Are you a welder?

[Tom S.]

Keep all skin covered at all times!

The arc can burn your eyes in a second and burn your skin in only a few minutes... the "cowboys" on TV that don't cover ALL skin may find out what Melanoma is in the future!

And don't go cheap on steel-toed boots, welding masks and other essentials. Buy once, cry once.

Both good posts. Welding will affect your eyesight. How much depends on your son. Avoid striking arcs without eye protection in place. According to my eye doctor, many welders develop cataracts early on because of this (I believe that was why I got them early).

One tip: if, as he grows older, he needs bifocals and does much overhead welding, get a pair of glasses with the bifocals reversed so the 'close vision' lens is on top.

 

[soFlaNative]

Work hard and show up on time applies to all fields, I'll just
add don't steal or create work for the next guy. Make enemies that way.

 

[4barrel]

I live close to Turner --used to be B&W welding. X ray and inspecting is the way to go if you can get your foot in the door. They will send you to school. A friend of mine started as a welder-then X ray -- then went to work for an insurance company as welding inspector. No overhead--They furnish a car or pay you mileage. Talk about welding-I am within 20 miles of P&J trailers.

 

[Maddog 521]

There is another side of welding. It is welding inspection. Which includes, weld testing and analysis using destructive and non destructive methods. Some of those methods are macro etch testing, filet weld break test, magnaflux and hydrostatic testing. They also use xray and gamma ray testing. The inspectors are also the ones that do the certifications for welders. The inspection part is very interesting and rewarding also. It's just another part and might be considered. Good luck to your son and thank him for serving.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I'm sure you have vetted the school. I say that because there are lots of cut rate schools out there that exist solely to gt the student loan money and don't teach squat. Poor kid is left with no marketable skills and a load of non dischargeable debt that will haunt him the rest of his life. A top welder is worth his weight in gold and can generally write his own ticket anywhere
I was once told by a traveling sailor who spent years cruising that two disciplines that you can drop anchor for a few months and make enough money to continue are welding and nursing. They need those EVERYWHERE on the islands and it's easy to pick up a gig.
Tell your son that there are many paths to the top of the mountain and the only thing that counts is getting there.
My son is using his bill to get his RN certificate and plans to be a traveling nurse while living on his boat. I thought about it for a while and came to the realization why the hell not????????? Non traditional but hell, maybe that's what I shoulda done.......The older I get the more I think of stuff like that.

Again...VETT THE SCHOOL!!!!

 

[NYlakesider]

Check with your Local Boilermaker Union hall. Boilermakers are always looking for good people that can weld.

Got to agree with this post and put in a plug for my outfit as I have worked with the Boilermakers a few times. I'm now a retired 40 year Union Pipefitter/steamfitter/welder and when things were slow worked with them guys and on the flip side when work was short with them they worked with us. ( A very good relationship.)

As others have said there are many welding processes, and the more you know the more valuable you are.

Working as a union fitter/welder I have worked in all sorts of places. Chemical plants/refineries, power plants both Nuke and conventional, hospitals, prisons, other manufacturing facilities. Much of that work entitles overtime and I worked a lot of that.

I was able to take early retirement at age 55 (instead of going to 62) at a very good pension because of that OT, and of course that also builds your Social Security benefits.

Many times plants will hire our people to work direct for them.

Get and learn a trade, most of what we do is not going to be replaced by automation/robots unless there like "Data" from Star Trek.

 

[oneounceload]

Both good posts. Welding will affect your eyesight. How much depends on your son. Avoid striking arcs without eye protection in place. According to my eye doctor, many welders develop cataracts early on because of this (I believe that was why I got them early).

One tip: if, as he grows older, he needs bifocals and does much overhead welding, get a pair of glasses with the bifocals reversed so the 'close vision' lens is on top.

I was in construction management for many years for some of the bigger companies - NEVER knew a welder past 30 that wasn't wearing glasses. "Sun scarring" type damage from welding is very real.

Besides all of the certs, getting certified in enclosed spaces is another one to obtain.

 

[Maddog 521]

Another trade that has a lot of welding is the Millwright trade. Very interesting work is done by the Millwrights.

 

[jsfricks]

My son graduated about a week ago from one of the best welding schools in the country, Georgia Trade School. He starts his new job Monday. They have a 14 week course but he went with the 24 week course. A friend of his went there after high school and a couple months later is working for Caterpillar making $16 an hour, First year income with overtime: $53,000 (with 5 weeks vacation) There are a lot of job openings for welders, plumbers, Heat and Air, etc.

