Thread: Small steps

Hi everyone,

here I am in an office answering phones and fixing your standard computer related issues. Sitting here gives me time to think and think and think.

I had school last night and I welded some 6mm steel pipe for the first time and had a go at cutting it with a saw. I got some Stainless steel butt welding done, also for the first time. (man does it bow)

In my head my neediness says "its only metal", but I cant stop being excited about it.[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/palvarez/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]

I writing this thread as a timeline in my welding career, hopefully it will go full on in the next year. I have a million questions and I want to have the chance to ask them and get some help along the way.
I have had some great help already from some of the guys here (newlou[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/palvarez/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.gif[/IMG] ).
At the moment I have itchy feet, I need to start some how, getting into the industry. I don’t know if its my age or that im really excited, but I want to start welding full-time yesterday! Maybe im getting a little carried away?

I am looking around trying to get some experience, i was thinking about going upto the local welding joint up the road that make petrol tankers, and ask to work for free once a week or something to get experience. Also been looking for mature age apprentiships but im scared of the wages.

For my first question, i have gone into doing a Tig course, but the theory covers mig and arc and heaps of other stuff. How should I try and get into the industry. Should i be trying to get into an apprenticeship? Maybe I should just practice my ass off and get into just contracting work doing pipes and stainless? And if I choose to be an apprentice, what kind of apprenticeships are there. Is it just a boilermaker or are there welding apprenticeships?

Also at school there are heaps of guys doing mig, only a few doing tig and the ones doing tig are already fitters, boilermakers, tool makers and even guys doing it for fun. Does that mean that not much work for tig guys? I don’t see many young blokes giving it a try.

Sorry to ask what might sound like stupid questions but Im trying to understand how it all fits together so i can make good decisions.

So where im at now, got a welder, a mad helmet, welding table, garage space, grinder, consumables all i need now is the gas. Can anyone tell me the best and cheapest place for Argon? In Victoria.

I better leave it there, sorry if ive made a crappy thread but it’s my first one and i need to vent. Please feel free to give some advice or comments on your own experiences when you started off.

Regards,

Paulo

Originally Posted by StartedwithaTIG

For my first question, i have gone into doing a Tig course, but the theory covers mig and arc and heaps of other stuff. How should I try and get into the industry.


Should i be trying to get into an apprenticeship? Maybe I should just practice my ass off and get into just contracting work doing pipes and stainless?

And if I choose to be an apprentice, what kind of apprenticeships are there. Is it just a boilermaker or are there welding apprenticeships? These days apprenticeships are tailored to suit the specific needs of the employer.An almost infinite variation of apprenticeships are available.


Does that mean that not much work for tig guys? I don’t see many young blokes giving it a try.

I have to be honest and would rate the Tig process as a degree of difficulty well above stick and tig work .For a beginner its not where I would start anyone.

*I would recommend that someone envisaging excellence in the tig try a few years of basic welding first.Oxy acetylene welding is what I would recommend practice in, as it is the closest thing to the manipulation and speed of Tig ..

*Young guys won't take to the tig process readily as they generally don't have the skill or the patience.

Sorry to ask what might sound like stupid questions but Im trying to understand how it all fits together so i can make good decisions. Not stupid questions at all! If you don't ask you may well never know?

There are openings for adult apprenticeships available through subsidies for employers.many employers are now finding older workers more rewarding with fewer hassles.

I would chase the state and federal gov agencies who deal in apprenticeships and find out whats is available and exactly what pay levels can be.

cheers
Grahame

Hi everyone,

havent posted anything in a while, so i thought I would write something.

Since my first post i have been practising and practising. I have managed to pass my theory exam for the ticket with a high score. Now I am at advanced TIG and weeks away from doing the prac exam. I have managed to get over the issues with the lack of facilities at Tafe by just bieng compleatly self sufficiant, bringing my tools in and maintaining the equipment my self. It has paid off as now i can go in use the equipment quickly and efficiently. I have been also trying to get experience here and there at different workshops, I have gone to a place where they make stainless tanks and alot of pipe work, i have been buggin the owner for ages and he has let me just watch and see his top guys Tig pipes. Tell you what, you can learn so much by watching, and these guys are happy to teach. I have also a friend with a huge workshop which once i get my ticket might get some work.

