Welding Tips and Tricks

im going to school at arc labs. i understand i have to throw down a good bead before anything but once i have that down. what is the most widely used welds that i should concentrate on for production like mig, tig, stick? give me something i can look at or you can explain it


thanx in advance

In industry, all processes are used.

In order of money, TIG pays the best, just slightly edging stick, on average, but the two are a hard argument in certain fields.

MIG is either relegated to structural, or is used as a root pass in certain boiler applications. If you're doing MIG root, you better know FCAW dual-shield fill and cap, though, because those jobs are about production speed.

You can make as much money with each process. The question is either "which do you like", or "which is less effort", depending on your personality.

Steve S

Well do you want to be a welder or a welder? That's the question. A welder is proficient at all processes. But I will tell you this, almost every weld you make will be a fillet or pipe weld.

I have to add to my previous comment, to cover production shops/factories. These places use MIG primarily, and do not pay all that well for the skills and speed required. Many tend to be sweat-shop hurry-up places depending on what they consider "good enough". It's not a bad place to build experience for your resume', but not what I'd call a career choice. Shops that use primarily TIG are out there, and they, on average, pay considerably better in cleaner conditions. TIG shops are often doing precision work, sanitary work, and even aerospace work with high-alloy or exotic metals, and this can be very interesting.

Steve S

thanx for the advice ill have to look for tig jobs then but i was thinking just a regular mexican sweat shop first lol no offense to anybody i just know some jobs like that.
ill take the be weld or welder advice and just be proficient in all areas and keep improving day by day just like life

Become a great stick welder not a good stick welder then supplement with TIG (both hands). You will make the higher end of the pay scale and you won't go hungry if you are willing to travel sometimes. Twenty years into your career you should be good at all processes and being out of position is no different than any other weld except for comfort.

For reference: I hired a guy on Monday, couldn't stick very well, couldn't figure out how to turn the TIG box on but could lay down a nice .035 hard in the flat. He is in a fab shop welding station making $11.00 per hour.

Being able to weld with either hand (stick and TIG), as DLewis said, is very valuable. One of the better TIG welders I've known could not weld with his left hand to save his life, and this often cost him time and comfort trying to find a position to complete a weld with his right hand. This often put him in positions where he could not see well, and it showed in the results.

Being able to weld with either hand helps you make the transition to welding in the mirror a bit quicker, as well.

Steve S

Otto is right on point.....spent my share of time in boilers and tanks with steam coils. (hell have even had to window weld tubes on a few occasions.) Welding with a mirror for a young man......."Ok, when I strike I have to go left, I need to go left, I will go left.......DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!"

DLewis0289 wrote:Become a great stick welder not a good stick welder then supplement with TIG (both hands). You will make the higher end of the pay scale and you won't go hungry if you are willing to travel sometimes. Twenty years into your career you should be good at all processes and being out of position is no different than any other weld except for comfort.

For reference: I hired a guy on Monday, couldn't stick very well, couldn't figure out how to turn the TIG box on but could lay down a nice .035 hard in the flat. He is in a fab shop welding station making $11.00 per hour.

yea as i have been listening and writing notes about welding and my teacher explains his stories. he brings up stick alot in his career i mean they mostly use it lay down pipe fittings. i get to try my hand at welding three days in tomorrow. just regular stick weld with 6018 i believe i cant remember the exact number but after we have that laid down like a king its 7018. i do remember its stored in a oven cause of the oxidation

Otto Nobedder wrote:Being able to weld with either hand (stick and TIG), as DLewis said, is very valuable. One of the better TIG welders I've known could not weld with his left hand to save his life, and this often cost him time and comfort trying to find a position to complete a weld with his right hand. This often put him in positions where he could not see well, and it showed in the results.

Being able to weld with either hand helps you make the transition to welding in the mirror a bit quicker, as well.

Steve S

when you say welding in the mirror u mean to weld vice versa with my hands i mean i thought with tig it was a gun and a wire u feed into the puddle but thats besides the point i was trying to get at is that i just need to get stick down while i sleep then flex core then mig? cause my 400 hour course doesnt teach tig so not all disapointed on that note

I would expect 6010 would be where you'd start. I've never encountered a 6018 rod.

I hope that stuff isn't in the oven... It has a cellulosic flux, which performs much better with ambient humidity. It is hard to work with when completely dry.

7018 is a low-hydrogen rod, that should be put in the oven as soon as the can is opened. (Don't buy 7018 that's in plastic packages.) 7018 is no longer considered "low-hydrogen" when it's been exposed to atmosphere for four hours.

Steve S

thedeanz13 wrote: when you say welding in the mirror u mean to weld vice versa with my hands i mean i thought with tig it was a gun and a wire u feed into the puddle but thats besides the point i was trying to get at is that i just need to get stick down while i sleep then flex core then mig? cause my 400 hour course doesnt teach tig so not all disapointed on that note

You may well have to stick weld in the mirror at some point in your career, and, yes, that means expecting your hands to do the opposite of what you're seeing. This is not so tough when running stringers. It's when the weld requires a weave that stick in the mirror gets challenging. Also, spatter is very hard on mirrors.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:I would expect 6010 would be where you'd start. I've never encountered a 6018 rod.

I hope that stuff isn't in the oven... It has a cellulosic flux, which performs much better with ambient humidity. It is hard to work with when completely dry.

7018 is a low-hydrogen rod, that should be put in the oven as soon as the can is opened. (Don't buy 7018 that's in plastic packages.) 7018 is no longer considered "low-hydrogen" when it's been exposed to atmosphere for four hours.

Steve S

it was 6010 my first 3 lines were horrible but the next plate they came out great when i just made did stringers then i did qucik circles at 92 amps. i cant do it at a low amp im just to impatient at times but can do it if i take my time. i also have 7018 at the school but yes it is kept in ovens i tried a bead of it and it was night and day of 6010 it just runs like water

you can tell which is my first one and what was my last plate