[Trapperdude464]

Hello my name is Zach I work in the power line industry as of right now I do fab work at work and when I get home I love to weld or build or whatever we do transmission power lines and occasionally weld pieces called goat heads I am thinking of becoming a welder full time I've been helping my old man weld all kinds of projects since I was 13 I'm 22 now and I love the smell of burning a rod in the morning any advice you guys can give me will be awesome I'm thinking about pursuing boilermaker for the rest of my career any help or advice is apperciated

[Boomer63]

Hello and welcome!
I don't know the opportunites available to you in yoru area for Boilermakers. I would check the Boilermakers international union website and go from there. I would also suggest pipe fitters (or they may be called steam fitters). In either union, you learn a lot more than the actual welding. Contractors in the pipe industry are looking for pipe FITTERS, not just pipe welders. You need the skills to become a welder FABRICATOR, not just a grunt who drags a rod of who pushes a TIG torch. My opinion is that too many cats today have the basic welding skills, and don't have the fit-up, lay-out and basic metallurgy skills needed to do the work. Guys are hitting the industry who can weld, but can't read a blue print (also known as the drawings formerly known as prints), read a tape measure or do basic layout and fit up. Contractors and industry tell me that they can't find guys who know how to operate an oxy/fuel cutting rig!

Anyway, look for professional level training. From there, you will still have to put in years in the craft to really know and understand it, but when you get to that point to where you are an 'apex predator' ... it is a great feeling!

[Trapperdude464]

Thanks I've checked around and the local closet to me 667 told me I could do apprenticeship 5 year I believe. I was in local 70 ibew and asked them if I could become a welder at 70 sense I was already there. And then they toldmeWE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR WELDERS! and they said the power line does not need welders only lineman groundman and operators other then that go somewhere else. I'm not trying to bad mouth anyone i just don't like that they told me to go somewhere else.

So yesterday I passed my second structural steel test for a small company doing small-medium steel structures. When I told them that iv been reading hi line tower blueprints the guy said "well you can read blue prints OK " so he gave me a small project to complete I guess he was wanting me to fail but I had it done within 3 hours. He then proceeded to check my work and said excellent your really good. I don't know if this is the right way to get my reputation built up but I wanna start out with this until I get some pipe to practice on I know it will be hard but I wanna make a good rep for myself and figured sense I got offered this the day after my cert I thought it would be a good place to start. The oldest one here is gonna teach me gig I showed him my brazing stick mig welding. Capabilities and said I should be able to learn it real easy! So here's to the start of my official rep I hope thanks boomer and everyone here for their advice

[Boomer63]

Hey Trapper, I think you are on the right track. Until I got to ironworker apprenticeship, I had no 'formal' training. I would loved to have done a program like I teach here at my school! Doing it on your own is the long road; a five year apprenticeship goes by very fast. Learn as much as you can, listen to the old timers. Take jobs based on how they will stretch your skill level.

My opinion is still! Go do a pipe fitter apprenticeship!

Good luck, son!

[Trapperdude464]

Thanks boomer I sure I will do the pipe apprenticeship I would how ever like to learn tig welding before I do go to pipe I've always been interested in tig just never had the money to buy or the time to sit down and learn it. Most of the time on the power line jobs we would work 7 days rain snow shine hail whatever we worked through it all.

And mostly when we worked 7 days a week it was until the job was done a month,2weeks,3-8 months. Just whenever it was done get 3 days off and go back at it. I believe I have the work ethic to do pipeline. Tig welding tho I'm not so sure. I am a very good Brazer according to the 70 something year old man that I have been in the bucket with lately he said I will probably be the best tig welder he has ever turned out!! I hope his right thanks for you advice boomer and as soon ask can tig I'll more then likely be heading to the pipelines

[Boomer63]

Trapper - Oxy/fuel is a GREAT lead in to TIG. I would like to incorporate that into my program, and maybe I will able to next year when I take the program over. I think that oxy/fuel is a great introduction to any type of welding; it really teaches you about the puddle and how metal penetrates - at least I think so.

