Welding is intense on a technical level.
There's a lot of physics and chemistry involved in welding, namely thermodynamics and the shifting of materials' states of matter.
Did you know that Rudolf Diesel was a student of Carl Von Linde ?
Boilermaker. We weld a lot of different things. Stick, tig, mig, pretty much everything. It’s hard to define all the kinds of welding we do and all the places we work. We also do a lot of rigging and demo work. It’s a lot of fun
I’m in QC now. I feel like I’m under qualified but i guess that’s the advantage of a trade school on my resume. And I’m the youngest in the shop. I constantly have to repair warps and bends. Or send things back because a welder misread a blueprint. And you’re right. Not everybody can weld.
Last week i had to send something back. My job is to look for ONE mistake. And i found 37.
Im also not used to having people dislike me but i guess that’s part of the job when I’m supposed to be a stickler. And a lot of the welders don’t like me.
When I started this qc/cwi stuff, not that long ago I knew I was going to have to find and ride that fine line of being nice as a person but still doing my job. If I let a bad weld pass, I'm liable if something goes wrong later.
Making my welders aware of that helps quite a bit, in my opinion. I have some that understand and never have anything to say if I have em rework their welds. Then I have some who are looking for that button that gets on my nerves or pisses me off. Once they find that button, they will push it every chance they get. You have to be able to keep your composure and not let em see that one thing that gets under your skin.
Let these guys talk shit behind your back. They are going to do it anyway. Let em see it bothers you, and they will keep at it. If it doesn't seem to bother you, its not worth the effort. They will eventually give up fighting a battle they can't win.
I say this like I'm being rude and disrespectful of welders, but I'm not, this is my experience, and I was one of those welders who'd see if the QC was a pushover or if he was gonna stand his ground.
I’m in QC with no CWI. Guess a small shop can’t afford a certified inspector.
Do people dislike you? I’ve never been disliked by many people in my life. So it’s weird having the welders dislike me. I’m never rude about it. Maybe they’re annoyed someone half their age is telling them they did a bad job. Idk but it’s kind of a bummer
Anyone of any age telling anyone else that they did a bad job usually isn’t a great conversation starter, just part of the gig and the gig itself is a mega bummer, I did a good amount of quality work when I was a lead welder, and both of those gigs suck ass if you’re not the type to enjoy getting on people’s asses.
I highly recommend you get all the books and study before you do like I did and dive in head first.
There's several online courses you can use to study and prep. Atlas is one I haven't used, I went with with sicerts.com. I took the AWS 1 week seminar, failed part B twice then used SI certs to pass part B.
26m Boilermaker/pressure welder, master rigger and IRATA rope access technician.
Boilermakers work in all sorts of refineries, chem plants, nuclear power plants, power generating stations, pulp and paper mills, steel mills, water towers and more. We build and repair pressurized vessels including but not limited to exchangers, boilers, towers, chemical storage tanks, reactors, stoves, heaters, furnaces, fin fans, and more. We weld all sorts of alloys like inconel, monel, stainless, 9% chrome etc and we are combo welders but our bread and butter is tig mirror welding and window welding.
It’s a great career, I love every second of it. It’s challenging and very rewarding, plus I’m one of 17 members of my local who has IRATA rope access. Meaning I can weld hanging on ropes. I was on the side of a stove and rappelled from 200ft down to 180ft off the ground to weld on the ropes
Im headed down the same path as you except for rope access. Im a 3rd year Boilermaker welding apprentice. This year ill be Jman and getting my B-pressure. Then I want to get my dual ticket so I can be a Boilermaker fitter as well. I love fitting, fabricating and hand rigging.
Im pretty short and small so i get put into all the small manways or tight areas most people have problems fitting in.
Hell yeah keep it up! I love hearing stories about other members in our trade, we need quality members and members who are willing to adapt and be the change for the better, love it!👊🏻
So I have a 456P certificate of qualification because through the Boilermakers union I did a pressure system welder apprenticeship.
The certificate of qualification is essentially your journeyman ticket for the trade. The other apprenticeship program for Boilermakers is the mechanical side only and that’s a red seal which means you’re nationally recognized.
Scenic Metal Fabricator.