GA Trade School – The Nation's Premier Welding School

 

[Huskerguy]

Lots of good info here. I worked in a technical school as a teacher and administrator for over 25 years. I hope he looked at several different schools before making the decision. Schools can make things look and sound better than they are. Ask to see their employment records, they have to provide those. How many are in welding and how many are not and how many are in "related" areas - sometimes if the grad just has a job they call them placed. What are the wages? Go back a few years and get referrals you can call. What does their shop look like? Do they have all of the different welding equipment including MIG, TIG, shearing, cutting, plasma, etc are included and various brand names. Do they teach and enable you to get certs in all of the areas including pipe welding which is huge. Pipe welders in this area make big bucks. Also look for a great ventilation system, and ensure that everyone is required to wear welding aprons, safety glasses and gloves and they wear them! Welding is a dangerous job. There are burns of the skin and eyes and you are breathing fumes in many cases. If the welding shop is too clean I would question if they are giving a bunch of classroom instruction verses hands on experiences and using the the shop as a show room. Do they teach you to stand at a booth and weld coupons all day or is there some fabrication involved? What about blue print reading which is essential? Dissimilar metals and specialty processes like hardening, brazing and annealing.

Welding can be very regionalized meaning the school teachers according to what the local guys want/need rather than a broad range of skills.

I told students for over 30 years that they can't be just like their classmates that sit right next to them. If they want more money and the ability to move up, they have to develop more skills and do them better. Businesses will pay for additional skills in welding and personal skills. Being like the guy next to you gets you paid like the guy next to you.

Best of luck to your son, he will do well, he has the major part of the battle won already, finding something he is passionate about.

 

[phantomcycle]

I have a buddy thats a welder with many types of certifications he travels almost all year long he lives in his 5th wheel RV when at a jobs outside his normal area he makes very good money his 5th wheel is paid for and he drives a new dodge diesel dually also paid for
His new girl friend now travels with him to job sites and mite occasionally drive back home in her car
He loves his job and all the traveling he does plus the overtime buys his good life

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[dave1918a2]

Before I went into commercial restaurant repair I was a welder. When I went for interviews my reply to 'What do You weld?' was I can weld anything but the Crack of Dawn and a Broken Heart. Backed it up during the test. Tell Jr to learn every type of welding they teach there. Stainless and aluminum welding are big here. Stay out of the job shops and concentrate on fabrication and repair. Good luck and thank Him for His service.

 

[Walkingwolf]

I self taught for welding around the farm, and home, and vehicles. Had to give up arc welding when they implanted a defibrillator in my chest.

Welders at one time made very good living in southern Florida 20 years ago. Not sure how they do now.

 

[1morethan8]

SAFETY.. YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY... 100% OF THE TIME!!!!

In my 45 years as a fabricator...

I've seen 3 people die
(TVA-Nuclear).

One hand and several fingers cut off
(ABB/Combustion Engineering)

And many crippled, young and never to work again.

I was lucky, only missed a week or so due to not following "Rule #!"... SAFETY!

It was summer, outside and hot. A fitting needed to be TIG welded inside a stainless tank... maybe 45 minutes work? Being hot, I didn't bother to use a "Arab Cloth" taped to the back of my hood to keep rays from coming thru the back of my hood from the reflection inside the tank...
The price? Eyes swelled shut from weld burn,, but I was cooler while welding!

 

[DWalt]

It's not a common program, but some universities have degree programs in Welding Engineering. I know Ohio State U. and Montana Tech do. I remember when I was attending Ohio State (Chemical Engineering in my case), every graduate in Welding Engineering had a standing job offer from Lincoln Electric.

 

[Tom S.]

Being hot, I didn't bother to use a "Arab Cloth" taped to the back of my hood to keep rays from coming thru the back of my hood from the reflection inside the tank...

Dunk that cloth in cold water and kill two birds with one, er, cloth.

 

[mtgianni]

Retired pipefitter who specialized in Natural Gas business, construction, then service and mainteince. Welding can be sitting on an assembly line making the same weld day after day or field work 12-14 hour days. Get am idea of what he wants to do and find out if that school will get him there.
Union apprentices teach you as you learn and you can work into $45 and hour and up but you have to be good and show up sober/on time.

 

[Walkingwolf]

Retired pipefitter who specialized in Natural Gas business, construction, then service and mainteince. Welding can be sitting on an assembly line making the same weld day after day or field work 12-14 hour days. Get am idea of what he wants to do and find out if that school will get him there.
Union apprentices teach you as you learn and you can work into $45 and hour and up but you have to be good and show up sober/on time.

Or he could repair props on ships, welder I knew in the keys charged $200 an hour.

 

[oneounceload]

You also need to be able to not only read blueprints, but read a tape measure. Sounds basic, but before Navy ships, my son made fire trucks. It was amazing how many couldn't read or use a tape accurately. He always had a lot of rework to make the bodies square.

 

[Mack_C85]

You also need to be able to not only read blueprints, but read a tape measure. Sounds basic, but before Navy ships, my son made fire trucks. It was amazing how many couldn't read or use a tape accurately. He always had a lot of rework to make the bodies square.

My father was an Instructional Assistant at a County Schools Applied Technology Center. He worked with the construction department. Every September, like clock work, would come the tirade...."How the heck does someone get to the 9th grade and can't read a ruler??"

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