Caoboy

MIG it, grind them, hi temp black/silver, good to go!

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

Nice link bromothaniel

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

If anyone needs a spool of mig wire let me know

Caoboy

Wut kind

Caoboy

Yo @turbohatch96y7

You could try this on your piping

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

I've seen that before. I'm just gonna fill my small tank for back purging. it needs to get pressure tested

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

Got some cuts made and i really like the fitment

nixrox

I have been an X-ray weld inspector and teacher for the last 35 years. I started working on aircraft - there are NO defects allowed ever.

Most definitely all of you need at least a basic welding course. Then you will have an idea about how difficult it really is to make a perfect weld - something you could bet your life on.

Caoboy - if that NDT/X-ray shop is charging $700.00 for just one test weld, I'd better get my stuff out and start advertising to do it for half that much - I'd make a fortune.

Caoboy

This is just what my instructor said, that the most 'local' place to me is in Sacramento, and he thinks that's how much they charge, cash up front. pass or fail blah blah.

The reason they don't test here at the local college is the place they send their stuff to for verification doesn't have the xray machine to do the gtaw inspection. I believe the local welding trade school doesn't certify for gtaw either.

Caoboy

Also, since you are an inspector, and teacher, do you have a degree? If so, what?

I was just talking to the counselor yesterday about what I can achieve and how far I can go as far as degrees in the welding field..

nixrox

Most people who enter the welding trade only do it for a decade or so. By that time, you begin to realize how bad it is for your health - sucking all those nasty fumes and being exposed to the harmful radiation if you do any plasma arc work.

Most then choose to move on to become weld inspectors, weld design technologists, or welding engineers, or they enter the field of Non Destructive Inspection like I did.

I started my career as an aircraft mechanic in the military. After 11 years, I chose to move into NDT. At the same time, I wrote my Auto Mechanic exams and picked up my Journeyman certification. By far the best decision of my life was the field of Non Destructive Inspection. With just 3 two week courses and 9 months practical experience you can be operating at Level 2 - which is the same as journeyman.

NDT level 2 technicians in Alberta make $80,000.00 a year to start, with most making more than $100,000.00 after five years experience. There is a lot more to it than I can explain on a blog like this, but I hope I have given you enough information to point you in the right direction.

Caoboy

I was thinking, finish out my AS Welding degree, make it transferrable if I wish, go work for a few years in the field, move up into at least a CWI position, or into the engineering side of it..after that, who knows. Maybe retire off my millions and teach.

nixrox

If you are working for someone else, it would take a very long time for you to be in the millions category.

I have been a self-employed consultant since about 1986. Which means that I had worked long enough to build a reliable reputation within my industry. It was slow at first, but I managed to employ up to 50 people on different projects over the years. At least when you are working for yourself you have some chance at making millions.

The point I am trying to make is that as a North American citizen you can choose whatever employment field gives you the most satisfaction and money. My dad always counseled me that it had been his experience - every ten years you make a drastic career change and go do something else that is more fun. At 85 years of age he took the old 180 HP Lycoming engine off his Cessna 172 and put on a aluminum block Corvette LS3 supercharged 430 HP monster. He says it gives him a better adrenelin rush when he slams the throttle forward. See the sky is the limit.

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

Now im scared to post my welds lol

Caoboy

Do it! Stop hiding in isk

nixrox

About the only thing you have to be aware of when welding on vehicles - do not weld anything of a safety nature or drive train components. If your welding fails and contributes to an accident or worse - your insurance is null and void. You will be held personally and financially responsible FOREVER.
ALWAYS get your critical welds done by a certified welder working for a certified company. Then the insurance company will have some one else to feed on.

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

This nixrox guy is pretty srs bidness

nixrox

turbohatch96y7 - serious about welds!!!! you betcha.

A lot of people have been killed or maimed as a result of failed welds. I would hate to see anyone try to weld something, when they know nothing about what they are doing.
EG: There is a guy on another thread in this site, who wants to weld seat brackets, because he is trying to put CRX seats in his Civic. That is a really bad idea. The hold down brackets on a seat are a critical safety item - even a certified welder would have to get a welding engineer to draft a weld procedure before he would attempt it. I seriously doubt you could find a welding engineer willing to risk his stamp to design that weld procedure.

Caoboy

member what i said about reviving the forum doe?





Serious, post your welds. Dude sounds like he knows what's up, and he will probably be able to better answer your questions than me.

Caoboy

It's all good nixrox, he's only welding some pie cuts, playing around with fabbing up an intake charge pipe. But we are total noobs. I have taken a few classes...so far I'm enjoying it. Just finished the beginner's GTAW class and a beginners blueprint design and fabrication class today.

OneBadTurboCRV

There are a lot of options and opinions stated here. I work with people that have been welding for almost 50 years... it depends on the person. Not everyone winds up with cancer or some other BS and wants to leave the industry after 10 years. It can pay very well, BUT usually you need to put the time in...a lot of OT. The problem is, most of those types of jobs are limited and unionized.

The problem with wanting to be some sort of a CWI is not everyone needs or wants one, and those that do usually contract it out. So that goes along with the whole consultant idea, but usually you need a lot more than just a CWI to have a business dynamic enough for big time money. Also, you better be prepared to travel, A LOT.

Most tests that I have seen range from $400 - $800 Pass or Fail, but if you pass you become AWS certified. Not just some Journeyman qualified labeling. Still only good for 6 months though, so working in field is required on that specific WPS. Not to mention having to do a WPS before every job depending on what the welding engineer specs the job out at... LOL! It's an industry full of red tape.

Caoboy

I have heard of that, that it is full of red tape, and how if you weld anything over 1" and you are only certified for 1", even if it's a perfect weld, they can make you grind it and then somebody else has to come in and do it that is certified for whatever spec the weld is...

nixrox

I completed an audit of a welding shop that was working on a bridge project for a major railroad company. I had to go through every page of the welding detail drawings and list every weld procedure on the project. Then I had to go through every weld procedure the company was certified to perform. They were missing a weld procedure for flare bevel weld on 4 brackets.
If they wanted to weld these brackets they would have had to pay a welding engineer 1500.00 to prepare a weld procedure and have one of their welders tested on the procedure for another 900.00.
Instead, they took those brackets to a local shop that had the approval and paid 200.00 to get them welded. I totally approved their solution.

Sometimes I feel that the red tape in this industry makes it exceedingly difficult for people to work at welding for any length of time. There is way too much BS.
Thankfully, in Canada, we don't have to retest every six months, unless it involves aircraft or the nuclear industry.

turbohatch96y7

iTrader: (15)

Caoboy

Lookin' good! Now let's see the inside. How'd you like the gas lens on it?