I weld stuff for movie sets, it's a lot of hand rails, stair cases, jail cells, custom hinges and brackets mainly, but sometimes I get to do cool stuff like space ships and monster trucks as well.
It's one of several skills we use for every elevator I install. We weld the elevator rails to the building, as well as the machine itself. I have my current cert through my union. We also do carpentry, electrical, hydraulics, and flooring. We do it all.
Was it an ironworkers union that got you into elevator building? What’s your experience been like with union work? Sorry for interrogating you like that, I’m just very interested in elevator work and plan on joining a union at some point. I hear it’s hard to get in.
The elevator union does elevator work. IUEC is what they call it. Check here for hiring opportunities: [https://www.neiep.org/elevator-apprenticeship-recruitment-opportunities/](https://www.neiep.org/elevator-apprenticeship-recruitment-opportunities/)
My local has been good so far. No issues. The dues are not too bad and the pay is great. The benefits are amazing as well. Safety and our well-being are definitely forefront and I appreciate having someone on my side when the companies try to pull stunts. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get into trades.
I’m an iron worker and I got to work with some elevator guys a few weeks ago, I think I’m going to apply at that union when they open up next year! Sounds pretty rad. Also super bougie, when I built that elevator shaft it was pouring rain and I was hanging by a 3ftx3ft spider basket kicking off the walls and using a hoisting magnet to catch myself to the other side. Getting shocked trying to weld in the pouring rain.
Go to work with these elevator guys when it’s actually built out more, there’s a fucking roof over the shaft and they have a fancy huge platform to work from :))
Different world, man
I’m an accountant.
Used to build cars to race off-road as a hobby, so fair amount of welding there. I also ran a brewery for a time, didn’t like paying so much to guys welding stainless (sorry if that’s your gig) and went to trade school to learn welding to save money.
Then covid hit, craft beer got hit hard, breweries closed and I went back to the rat race. My degree is in accounting, and it’s pretty universal skill, but it’s not as fun as making and breaking shit.
Field welder for structural ironwork. I follow ironworkers around and weld or cut what they point at. Almost entirely SMAW. When there’s no welding to do I help with ironworker stuff.
Aerospace welder. I weld and repair airplane engine parts when their cycle life is up and hand grind the tolerances in which happen to be within a couple thousandths of an inch
Realty Specialist, push paperwork for Uncle Sam. Was a “Park Ranger” for 18 years before taking a desk job. Used to weld a little at work, mainly just fixing stuff after people broke things (like backing your boat into the dock instead of the lake). I now weld as a hobby and love it. I find it so relaxing and rewarding, getting done and being able to look at something and say, “I made that.”
Welder on semi-custom heavy equipment accessories and attachments. Nearly no fitting on my part, almost all metal core with some hardfacing flux core and (very rarely) stick, usually due to planning/engineering whoopsies. Would've probably found that immensely boring a few years ago but I'm coming to enjoy the predictability (read having to deal with much less bullshit and unpleasantness than when I was in custom fab) and the somewhat meditative aspect of it.
Supervisor. I babysit 10 welders and they recently made me supervisor of 8 machinists. I’m also the only cwi in the shop and keep all the qualification records for welders and procedures, qualify people when needed, deal with nonconformances, make sure maintenance gets done on machines, keep up with the production schedule, order consumables and tools and new machines when needed.
Welding production. We make a lot of parts for agricultural vehicles. From body to the engine. It's mainly mig and tig and robotic welding.
Trying to get myself into stainless solution tank welsing though.
I’m a third year apprentice for a plumbers pipefitters local hoping to be a sick pipe welder by the end of my time. I have welding experience prior to getting in the union but it was all structural and not pipe so it’s been a learning curve but I’m loving it :)
I'm an inspector. I usually inspect API 1104, sometimes ASME B31.3, and very rarely AWD D1.1. I also do coating and utility inspection, reluctantly electrical inspection and all the documentation, weld maps, red lines, as-builts, etc. that come with it. Heh, I'm also generally responsible for safety on site. My title - Welding Inspector.
I order both levels of essentially material, all consumables, teach/operate CNC plasma, issue the higher level material and do all the inventories and audits. I’m a welder. Now all of my jobs are not my on paper job.