All in all practice and patience will hopefully pay off and I can get out of this boring job im in now.

I would like to know if anybody can give me some advice for the Ticket 7 exam, im ok in the vertical Pipe , but I would like some help on the horizontal fixed position. If anybody has some tips or advice that would be great. Mostly on the best angle of the torch or filler rod technique for each section of the pipe.

Also one quick question that has been worrying me, does anyone have any thougths on how this global downturn will effect the welding/fabrication industry here in australia, i have heard that alot of places are quick lately. Anyone have any thoughts?


Thanks Guys,

Paulo

As a past Certified assessor for AS1796 Certificate 7 -among others I hope I can offer you something.

Hopefully you did get a copy of AS 1796 and have studied it.

It is ALL there in black in white as to what the defects are,that will cause you to fail.

In order of what causes the most fails:

• Arc strikes outside the welded zone
• Lack of fusion in excess of ?? (cant remember.Its been 9 years) - 6mm I think.
• Misalignment to ??mms.
• Suckback in the root run
• Lack of root fusion in excess of ???mmls
• Concavity of the root run .
• Excessive cap height.

What I had students do early in the course was to understand what caused the fails - then worked on each and every one of those causes.

If you take the course seriously-and it shows you have- and you know your code you should have the confidence.

Nerves are a factor.
I got around it by giving students a number of mini tests,ahead of the test proper- which did two things.

A -Gave the guys much needed feedback on what the weaknesses where and
B - Provided them with a time frame idea if it was possible to complete the test in the 3.5 hrs.

Self organisation is the key. Set your self up so there are no wasted steps-stuff that could have been done prior to the test or having what ever you may possibly need all there handy.

Minimise grinder use to tailing out and removing defects.
Students lost so much time to that more than any other factor.You will know these blokes-5mins of welding and ten of grinding.

best of luck

Grahame

I'm pretty sure that my TIG welding suffers from a bit of Suckback in the root run, but I'm not sure.

Ok then I suppose I better had explain it.

After placing a root run if it does not have a specific projection into the pipe past the internal edges, a subsequent run if placed in may well shrink the root bead.

It can be to to such an extent that it sucks back or shrinks below the wall thickness.This in fact reduces the wall thickness and is the also a cause for a fail.

Welding at these advanced levels it more than just manipulating an arc , its understanding physics.

Paulo will know about it as it is bound to have occurred to at least one of the root runs he has produced in practice.

Grahame

There should be plenty of work for a qualified welder - SPECIALLY after the 'Big Oops' - companies will be looking at repairing rather than replacing, and building locally or in-house rather than going outside.

If you have your own TIG outfit and a large van or truck there also should be a fair bit of day work out there - again in the repair or modify rather than replace type of jobs. If you are not tied up with family weekends then you could do quite well doing maintainence type work on weekends while shop equipment is idle.

Hi Everyone,

well its finally here, going for my prac exam for the Tig Ticket. Im 90% confident, and S@iting my self at the same time. Teacher says im ready and im going great guns, but he seems to say that to everyone.

I would like to ask if anyone can give me some advise on preparation or how to tackle the day.

With regards to tacking, up the pipes, i have a little device with a couple of bolts and an angle.

I usually grind the tacks back and usually do a root run hot pass and then a capping. Single capping on the horizontal and double capping on the vertical.

The test needs the pipe to be purged and we have a clamp on an arm that can be moved up or down and side to side. I usually start about chest height, i was starting lower and getting on my knee, and starting the runs from the bottom up. I have been experimenting on what the best method is but havent made my mind on what feels better.

I cut up my rods about 30cms, have alot of Tungsten already sharpened.

I was getting abit to much undercut on my capping, but i should be ok now.

Anyways wish me luck fellas, I have been practicing like crazy i hope it pays off.

Paulo

Paulo,

A lot of guys go into a tests all tense and wound up.

