So I took a step in a direction I'd like to go in my life. I've applied to go back to school for an A.A.S. in Welding Technology. I have an A.A.S. in Automotive Technology, and have been in the auto industry for some time now. One disappointment in my learning of auto tech, is welding was not part of it. Ten years later, and I still don't really know how to weld (I've done booger tack welds). The two aspects of automotive I participate in are offroading and Motorsports. I'm a suspension guy (besides the point).

Here's what my class schedule will look like.

1st Semester
WELD-100A Welding Theory 2
WELD-111 Safety 1
WELD-120 Blueprint Reading 3
WELD-165L Shielded Metal Arc Welding I 5
WELD-180L Shielded Metal Arc Welding II 3
WELD-196L Carbon Arc/Plasma Arc Cutting 2

2nd Semester
WELD-100B Welding Theory 2
WELD-131 Advanced Blueprint Reading 3
WELD-170L Flux Cored Arc Welding 3
WELD-175L Gas Metal Arc Welding 3
WELD-185L Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 4

3rd Semester
WELD-210 Welding Theory 2
WELD-214 Mechanical Drawing 2
WELD-230 Quality Control/NDT 1
WELD-240 Layout Procedures 2
WELD-281L Shielded Metal Arc Welding 7

4th Semester
WELD-200 Welding Metallurgy 3
WELD-224 Advanced Mechanical Drawing 3
WELD-290 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 3
WELD-291L Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Lab 6

I have a few buddies that own fab shops (one motorsports, the other off road) and am thinking of doing an "internship" during the summer for one of these.

So I will be lurking in this forum for a bit, and post every once in a while once school starts.

I just want to get out of automotive before I end up like every other tech I've worked with over the years. Burned out.

 

good luck... this stuff is a tough nut to crack

 

I'd just buy yourself a good welder, a good book on welding, and teach yourself how to do it.

 

I feel that's how bad habits are learned. That's specifically NOT how I want to do it. I've been told that for years.

It may work for some, but I personally don't want to go that route. Whether it's a new instrument, or what have you, the "get a book and teach yourself" gig does not work for me.

If I end up working for a motorsports fab shop, that would be awesome. If I end up going back to construction, that wouldn't be bad either.

The cost of having somebody else build a cage (materials included) for my CP Mustang is almost the same cost as schooling. Put the cage off, and gain a marketable skill.

Question for the professional fabricators. As fabricators, is there much use for my hand tools (mostly Matco)? Or are they not used enough so it would be ok to leave them in the garage with the race cars, and get lower quality tools for fabricating?

 

Uh if your doing cage work how are you going to take the interior out without tools? There are tons of things you will need good tools for

 

I don't know if I'm going to do cage work professionally, I have 2 and a half years before that.

 

Most fabricators have a toolbox filled with thousands of dollars in tools. Usually when you get a job you bring your toolbox with.

 

X2. Good luck with school. I hated blue printing class!!

 

You'll need your tools, mechanics is a large part of fabricating.

As for the rest of your classes, that is a lot more based towards industrial welding than it is towards fabrication shop welding.

 

Well, way I see it, you have 3 ways to spend money, cage, school, or equipment, I'd say the equipment is the best investment. But wtf do I know..

 

yeah I would buy a nice welder with instead of using the money for school, schools good, but the only way you really get better is practice. Just dont become one of those guys who thinks they know everything about welding because they went to school.

 

There is no better teacher than experience.

You will get it (experience), both in school or teaching yourself. The benefit of school is that you will know right away how to do something, and where you went wrong; as opposed to teaching yourself; sometimes it takes a while to figure out things. Not to mention school will have the best tools available.

Your teacher is a mentor, and will share the things he has learned over his career with you. (if he is a good teacher)

But, in the end, some things you just have to learn by doing; they cannot be taught in a school environment.

 

ask 9bells what he thinks since he is a welding teacher and who welds better than that guy lol.

also read these 2

http://www.dezertrangers.com/vb/fab-shop/171392.htm


http://www.dezertrangers.com/vb/gene...alk/165675.htm


.

