Welding Tips and Tricks

With a view to working offshore.

I have just sat my ASME IX 6G tig steel.



^test piece......at least a week before I get the results. Did this
after completing a 5 week college course.

I was previously qualified to 5G with MMA and oxy-acetylene years ago. I was told that a lot of the welding offshore is stick so was thinking of trying to get my 6G for it sometime in the next year or so while I hopefully gain experience on the job onshore.

Any help greatly appreciated. New member, love the forum and of course Jody's vids which were a big help in getting me to where I needed to be for this test.

If your coupon looks as good as this test piece, you have little to worry about.

There's a topic on certs similar to your question, here:
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... f=3&t=2154

I took my ASME IX on stainless. I don't think it looked nearly as good as your pic, and I passed...

Steve S

Thanks Steve, fingers crossed....hopefully find out at the end of the week.

College welding is one thing, on the job?.......different....ball-game :/ lol.

I hear stainless is a lot more difficult than carbon steel?

I never took a class in welding, even in college. At that time, welding was a "side-job", not a career objective, but every time I was unhappy with a job choice, I returned to welding. I learned a little more each time, a new process every so often, until now, with ASME IX, and welding is maybe 20% of my job. I wouldn't trade the strange path that led me here for anything (except a winning powerball ticket, maybe), and I really enjoy what I do now.

Now that I've rambled,

Yes, stainless is somewhat more of a challenge; It has a narrower temperature range where it is "plastic" and will do what you want it to do. It's easier (compared to carbon steel) to overheat it just enough for gravity to overtake cohesion, and allow the bottom of a 5g or 6g root to sag, or "suck-back", even on the hot pass.

As well as you do with the carbon, though, it won't take you long to get the hang of stainless... It's all a matter of watching the puddle.

Steve S

Just practice I guess.

Offshore is way down the line for me. Just hoping to secure a job through my work placement and spend the next few years really learning to weld.

Been a bit of a struggle to be honest, but I am getting there. Unfortunately I am the only person there that does TIG. New plant, thicker materials.......so pretty much trial and error to see what works what with me being as inexperienced as I am. But I SHALL get there lol.

Thanks for the info.

Shame to be the only one there doing TIG. I've always made a habit of learning from those around me.

I learned TIG aluminum pipe from a guy who was such a prima-donna I had to force myself to be civil with the arrogant SOB.

It was worth every minute.

Steve S

Yeah I kind of agree, I learn well that way.

However that being said, I think there is some benefit to figuring some things out for yourself. Although you do learn a lot from other people,I'm sure there will be situations where I come across a job that is totally new to me and have no-one to consult.

Well chuffed after today. Got my settings etc. figured out and the owner gave me a pat on the back which is definitely appreciated in my situation lol.

Also if I do get offered a job there, I believe they will be hiring more TIG welders quite soon. So it should not be long before I have some prima-donna to suffer (hopefully not) if things go as I would like.

Do you mind telling me what your job is Steve?

SPOKESY wrote: ...Do you mind telling me what your job is Steve?

It takes more than a paragraph to answer that question.

In it's shortest form, I'm a glorified trailer mechanic.

I repair, rehab, and recertify liquid hydrogen tanker trailers. I joke that it's not rocket science, just rocket fuel. (I also occasionally do repairs on "atmospheric", i.e. liquid oxygen, nitrogen, argon trailers when there's a vacuum issue.)

My primary job lately has been finding and repairing vacuum leaks. Think of these trailers as huge Thermos bottles... An outer container with a handle, and an inner container that hold your coffee. The space between is insulated in three ways, including extreme (deep-space) vacuum. My job is to find microsopic leaks in large structures, and repair them. If the leak is in the inner vessel, my repairs must meet ASME code. I find this work fascinating.

Additionally, I'm qualified for every other job in the shop. My foreman and boss are not.

I might fit instruments one day, weld piping the next, then rebuild AOVs.

When our suspension supplier changed designs (to a Hendrickson clone... patents must've expired), I engineered the new subframe design, and our fourtune-100 client signed off on it. When I found a design flaw, they flew their chief engineer to New Orleans to meet with me so I could explain with parts in hand.

I've assembled many years of taking risks and learning something new into a job I like to go to each morning.

Whew! That leaves some out, but was more than I expected to say!

Steve S

Grumble.......
Makes my job seems like kindergarten . Turn up, make sparks, go home. Repeat.
Lol.
Mick

There comes a time when a job has taught you all it has to teach.

Time to learn something new!

The alternative is to stay at the same level for years, fighting your coworkers over 25 cent raises.

Hey,

Very true. I come to work for the security and good conditions, I stay for the fact that I love just making sparks and making each weld/ job better than the last. I keep my "edge" by keeping my eyes and ears open and by helping others who may be stuggling. Make no mistake, I am very happy with my job, just that is so simple compared to yours otto. (It can be hard to crack into new projects at work, like the pulse welding that i mentioned in another post, so I embrace my day to day duties.)

Mick

Well, it sound's like you're not done learning, even if they don't let you weld beyond your usual.

There's something to be said for security, too!

Do you have a decent benefit package? I'm pleased with mine, but have no idea what they're like in AU.

Hey,

Benefit package isnt a term used much over here. Mainly a job goes on Yearly wage, annual leave, sick leave and Rdo (Rostered Days Off) No health insurance. Not really needed here cause of Medicare (national health care) as well as whats provided.

My work has an excellent work package because of many years of Government ownership and a very strong union membership.

All tools safety gear training provided. Good superannuation. We are the exception to the rule though. so you would need to take a good hard think before you left.

Mick

I got a job

TIG Welder/apprentice(not formal just hiring a time served welder that I shall be able to learn from )

Better money than I had expected as a total noob lmao

SPOKESY wrote:I got a job

TIG Welder/apprentice(not formal just hiring a time served welder that I shall be able to learn from )

Better money than I had expected as a total noob lmao

Congratulations!

Everyone starts somewhere, and it sounds like you have a solid place to start!

Steve S

Cheers Steve

Update for anyone interested.......TIG codings in carbon, stainless, cunifer and duplex are in demand as well as with MMA.

Otto Nobedder wrote:There comes a time when a job has taught you all it has to teach.

Time to learn something new!

I love the challenge of your job and you having the ability to fulfill such task.

I'm trying to get back to work field and hopefully get paid decent!

I've always wanted to get into boiler and pressure vessel work I think it seems interesting