Its easy to say and hard to do,but the thing to do is to go into those tests R_E_L_A_X_E_D.
I would listen to one of Ron Ricos tapes before I did an exam or tests.All I can say is that it worked for me,

best of luck

Grahame

Hi Fellas,

I passed my welding exam, qualified Tig welder here........


Anyone got any work......lol

I am soo stoked, it took me eight months but i did it.

So where to now, what can i do with this certificate?

Cheers
Paulo

Congratulations.

How could you not fail?
You went in with the right attitude .I did not expect anything else.
Congratulations ,you have earned them.

Get you certificate full colour copied and certified copied and get the certified copies laminated so as you can take them to interviews and whatever with out fear of losing the original.

Then black and white copy the copies to send in the mail with job applications.


Did you sit a theory cert as well .To get the full cert we had to run a theory side as well?
Who are the certifying body,the state government through TAFE or the Welding Technology Institute of Australia. As far as I know the WTIA is the certifying these days for AS1796 certs.
Good on ya
Your the top of the tree now.
Grahame

Well done Paulo !!

Was stoked when i stumbled across your post I'll give you a call if i need some Tips!

REgards Lou

Hi Everyone,

Haven't posting anything for ages but im always having a look at the threads. After I got my TIG ticket i kinda stopped welding for a while and fell into a bit of a slump with welding, but after a few ass kickings I got straight back in and started my Ticket 4 (electrode pipe).

This is my fifth week or so. i didint have much experience with electrode and it was way
differnet to TIG, smokey dirty and bit more brutal, but its really fun. I find it a little easier than TIG but this might change soon (Vertical ups and pipes). At the moment im learning to do Vertical downs and some flat position fillets and buts, easy stuff but essential. All teachers giving me different advise becomes very confusing.

I got some questions is you guys and girls to help me with:

At home i use DC+ to weld ( little inverter) but at school one teacher tells me AC, one tells me to use DC - and cracks it when i have it set to DC + then the other guy doesnt care. I understand that you have to read the box and it tells you your options, and i can tell the difference when you weld with the different currents settings, but I dont fully understand the proper reasons for using the different settings. Can some one please explain?

With the different setting in polarity and DC/AC with the machine, the rods need to be the right ones for the Job. I was having a hard time welding veritical downs last night with 4013 (the blue ones) and as i would get half way down the arc would go everywhere, over the top the weld side to side. The slag would also beat me down to the bottom. I finally was told that 4112 where the ticket, and they worked a treat. So nice to weld with them vertically down. (i think my welding stance and comfort also makes a huge difference)

This starts my next question is there an easy guide for picking the electrode for the intended use, and for metal thickness to rod thickness, even amp setting for thickness of material and rod.

I hope im not repeating a millions other threads but i had a search through all the threads and found some stuff on Arc but nothing like the tutorial that Grahame is working on for MIG.

In conclusion, Im still trying to get out of my boring Job and enter the unknown world of welding. Im fully confident that i will be welding next year just have to master this Electrode which seems like i will.

Thanks everyone,

Paulo

Originally Posted by StartedwithaTIG

At home i use DC+ to weld ( little inverter) but at school one teacher tells me AC, one tells me to use DC - and cracks it when i have it set to DC + then the other guy doesnt care. I understand that you have to read the box and it tells you your options, and i can tell the difference when you weld with the different currents settings, but I dont fully understand the proper reasons for using the different settings. Can some one please explain?
Paulo

This advice comes under -there s more than 1 way to skin a a cat-type advice.Like Aholes -every one has one -an opinion.But this is a cert-no second chances.

At home i use DC+ to weld ( little inverter) but at school one teacher tells me AC, one tells me to use DC -

No problem there at home but you are doing a cert -minimise the chance of failure.

but at school one teacher tells me AC,

Go with AC ( maximum peno for the root run- Preferably Kobe LB 52 U;s (the Rolls Royce of Root run electrodes will cost a arm & leg but are worth every penny ) or next best WIA 16TCs . I'll sit down and do a diagram on on run placement which will maximise your chances.Its early evening -we are going out- late night shopping,so I'll get back to your later tonite or tomorrow.

cheers
Grahame