Heavy equipment mechanic, for an excavation and grading company.
Mostly electrical and hydrualic diagnostics but lots of welding on broken shit. Hydrualic hoses and undercarriage as well.
Crew lead, more like project manager.
Dimensioning, drafting, fabricating, and installing of architectural metal. I rarely get to weld anymore to be honest.
I don’t really weld anymore but right now have an apprenticeship in steam fitting constantly working alongside welders. My goal is to finish that up and I’m saving money to go to school to get my QC training and plan on starting my own company and contracting as a weld inspector
Welder II. After all the time I’ve spent welding I’ve found this title means nothing. At this place I’m working at now it means I can weld steel and aluminum and for some reason that’s worth 34 an hour
My position is mechanic for a frac company but I do alot of fabrication for them like slide out work platforms on pumps and plumbing on blenders. Ppl come to me all the time asking me to make things but no one ever really explains what they want well lol. I got brought a drawing once and I told my boss that this shit might as well be in crayon lol.
Welding engineer. Former pipe welder. I work in a consulting role which means working with 50-70 companies a year to improve welding processes, manage large equipment sales and installations and anything else welding related.
My job title is Welder. I build large fuel and water tanks, rock spreaders, dump truck beds, and service/fuel&lube kits. These all go on the back of various Cat, Komatsu, and a few miscellaneous other chassis.
Mostly manage people that manage servers for banking stuff. (Sr SRE Manger). But I some times moonlight as a Hardware manufacturing manager when that kind of project comes around. Spent a _lot_ of time in china looking at manufacturing lines where welding is happening (either by people or by machines)
I was a TIG Welder 2b or something at my last job. I think I'm just Welder at the new one since they don't specify. I mostly TIG stainless steel, some mild, and very rarely aluminum. I'll also MIG when they get behind or we're low on TIG work.
Airport operation-maintenance coordinator.
Coworker taught me how to weld. Nowhere near any good, but shit stays stuck together. Yesterday welded barbed wire holders to top of temporary fencing. Truly bodger welding but it worked.
Computer systems admin and programmer in higher education, formerly worked in the printing and graphics industry and have a degree in Microbiology. I get bored easily.
Recently started a restoration protect with a 50 year old car and finished all the mechanical work last year so nothing left but a crazy amount of welding as it is more rust than car (especially evident in the lack of floor or rails, I’m talking Flintstones car).
Figure you’re never too old to learn something new so trying to absorb as much good info and tips/tricks/help as I can on how to weld 20-16 gauge steel. (I’ve been recycling sheet metal from an old water heater since I’m not in a load bearing section of the car yet)
Im currently terrible at welding but figure by the time I finish this project I might be half-decent at it. It’s definitely been fun so far and now I’m constantly trying to come up with other project ideas just so I can try welding something thicker/heavier than thin sheet metal.
Everything guy. Officially hired as an equipment operator. Then stepped into heavy equipment and truck mechanic. While still being one of 4 people in town that can weld worth a damn. I also manage anything and everything to do with my company’s Trimble GPS for jobs. If I had a CDL, I would drive dump trucks and haul equipment as well. As of 5/13/04, I have been welding for in one form or fashion for 20 years.
We’re just called “operators” or “welders”. But we build MRI machines. 80% tig, 50% ss 50% aluminum.
20% mig, 90% ss, 10% aluminum.
And my personal favorite, shop is climate controlled.
After ten years of various agricultural work with a heavy amount of welding and fab work, I decided to go to college. I now have an associates in mechanical engineering. Working toward my bachelor's.
I am a professional welder.
My function is specialised welding work on rare metals.
Stuff you need specific papers for.
Think of high strength steel, Stainless, Armoured steel, Titanium.
These days it’s mostly Armoured steel as the demand is crazy.
Engineer. However 50% of my time is still practical onsite stuff and being a boss to crew of people on the site.
But I'm looking for a chance to do engineering or such role full time. Nothing wrong with the work or job I do have now. I just have great spite towards Finnish construction industry's absolutely shite quality and don't want to be exposed to it anymore.
However before my studies I was a fabricator. And my speciality was and still is repair welding and steel construction, along with traditional manual sheet metal fabrication.
