Welding Tips and Tricks

Well I walked out of my job this morning.

Now I know why old time welders will stop welding if you come along and start watching them.

My foreman asked me to let on of the senior welders watch me tig. I said sure, not really thinking it through. I am the only qualified welder they had and the only one who can tig.

So I guess this guy did some practicing at the forman's advice. I found out yesterday that I would no longer be doing Tig work and this guy would.

The foreman said he doesn't know why Inwould leave.....
Each welding ticket I have cost me about $1500 and he can't see how I would feel screwed....

Anyways
Onward and upward. There is lots of welding work here for better money and benefits

Hey,

That was a gutsy move. But if you are sure you can get more work, screw him.

Mick

I actually have 2 other offers already this morning lol.

Mrkil wrote:I actually have 2 other offers already this morning lol.

Good for you. I know first hand how it is when you've had enough B.S. jammed down your throat and you need to make a statement to those you work/ed for.

Best of luck on your new venture.

I also have a garage that is basically a machine shop as well. So if worst comes to worst i can start doing that.

Shame - hope you find something better - so the foreman did'nt work out you were pissed about this? I never left a job like that with the foreman in any doubt how I felt - just be careful these days there are alot of cameras about - only good news is their not allowed to install them in a rest room / toilet - so next time it happens just bide your time - normally only one door - if you have anyone trustworthy works with you get them to keep a look out and have the " discussion" in private !

Best of luck in whatever you do next. Cue the Johny Paycheck song - you know the one !

Yes I do.

I will take the rest of the week to wire up my garage and make sure the equipment is all good to go. I may start bangin out some one off bike parts in brass and alu to start off and get money rollin in.
I spent today droppin off resumes at the known decent places.

You should have let him. My boss has tried to one up me 5-6 times with other welders and I let him. It always seemed to work out that I was due a vacation at about that time. I would leave for 5 or 10 days and the phone would start ringing. "How do we, where is the, how do you get the bend marks for compound radii or. . .how do "we" fix (we don't burn gel coat) burned gel coat?"

Then there's arc racing. When you get the rythm going that you could set a watch to, and then you hear them trying to keep speed. . .wait until you hear their arc starting to strain a little and then hit turbo stride and then they just quit. lol. . .don't have to say a word. They just got dusted and they know it and nobody wants to play anymore!

I have fun with task changes. I got my boss to finally admit he was trying to unseat me or take me down a notch. I didn't care as long as I get paid. If someone can beat me at my game then that just means there is two of us and one can compliment the other. My toughest competitor of all times was my best ally. As a team we were quite formidable, right down to the science of it all and that inclusive, right brain/left brain thing that two decent minds will bring to the table. I miss that.

So good news

Just finished my first week at the new job.
$20/h full benefits and I'm welding. Best part is they are tea hing me to also be a robot programmer.
At this point I fit peices in the fixture and tack weld them so they can be loaded into the robot. I then run root root passes on apl the joints and start up the robot.

While it's running I prep the next one and clean the one that has come out of the robot.
It's pretty simple but I really like operating the robot.

The main guy can do 2 a day. I was told they will be happy if I can do 1 a day.
I'm doing 1.5

A welder always has work.

Good for you!

Steve S

Great to hear about your success, I like TamJeff's idea more, wait for them to fail or take twice a long to get the job done, and the second they ask you for info or help, tell them "I'm sorry its not my job anymore" then they will realize they are SOL. And yes competition helps breed creativity and helps to hone ones skills especially if you've gotten sloppy and too comfortable.

But by the sounds of it if that's the kinda games they want to play, it would be a place you'd want to work at anyways.

glad to hear you got another spot. it would seem you're on your way to being the new main guy.

Otto Nobedder wrote:A welder always has work.

Good for you!

Steve S

A good welder always has work
But a bad welder never seems to keep a job...





Good luck boss with the new job

Ranger wrote:

Otto Nobedder wrote:A welder always has work.

Good for you!

Steve S

A good welder always has work
But a bad welder never seems to keep a job...





Good luck boss with the new job

I see where we differ. I don't think there are "bad welders". There are great welders, good welders, students, and a ton of people who "think" they are welders, but aren't and will never be. I think this last group is what you call "bad" welders.



I've been fixing crap from this last group for the last 16 hours billable...

Steve S

Ive messed my fair share of welds over the years, and some of those would put me smack bang in the "shouldnt be a welder category" but when i often wonder what the people who routinely do the crummy work think when they see "good" welds the dont need tons of grinding and re work....."how do you that?"

Mick

weldin mike 27 wrote:Ive messed my fair share of welds over the years, and some of those would put me smack bang in the "shouldnt be a welder category" but when i often wonder what the people who routinely do the crummy work think when they see "good" welds the dont need tons of grinding and re work....."how do you that?"

Mick

mick- we do it by taking an interest in our profession, pride in our work and always keeping an eye our for ways to improve. simple.

Thats how i do it, I am at at loss when you see a person, who can even weld properly the first time, banned from doing their repairs because the welding inspector knows they will ruin it even more, keep welding like nothing has gone wrong. What do those people think when they see Jody laying down TIG scripture. ? (he got sacked.....twice)

Mick

Congratulations on the new job!
I never liked to move around too much, but sometimes you just have to.

Thanks guys for all the suppot. I'm extremely happy at this place. They have taught me robot operations and M right now being taught programming. I wrote my first program today. It was 3 seperate parts all differet to be welded sequentially.

It turned out great and I managed not to bust anything

I'll post a video asap

G3QN7CmZc8