I've been in the job 6 coming on 7 years. Started off with being a machinist (basic stuff nothing too out of the ordinary) and pipefitting for three and a bit years. Then moved to the welding fab shop where I still went out fabricating, pipefitting, steelwork etc fitting handrails and a little mechanical fitting also.
Now I am more into the pipework side of things with my new job but I am getting bored and not enjoying it as much as I'd thought due to it being very slow work and a lot of standing around.
Looking to get into ship welding in Edinburgh. I've an inverter in my garage which I'm going to practise positional stick welding for the job (don't have flux core or a mig in my garage so cannot practice that).
I have tickets for forklift, cherry picker albeit an electric one. Not sure if this converts to the big diesel driven ones as there is a fair size difference.
Confined space ticket done last year also.
A few other small time tickets like abrasive wheels, working at heights etc all done.
Basically, I've a fair bit of experience but I'm more of a jack of all since coming from a small town engineering company.
What tips do you guys have for getting on at a ship welding company?
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Welding onboard a ship is all about being able to weld in some of the worst, tight, cramped, upside down spaces you can imagine. Any internal systems are TIG mostly, unless you’re involved with “pre fab” conditions. Hulls see a lot of stick, but also lots of MIG. Internal piping is almost exclusively TIG, and you’ll need stainless, inconel, etc certificates if the ship is Naval versus commercial.
If it’s a commercial vehicle, less stringent on quality, but luxury builders are all about quality and aesthetics too. All depends what shipyard and what type of work they do.
If it’s a commercial vehicle, less stringent on quality, but luxury builders are all about quality and aesthetics too. All depends what shipyard and what type of work they do.