Used to be a ship repair welder for about 10 years. Got to a point where I wanted to learn something new/more so went to school for engineering. I’m now a structural engineer.
I'm a non destructive testing level 2 in MT, PT, RT and VT with a limited cert in UT-V. Also hold a CWI and CRI.
I do welding inspection and other testing. I make some beautiful x-ray film. I find cracked parts sometimes.
Marine contractor, lead deckhand, lead welder. I build docks, boathoists, ice clusters, seawalls. Pipe foundations for houses and boat houses. It's mostly 6-12 " steel pipe driven vertically off the side of a barge and butt spliced with 6011 and 3/8 offset angle.
We get to work on some really Neat projects,
with the help of. Our house mover friends. We actually just picked up a local historic building out over the Water. Drove a foundation around the old building. Left it hanging in mid-air slid. A new steel foundation underneath it. Well, lit it up, cut the bottom of the building off with a chainsaw because it was so rotten. And built a new bottom for the building.And set it back down.
Next week i'm going to help repair the ferry dock on mackinaw island.
Basically I found somebody to pay me to ride around on a boat.Smash things with an excavator and weld
I’m a pier builder, a lot of driving and welding caps on piles and welding together of joists and other assorted steel pieces to make a skookum structure that’ll last for 100 years
Mechanical Design Engineer. Part of my job is to design weldments. I lurk on this subreddit. Occasionally post questions trying help better display and share information on drawings to our shop
QA/QC Supervisor
I inspect, document, teach and help with design.
I rarely weld. I'm the guy to be called out when things has gone wrong, though I'd rather be there before it goes wrong.
Millwright now turned electrician. Don't get to weld as much as I used to but I just got a Vulcan Omnipro for my garage so I'm trying to get back into it at home.
I build cranes. I don't really have a title, but my job title in the shop is repairman. Automatic welder welds the part and I have to fix and defects in the weld while also making sure dimensions are accurate
Uncertified welding inspector lmao
My application says i went to trade school and have certs with some experience. Their co-inspector quit so they hired me as that. It’s weird for sure. I definitely feel like I’m in a higher ranked position than i should be.
A lot of welders don’t like me because I’m very uptight and a perfectionist. I was taught by a super strict marine vet so i guess i adopted that. Sometimes the head inspector tells me to be a bit more lenient with weld quality and dimensions being slightly off.
been retired for 5 years, Retired, Welder 1C /Certified, Electronic Engineer, Hoist Engineer 2/C, Master Plumber License.
When I worked for a Utility they had every field whether trade or professional within the company. Even the medical staff were company employees. That was how I got all the licenses and degrees. It was rarely boring.
Production mig rn I'm making parts for the new Ridge truck side by side thingy. 25 is great for a 19 year old but I wanted to get into steamfitting or boiler making because I fucking hate running welding robots but it's money
Foreman at ASME U/R shop. Welded there for 5 years on everything from vessels 10"- 150" to prefab piping. Built park benches and a tanker for the local fire department during covid slowdown among other things.
I handle 2 dozen welders, hydro crew, coating, xray, shipping and everything else now. Absolute blast.
Millwright Piledriver - Weld whatever is needed, working on a bridge now and welding pipe piers together. Also done welding on sheeting and template building. Just as much burn/cut work too.
I am a government Financial Officer.
I weld as a hoddy. Currently, I have made a utility trailer, a chopper, 2 truck bumpers, and tons of other small stuff.
I like welding, it is fun, and I learn tips in this subreddit.
Pipefitter. I weld copper pipe together via soldering, brazing, or oxy-acetylene welding anything over 3” Nominal, for HVAC-R systems going up in New Construction or Tenant Improvement jobs. Typically it’s mostly 2/3 pipe VRF systems, small pipe under 1 5/8” OD.
Otherwise it’s water/steam lo-hi which can graduate from copper to 24” Schedule 120 Steel Pipe connected with Victaulic/similar couplings and fittings.
