursue a career in welding would be to open up a fabrication shop.

I actually like the shop where I work (CHEAP PLUG FOR RAW BROKERAGE) first of all, and I could never do all of this myself. Parts ordering, managing the money, talking to clients, etc. I'll tell you right now it takes a team of people to make an operation like ours run.

Also, I get "just open your own shop!" a lot. The welder I use, torch included, was about $4,000. The three saws I have at the shop were probably another $6,000 combined including one set of blades. That's not including the air tools I own in addition to the shop's tools, etc. None of the work I do could come out of a home garage and I aim to keep it that way.

I don't mean for this to sound smug or negative, just giving it to you straight. I would take being a welder over being a computer janitor again any day of the week. Take a night adult education course on welding for a month, see if you like it. You could not try it and 10 years from now wish you did and that's the worst thing. I didn't quit working on computers till I was 26 and now I have the weight of student loans on me on top of everything else.

[spooled240]

thanks for the feedback! I've been trying to get in a welding class at my local community college without much luck since there are so many people registering :/ I'll just have to keep trying/looking

[turbo2nr]

I also want to go down this route, and this year i will probably take a welding class too. My plan of action will be take the class, buy a decent welder and equipment, and start to take on small jobs to increase my skill level. Granted i know alot of people in the car community that are always looking for things to be fabricated. So i will do this on my spare time until i feel like my skill level is where i want it to be, in that time i will build good client. So that in 1-2 years if all goes well i can branch off to a bigger operations.

Funny i have the same views as you, I have my degree, I work a 9-5 pays decent and im behind a computer all day but im not happy. I really want to have my own performance/fab shop too.

[spooled240]

yeah some days I feel like dropping everything and going down the welder/fabricator route, but I think the best way to go is to take a class, get some equipments and start practicing for stuff on the side like you said..I think I have some good ideas but I don't have the tools or skills to make it happen haha

[supersayianjim]

ive never had a sit down computer job. and i envy you guys that have. i want to sit in a cubicle all day(sad face).

[McRussellPants]

Theres some school called the Fabrication School or something in Cali. Everytime one of their students posts something all i can think of is how they got took.

Find a performance shop, become their shop bitch, have their fabricator show you the ropes. once you know the basics, its probably best to ignore him and practice on your own, Fabricators are all nancy chodes that want to think their shit doesnt stink, he probably sucks. Stare at 9Bells/Toxic Fab's stuff on honda tech all day until you want it bad enough to get it.

accrue your own gear, figure out what works for you by creeping on the pros.

Once you can hack it, quit the shop and open your own fab shop, "Performance Shops" are a hinderance, none of them get it, and aren't equiped or setup to make proper fabrication profitable. they will 99% of the time not give a shit how much you suck. it will make you not care that you suck. I had my own shop and went back to working for a perfomance shop. it really blows that as long as you hit your hours you could literally use shit instead of argon and nobody cares.

Certification is useless for basic rice/motorsports fabrication. all of the information is out there if you care to do anything with it.

Read honda-tech and Race Dezert fab section as much as you can.

Its honestly really best to ignore everyone and do it, You'll suck your first few years, because everyone does. so its good to ignore everyone telling you you suck. after that its best to ignore everyone because they will tell you some retarded shit. like really retarded, and the shitbag fabricator you work with will tell you a milli reasons why hes better than everyone else and none of them will be true.


Also,

"I can weld a little so I know..."

"My welding instructor said _____________"

"I prefer transformer machines they weld better"

"My buddy is the best welder, he MIG'd ______________ for me and it came out rad"

Anyone who tells you any of that is a fuck.

[nujabe]

LOL ^^ i to want to open my own shop. spool good luck dude im going through school and i feel like its a waste of time i'm almost done.. and i just don't to be behind a computer all day.. i simply just love cars.

[spooled240]

^as expensive and seemingly pointless it is at times, it's nice to have a degree to fall back on :)

Theres some school called the Fabrication School or something in Cali. Everytime one of their students posts something all i can think of is how they got took.

Find a performance shop, become their shop bitch, have their fabricator show you the ropes. once you know the basics, its probably best to ignore him and practice on your own, Fabricators are all nancy chodes that want to think their shit doesnt stink, he probably sucks. Stare at 9Bells/Toxic Fab's stuff on honda tech all day until you want it bad enough to get it.

accrue your own gear, figure out what works for you by creeping on the pros.

Once you can hack it, quit the shop and open your own fab shop, "Performance Shops" are a hinderance, none of them get it, and aren't equiped or setup to make proper fabrication profitable. they will 99% of the time not give a shit how much you suck. it will make you not care that you suck. I had my own shop and went back to working for a perfomance shop. it really blows that as long as you hit your hours you could literally use shit instead of argon and nobody cares.

Certification is useless for basic rice/motorsports fabrication. all of the information is out there if you care to do anything with it.

Read honda-tech and Race Dezert fab section as much as you can.

Its honestly really best to ignore everyone and do it, You'll suck your first few years, because everyone does. so its good to ignore everyone telling you you suck. after that its best to ignore everyone because they will tell you some retarded shit. like really retarded, and the shitbag fabricator you work with will tell you a milli reasons why hes better than everyone else and none of them will be true.


Also,

"I can weld a little so I know..."

"My welding instructor said _____________"

"I prefer transformer machines they weld better"

"My buddy is the best welder, he MIG'd ______________ for me and it came out rad"

Anyone who tells you any of that is a fuck.

lol good stuff, thanks! I'm gonna start scouring craigslist for a nice welder and start practicing.