 

The way the programs are set up at the school (it's the same as the auto program I went through 10 years ago), you have 1-2 hours of "class time", and then 6 hours of hands on each day (with an experienced professional welder giving you tips and positive criticism). Right now, I can't dedicate 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, to teach myself welding. On top of 8 hours a day working as a mechanic.

In the Auto program, you actually worked on customer cars 6 hours a day, not mock ups (that was the first part of the first year).


Yeah, my plans aren't to start a fab shop or anything. Like I said, if I ended up working for one, that would be cool. But that's not necessarily my goal. There's many outlets that use welding as a skill that I couldn't pursue, because everybody wants certified, not self taught. Like being a mill rite at one of the mills I worked at, or in construction.

The local library has a book that you can look up the average wages (These are the actual figures for 2011 for WA State and Spokane County) for the state and each county for your job (which are reported to the county by the employers).

Auto Mechanic - Low: $12.50/hr; Mid: $15.00/hr; High: $19.00/hr (which are most likely flat rates, I know I am and other techs that are making these wages are)
Welder/Fitter - Low $19.00/hr; Mid: $25/hr; high $30/hr

As you can see, a welding apprentice makes just as much as a 20 yr vet of the auto industry (more if the tech is at a slow flat rate shop, which I know of many personally).

 

pretty interesting threads, but they are right though, there isnt much money in off road racing. I think general custom fab is better, you make more money making 1000 parts of something.

 

I will say, around here, the off road fab guys make a hell of a lot more money....

 

I went to community college after high school and got an associates degree in automotive servicing while taking 2 welding classes. Those classes where oxyacetylene and stick. I said **** that and didn't take anymore welding classes. I did the dealership gig for 3 years while working on primarily srt4s in my g maws driveway. She got pissed and told me no more so I ended up being offered some space to rent at a local Dyno shop. Well I did that part time while doing dealership stuff before I said I hate this. I went full time at the performance thing and its been 2.5 years owning my own business now and I haven't looked backed. In this time based off a few tips I've taught myself to tig weld and mig weld. I've built a few turbo manifolds now and with each one I'm getting better. I'm actually comfortable enough with my skills now to offer manifolds to everyone, not just customers who come to my shop.

What I'm getting at, buy the equipment and have your already setup buddies show you some tricks. It takes time, money for materials, and patience. But it's awesome and you get to learn what you want to, not the bulkshit in between. I could be making $17-20/hr at a dealer right now, but instead I charge $80. I may have over head, but it's worth it. And I'm glad I didn't spend anymore money on school then I already have.

I've used this section to learn a lot! The right information is out there, just gotta look for it.

 

This is a good thread, I was in the same boat kind off lol . I went to school because I love cars and wanted to learn how to weld and build parts. I went to school for 3 years full time and earned two A.S degrees one for welding technology and one for Engineering Software or CAD. School was great but with welding and fabricating I've learned the more you do it hands on the faster you learn. for me anyways.

Now I work in a job shop and I'm picking up new things everyday! I can see both sides. The older guys with lots of experience tend to look down on me because I dont have a ton of hands on work experience and think that school dosent mount to much. But we have welders here that only learned on the job and there good but they lack the technical knowledge.

For example the other day We got a print in that had a tolerance for perpendicularity and cylindricity on a part and I asked the other welders about the print and they didnt have a clue to what the symbols meant lol but there really good fitters and have more experience than me.

School is great but work experience just ties it all in. I would recommend school and try to save up for your own equiptment, best of both worlds.

 

Im not a professional welder or anything but I taught myself in high school and my instructor taught us simple blue prints. now I'm going to school for business and working in a warehouse. I'm happy but not satisfied with my "career ". needless to say I want to own my own Fab shop for building turbomanifolds, race cages, etc. my biggest question is how much of a market is out there for it. is it enough to justify finishing my a.a. in business then getting certified, then quite my job and open the business? I'm not real new to automotives and the modified scene, but personally I don't know many ppl who use these shops because I don't know many ppl with the funds to do what they want to their cars...the possibilities with welding certified are almost limitless as far as finding decent jobs but I'm getting tp the point of life where I want my own business


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