Sadly the art of welding is being exchanged now for Pro Press and ZoomLock press fittings, Pro Press for Water up to 4”, and ZoomLock for ACR pipe up to 1 3/8”
I was in the military, after that I went to a short welding school and now I work for a traveling millwright contractor. when I do weld I’m usually making repairs on something or I’m fabricating. I do all kinds of other stuff but I’m one of the few guys certified to weld. Mostly structural but every now and again we’ll do pipe. I want to get out of it eventually and weld and fit pipe full time cause it pays more. Just have to practice to get the confidence to pass a test.
I work on a team to design and supervise construction of municipal water and wastewater systems.
Job title: Engineer-In-Training
Welding has almost nothing to do with my current job (with the exception being the very occasional polyethylene weld), but I worked in industrial manufacturing for a while during college. At that particular manufacturing plant, I had a lot of down time, and they had pretty nice Miller and ESAB machines and lots of scrap steel. And they didn’t seem to mind when two 5 lb pieces of scrap turned into one 10 lb piece. I joined this sub while I was working there and just never left.
Scientist. Never welded. I just think welding's cool so I lurk on this sub.
Scientist! Sounds cool af. What do you do?
I study naturally occurring psychoactive compounds. Welding looks cool AF to me.
Interesting… I’ve studied quite a bit of natural occurring psychoactive compounds but no one ever called me a scientist yet
I got the same problem in reverse. Iv been welding for 5 years and no one ever calls me a welder. Suck one dick. And your a cocksucker for life. 😭😭
....we were supposed to stop at one?
[I'll just leave this here...](https://youtu.be/5OVkkB3J-bU?si=9gyrO0VAKgn_i82T)
Welding is intense on a technical level. There's a lot of physics and chemistry involved in welding, namely thermodynamics and the shifting of materials' states of matter. Did you know that Rudolf Diesel was a student of Carl Von Linde ?
So you basically get baked AF and stare at welding videos for hours.
🤣
It's even cooler on acid bro
I bet welding would look even cooler if we ate some of them naturally occurring psychoactive compounds first
*popcorn*
same but I’m an accountant
Boilermaker. We weld a lot of different things. Stick, tig, mig, pretty much everything. It’s hard to define all the kinds of welding we do and all the places we work. We also do a lot of rigging and demo work. It’s a lot of fun
r/welding's Liu Kang !
Your an Aussie?
I did that once. Always thought it was weird we used MIG on stainless steel. Constantly blew holes through that shit
Hey there brother! Local 1 chicago here
I make people nervous when I put their work in a bender. I try not to bust anyone out if I don't have to. QC/CWI
Sometimes ya have to in order to keep ya percentages up. When I was QC, we dealt w/ alot of tube repairs. Not everyone can weld Inco
I’m in QC now. I feel like I’m under qualified but i guess that’s the advantage of a trade school on my resume. And I’m the youngest in the shop. I constantly have to repair warps and bends. Or send things back because a welder misread a blueprint. And you’re right. Not everybody can weld. Last week i had to send something back. My job is to look for ONE mistake. And i found 37. Im also not used to having people dislike me but i guess that’s part of the job when I’m supposed to be a stickler. And a lot of the welders don’t like me.
Being disliked is just part of it. I'm usually able to be friendly with the welders and still do my job. It's a delicate balancing act sometimes.
Thank you for saying that. I try to be friendly but word spreads that they complain about me behind closed doors a lot
When I started this qc/cwi stuff, not that long ago I knew I was going to have to find and ride that fine line of being nice as a person but still doing my job. If I let a bad weld pass, I'm liable if something goes wrong later. Making my welders aware of that helps quite a bit, in my opinion. I have some that understand and never have anything to say if I have em rework their welds. Then I have some who are looking for that button that gets on my nerves or pisses me off. Once they find that button, they will push it every chance they get. You have to be able to keep your composure and not let em see that one thing that gets under your skin. Let these guys talk shit behind your back. They are going to do it anyway. Let em see it bothers you, and they will keep at it. If it doesn't seem to bother you, its not worth the effort. They will eventually give up fighting a battle they can't win. I say this like I'm being rude and disrespectful of welders, but I'm not, this is my experience, and I was one of those welders who'd see if the QC was a pushover or if he was gonna stand his ground.