[Flyin_bryan]

i worked as a welder for a manufacturing company and you my friend are on (POINT)

[Silverbullet]

hey spooled240. I urge you to go for the welding training if you have an interest in it. It sounds like you're more concerned on how you're going to pull it off rather than whether or not you want to do it.

We often associate our identity with our careers. What I'm getting at is, just because you decide to take the path to master the skill of welding doesn't mean you're only a welder with a certificate from a trade school. You still have your background in managing and marketing a business, the same basic knowedge taught to some of the most sucessful business owners. I say use both skills. Your welding service is the product of your business and you have the know-how to market it.
This puts you at a big advantage over majority of welders out there IMO. Like what Ultimateforce mentioned, many people label trade skill workers out there to be incompetent , unprofessional, ect. You can completely break that image with your business if you choose to.

As far as pulling it off, you can take a night course after your 9-5 job at a community college. Most community colleges will also certify you at the end of the course. Pick up side jobs here and there that you can work after your day job and weekends. Once your confident enough in your client base, quit the job and go full throttle on your new entrepreneurial path.


I'm some-what in the same situation. Working towards not "working" anymore.

[spooled240]

^I agree with you 100%!

[BossHogg]

I am a pipe welder. Been on the road for the last 3 years. I am actually in the laundry mat in Great Falls Montana(beautiful state) right now cleaning clothes and nursing a hangover on my only day off lol. Rebuilding a hydro dam that they are replacing a turbine in and changing from air cooled to water cooled. All schedule 10 stainless :) I will say you have the perfect life style right now with being single and no kids(like me). The country is your home, you have total freedom. Also, if there is one thing I have learned, there is women in every city I go to, so stay single man. Pussy isn't a problem.

I can tell you right now that certifications mean jack shit. No one gives a shit. There are hundreds of different certs. So saying your certified in a specific kind of welding just makes people look dumb. Every job you go to you will have to prove to them you can weld and take a test. Most likely a 6g 2 inch super coupon. Either tig root and hot pass with 7018 (stick) remainder or full on tig all the way out.

I did not start going on the road till was your age. It will change your life man. I make any where from 2-5k a week just depending on the job and hours. Its a hard profession to really describe to people. You just have to do it. If you are willing to travel this great country and live in cheap motels while stacking piles of that welder money, you will enjoy it. The lifestyle isn't for the feint of heart. You will become a feelingless cold hearted son of a bitch and love it. If you bring feelings with you, you will get them hurt, i promise you.


If you are good with your money you can make 80-100k + and still take a few MONTHS off for vacation. The key is just staying busy and finding work. I have traveled all over this country building power houses, refineries, steel mills, ethanol etc etc etc.

99% of welding schools are a joke. If you are serious, check out the Missouri Welding Institute. I call it boot camp for welding. 5 days a week 8 hours a day of straight welding. You will get your D1.1 structural, and ASME section 10 pipe certs(which don't mean shit really). I went to this school and a lot of buddies have. Best thing I ever did with my life. You will meet road hands across the country that have attended their to. The teachers their are actual road hands. They arn't uncle jimbo from the fucking farm or local fab shop. Fab shop jobs are for the birds.

All those people that think skilled labor is a joke. Fuck em. When they see my pay checks i laugh in their face and ask them how much that master's degree cost them and how long it took them and you only make this much? I paid 10k and 5 months later I was stacking cash. First two weeks in the field i banked 6g's. And to think, there are 18 year old fucks stacking that same check fresh out of high school. The only regret I have is not doing this when I was 18. I'd be rich right now.

Now come, join the many road whores of America and enjoy yourself. See the country and enjoy your life. Contribute to society and leave your mark. We build America.

Edit* I will have to say that welding isn't for everyone. People just physically can't do it. It's a true skill. Welding is all muscle and breathing control and getting comfortable. Whether your jammed in the pipe rack, laying on your back, stuck in a small hole etc. There are many people that think they can weld when they can't. Just because they have welded for 20 years doesn't mean a damn thing. If you want to weld for a profession, get into pipe that is the money.

[BossHogg]

A few randoms

http://i.imgur.com/o6ZK3Iz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4wBdngO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dJoXj1x.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hanbKEb.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XuSzZM4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fXzoB42.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dXrykLd.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cOztGwj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oDCdSGU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/yZG697K.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UbATPIu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LZP2FSC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7WygXzi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FqyLL2e.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Qi0OMN5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XV0UdqD.jpg

rock on brotha.

[BossHogg]

Also....all welding is arc welding lol.

GTAW---gas tungsten ARC welding
SMAW--- shielded metal ARC welding
GMAW---gas metal ARC welding
FCAW--- flux core ARC welding.

[ultimateforce]

I am in the (bad) habit of listening to people describe SMAW as simply arc welding and it has long since rubbed off on me. :(

[spooled240]

^Bosshog thanks for that info man!

How difficult is it for you to find work?

[nujabe]

this thread is awesome lol.

[Silverbullet]

If you are willing to travel this great country and live in cheap motels while stacking piles of that welder money, you will enjoy it. The lifestyle isn't for the feint of heart. You will become a feelingless cold hearted son of a bitch and love it. If you bring feelings with you, you will get them hurt, i promise you.



That sounds amazing for someone who is waiting for the call for adventure!

by the way, instead of motels check out Airbnb. You can stay with local people who have an extra room or even whole house sometimes. I rent one of my rooms out and frequently get Airbnb guests come and stay a few nights at a time. What I enjoy most is the various people i get and their story of why they are traveling.