Welding Tips and Tricks

I will be 50 by the time I hope to begin my welding aspirations. I am not a used up 50, so I feel fortunate. As of right now, I am still more than full time employed by Uncle Sam and have a couple of years left till retirement (when I turn 50) and after 30 years of my life, am ready to do what I want to do. Once retired, I will commence my welding education to try and get some certs under my belt and get started on this path. I am currently teaching myself SMAW along with my YouTube professors... I love it and try and find ways to fill my weekends with practice as much as possible and as much as the new bride will accept... My question is this. Figuring welding is a young mans job, how old is to old to start a welding career or is it an issue at all. I am guessing, it depends on the individual, their drive/dedication as well as how well their body can hold up to the job. Am I a little long in the tooth to begin this type of work and should simply do it as a hobby or is it reasonable for someone my age to begin anew? I am thinking possibly going into structural but still not sure. I own a Ranger 10000 with very low hours on it, so was thinking that I could get certified, slave for a couple of years at the bottom and then possibly break out on my own with my own rig. I feel blessed that I will have my pension to fall back on so I am most likely more capable of setting out on my own than a lot of you guys were starting out. I deeply respect what you have had to endure to get to where you are. I guess I'm just looking for any of you more seasoned welders opinions on age. Am I to old to do this? I don't feel I am, just want to make sure...

Welcome to the forum Gazza!
You've picked a tough gig to break in to but once you've been bitten by the blue light that's it usually.
50 is still strong but by say 57 it's gettin tough to keep up with everyone else in the gang so I recon you got 5-7 years of slave time to get a good cross section of experience before breaking out on your own. At that time less heavy repetition would help you through the day. Repair work, hand rails from your rig, light fab work and repairs from your own small shop would be the way to go. Proficiency in stick, mig and tig would give you access to a broader range of work. Getting certs is a great idea and can only help.
Enjoy the journey and don't forget beer fixes many things at the end of a hard day!
Cheers


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I know a decent number of guys in their late 40s and 50s who are still keeping up fine. I figure if you have the drive you can do it. I assume you're military and are still pretty fit which is helpful. Go for it.

I appreciate the responses guys. Eight years of my time is military and the remainder is still in uniform at a federal capacity. I wouldn't say in great shape, but I'm not a fat bag of crap either. Coldman, I have no issues with paying my dues in the trenches for sure. It feels like I've been doing that since I graduated High School and even during. Do you feel, with certifications, I would be able to obtain employment in this line of work considering my age or will the youngsters edge me out. I want to do this to enhance my abilities for my own business, I'd like to build my reputation on actual experience. I've been a government employee so long I really have no idea what to expect in the real world but am going to give it my all. Doing light work will probably be where I end up, however, my idea is to cert in structural and be able to farm myself out on small to medium size industrial type fabrication/welding, again, from my home shop. Not sure if that is realistic or not but, take no chances make no advances is what I say. I really do appreciate the words of encouragement and hope to join you guys amongst the ranks some day. You are absolutely right and I love me some beer. A nice glass of scotch on the rocks isn't to shabby either...

I firmly believe that there is a place that fits for everyone that has the health, skills and will to do it. Just gotta find that slot. Having more than one string to your bow helps.


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Coldman, I would like to learn and attempt to master Stick, Mig and Tig. I feel as you do, the more diverse you can become in welding the more marketable you can become. I guess that goes for all kinds of applications in life. I would actually like to outfit my personal rig with all three processes as well as brazing...

I started welding (gas) when I was in my teens, not as a full time thing, but as an aircraft mechanic. Over the years I've welded up lots of fuselage repairs and other stuff for antique airplanes. Now at 64 I'm just starting to get serious with TIG welding. I have no plans to do it as a full time gig, but simply to increase my skill set. You are never to old to learn.


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A lot of pipe fitters weld and work right to the end of there career. Worked with more than a few who are in there late 60's, and been doing it for 30-40 years.

I know this thread is kinda old but I hope the O.P. is still around.
I am just shy of 58 and my plan is similar. I am not as strong as I was at 18 or 20 but I am a hell of a lot smarter than I was then and It balances out. I put a 420 pound 4 X 10 sheet in the shop by myself a month or so ago by hand, no machines or winches just a c-clamp and some pipe for rollers and a piece of rope, I don't like it but I can still get it done. I am active and hike and camp every other weekend through the fall and winter and work in the shop between and morning and evening s during the spring and summer. I have lost a lot of muscle mass in the arms and chest but my abs and legs have all the strength they had when I was 18 if not more. long story short is you can get it done, I work with a 65 year old man and he is just shy of keeping up with the youngest guy on my crew and can out work some of the 30 something's on the other crew. failing unforeseen health problems I intend to be kicking and working at 70.

Hell, I'll throw my 2 cents in here.
I did my first industrial work in my mid 30's. It was a powerhouse in Iowa, and we were building the coal bunkers. There were 4 bunkers and 14 men in them, working in 2-man teams. Three of the bunkers had two teams in them. The fourth bunker, they paired me up with this grizzled old man in his 70's, bat-shit crazy. I think the idea was to set us up to fail. That man and I got along like gangbusters, and we out-produced the other six pairs combined. We were both smokers and practicing alcoholics, to boot, and the crazy fart was known to smoke a little crack now and then, so our productivity stunned the boss. He came and watched us for about an hour one day, then went and made the other crews stand down to come watch us for an hour.
I guess my point is, age is not a barrier if you're able to do the work.

Steve

Good to see your still kickin around !

Pick up TIG welding, you can do that until you're good and ready to quit. plus you'll end up with many return customers if you can get into it fast enough and good enough. People starting at 40 all the time....btw 50 isn't really that old its 2018 and people are living much longer now.

I have employ in past still Woking at 72
If you are in good health you 20 years or more

Dave

gr8gary1 wrote:I will be 50 by the time I hope to begin my welding aspirations. I am not a used up 50, so I feel fortunate. As of right now, I am still more than full time employed by Uncle Sam and have a couple of years left till retirement (when I turn 50) and after 30 years of my life, am ready to do what I want to do. Once retired, I will commence my welding education to try and get some certs under my belt and get started on this path. I am currently teaching myself SMAW along with my YouTube professors... I love it and try and find ways to fill my weekends with practice as much as possible and as much as the new bride will accept... My question is this. Figuring welding is a young mans job, how old is to old to start a welding career or is it an issue at all. I am guessing, it depends on the individual, their drive/dedication as well as how well their body can hold up to the job. Am I a little long in the tooth to begin this type of work and should simply do it as a hobby or is it reasonable for someone my age to begin anew? I am thinking possibly going into structural but still not sure. I own a Ranger 10000 with very low hours on it, so was thinking that I could get certified, slave for a couple of years at the bottom and then possibly break out on my own with my own rig. I feel blessed that I will have my pension to fall back on so I am most likely more capable of setting out on my own than a lot of you guys were starting out. I deeply respect what you have had to endure to get to where you are. I guess I'm just looking for any of you more seasoned welders opinions on age. Am I to old to do this? I don't feel I am, just want to make sure...

I don't think if 100 is to old
If looking build type that is hard work the oldezt one I had working was 72

Look at auto and machine shop type welding
In side and lighter too

Dave