Welding Tips and Tricks

My name is Shawn, I'm from South NJ, I'm gonna be going to school soon for pipe welding, I'm trying to figure out what is the best Pipe Welding field out of Tig & Stick and which one would land a better job? I'm just trying to figure something out before i pay money to go to school!!! can a experience welder help me with my questions!!!

Shawn welcome to the forum.

hey man how are doing, can u help me with my question???

Hi Shawn, welcome to the forum.
If you are serious about pipe welding for a career it would be best to be qualified in both tig and stick because you will certainly come up against welding procedures that have tig root and stick cap, tig all the way and also stick all the way. The guy that can do all three methods gets the job over a one horser unless you are lucky enough to be able to focus on one specific industry segment that only uses one process.
Good luck!

And of course there is always automated mig welding. The welding you do when you are not actually welding...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... _-2Apzy5mc

I have to agree with Coldman, the more processes you know (and can combine), the more marketable you are.

If your budget only allows you to take the "full ride" in one process, though, the easier money is on TIG. (I say easier, rather than better, because top hands make top dollar in either process.)

The dream gigs are nuclear (both power generation and Navy shipyard), and aerospace, but there's a boatload of money to be made on pipelines and compresser stations, and even in coal- and LNG-fueled powerplants.

Steve S

@Coldman & @Otto thanks for the interested and great answer i always thought that a combination pipe welder will be the best decision to make for me, I'm only 27 bout to be 28 b4 the yr is out, and this is something i really want to do, and a lot of ppl tell me welding is in demand and like y'all said its a lot of money to be made... and i would like to be a traveling welder....

As a travelling welder, I've cashed $2800/wk checks, while paying $185/wk for my motel room.

And I was never near the top of the food chain!

Steve S