I understand about working all hours. I spent most of the 1990's traveling and working overtime. Made lots of $$ and have nothing to show for it today. The trade unions don't care about what you know and don't know; they will want to teach you their way and might have to have you 'unlearn' some of the bad habit you picked up on the street. As I do this more and more, the funny thing I have learned about doing something the 'wrong' way, is that sometimes that 'wrong' way is the 'right way' - at certain times and places. (Within reason; an asshole weld is an asshole weld; period).

I consider a "real" welder to be a multi-process operator, and a good hand at fit-up/layout. If I were to hire another full time instructor, they MUST have multi-process, real life experience, as well as fit-up and lay out skills. (I don't give a rats ass about 'paperwork' - degrees. Do you want to be taught by a guy who got a degree and played welder for five years, or a cat who worked in many parts of the industry for 35+ years [assuming they both can teach]???). The exception to my 'multi-process' rule would be a cat who did most of his career TIG welding. A guy who spends ten years TIG welding because that is all he knows, can pick up stick or MIG a whole lot quicker and easier than a guy who spent his career pulling a trigger on a squirt gun. I am not trying to take anyone's skill level away from them, and most guys can weld MIG better than I can. (I just suck at it). But looking into that TIG puddle is a whole different level of subtlety and detail that anyone would run into in other processes.

Good luck in your pursuit!

[Trapperdude464]

Thanks boomer you have given me a lot of confidence about tig welding!! My last question for you( if I haven't irritated you yet and I'm very sorry if I have ) is how much harder is tig then oxy?

[Otto Nobedder]

Thanks boomer you have given me a lot of confidence about tig welding!! My last question for you( if I haven't irritated you yet and I'm very sorry if I have ) is how much harder is tig then oxy?

Not one bit.

Different, yes. Harder, no.

TIG is just like oxyfuel, but with a hotter, more concentrated flame.

That's why Gary wants to add oxy/fuel to his welding cirriculum. It's like TIG, but slower, so you see what's going on at a more relaxed rate.

Steve S

[Trapperdude464]

Cool I can't wait for mike to start teaching me tig welding tomorrow!! he said tomorrow would be slow and he would teach me for the few hours that we will have. I greatly appreciate everyone's help I'm hoping I do good at tig I only got the rest of my life to practice lol

[Boomer63]

Steve says it so much better than I do! He sounds more ... I dunno .... sober?

[Trapperdude464]

Lol you both said it great boomer and steve. I didn't get any pics but I did good I think. Lol. And I dont mean to downgrade either boomer but in power line work all the linemen that do their job by the book (or try to do it ) the ones that have came straight from albat an have never worked in the field we call them paper lineman because they will argue with a lineman that has been in the trade before they were born.

We try to tell them that they need to listen to the old lineman but they are very young and insist the paperwork and books are right on how to do it I.e. they can do it by the book but when they come to wire work they say well why wont this way work and it usually ends really bad when they try to do something by themselves instead of listening. So I understand what you mean about that you want someone with more infield experience then paperwork experience personally I've never been good with paperwork lol

[Otto Nobedder]

Steve says it so much better than I do! He sounds more ... I dunno .... sober?

Nope... at 7:41 PM, I seriously doubt it's that... Usually in my fifth pint of beer, and maybe a few ounces of Rye or Irish whiskey...

I use the "preview" button after I type a post, and then I read it as if someone else wrote it, and ask myself, "Is it helpful? Would I be offended by that? Does it come off as bullshit?" When a bit intoxicated, my bullshit meter is more sensitive, so as long as I can treat the post like someone else wrote it, I can usually keep myself from posting something useless or inappropriate.

Steve S

[Boomer63]

Steve says it so much better than I do! He sounds more ... I dunno .... sober?

Nope... at 7:41 PM, I seriously doubt it's that... Usually in my fifth pint of beer, and maybe a few ounces of Rye or Irish whiskey...

I use the "preview" button after I type a post, and then I read it as if someone else wrote it, and ask myself, "Is it helpful? Would I be offended by that? Does it come off as bullshit?" When a bit intoxicated, my bullshit meter is more sensitive, so as long as I can treat the post like someone else wrote it, I can usually keep myself from posting something useless or inappropriate.

Steve S

I can't stop laughing at this post! To the point, succinct, brevity and an appropriate level of adult beverages!