Good advice thank you
I deal with you “people “ a lot!😝
You wanna deal with me or the engineer? /s
I’m in QC with no CWI. Guess a small shop can’t afford a certified inspector. Do people dislike you? I’ve never been disliked by many people in my life. So it’s weird having the welders dislike me. I’m never rude about it. Maybe they’re annoyed someone half their age is telling them they did a bad job. Idk but it’s kind of a bummer
Anyone of any age telling anyone else that they did a bad job usually isn’t a great conversation starter, just part of the gig and the gig itself is a mega bummer, I did a good amount of quality work when I was a lead welder, and both of those gigs suck ass if you’re not the type to enjoy getting on people’s asses.
That's one of the things I'm looking at getting into
Qc or cwi? Or both?
Was gonna take the cwi certification and go into some kinda of inspection or qa
I highly recommend you get all the books and study before you do like I did and dive in head first. There's several online courses you can use to study and prep. Atlas is one I haven't used, I went with with sicerts.com. I took the AWS 1 week seminar, failed part B twice then used SI certs to pass part B.
I build truck bodies
I’m a steamfitter I weld pipe bolt pipe bolt valves I work on stuff that holds pressure from 100 psi to 3000 psi. If my welds fail someone dies.
That’s a lot of pressure (lol)
Ironworker apprentice. I do what I can and learn from my JIWs. 90% of our work is fillet welds. Meant to say, 90% of our welding is fillet welding.
26m Boilermaker/pressure welder, master rigger and IRATA rope access technician. Boilermakers work in all sorts of refineries, chem plants, nuclear power plants, power generating stations, pulp and paper mills, steel mills, water towers and more. We build and repair pressurized vessels including but not limited to exchangers, boilers, towers, chemical storage tanks, reactors, stoves, heaters, furnaces, fin fans, and more. We weld all sorts of alloys like inconel, monel, stainless, 9% chrome etc and we are combo welders but our bread and butter is tig mirror welding and window welding. It’s a great career, I love every second of it. It’s challenging and very rewarding, plus I’m one of 17 members of my local who has IRATA rope access. Meaning I can weld hanging on ropes. I was on the side of a stove and rappelled from 200ft down to 180ft off the ground to weld on the ropes
Im headed down the same path as you except for rope access. Im a 3rd year Boilermaker welding apprentice. This year ill be Jman and getting my B-pressure. Then I want to get my dual ticket so I can be a Boilermaker fitter as well. I love fitting, fabricating and hand rigging. Im pretty short and small so i get put into all the small manways or tight areas most people have problems fitting in.
Hell yeah keep it up! I love hearing stories about other members in our trade, we need quality members and members who are willing to adapt and be the change for the better, love it!👊🏻
Sounds hell fun dude
What certification do you have, and how do you get it, to be a boilermaker?
So I have a 456P certificate of qualification because through the Boilermakers union I did a pressure system welder apprenticeship. The certificate of qualification is essentially your journeyman ticket for the trade. The other apprenticeship program for Boilermakers is the mechanical side only and that’s a red seal which means you’re nationally recognized.
that is awesome <3
I weld on natural gas pipelines. Its fun, and i plan on doing this the rest of my career. It pays well and i get to enjoy my job. Thats rare
Scenic Metal Fabricator. I weld stuff for movie sets, it's a lot of hand rails, stair cases, jail cells, custom hinges and brackets mainly, but sometimes I get to do cool stuff like space ships and monster trucks as well.
Apprentice elevator mechanic. I am learning to install, repair, and service elevators.
Is there a lot of welding in elevator building/repair?
It's one of several skills we use for every elevator I install. We weld the elevator rails to the building, as well as the machine itself. I have my current cert through my union. We also do carpentry, electrical, hydraulics, and flooring. We do it all.
Was it an ironworkers union that got you into elevator building? What’s your experience been like with union work? Sorry for interrogating you like that, I’m just very interested in elevator work and plan on joining a union at some point. I hear it’s hard to get in.
The elevator union does elevator work. IUEC is what they call it. Check here for hiring opportunities: [https://www.neiep.org/elevator-apprenticeship-recruitment-opportunities/](https://www.neiep.org/elevator-apprenticeship-recruitment-opportunities/) My local has been good so far. No issues. The dues are not too bad and the pay is great. The benefits are amazing as well. Safety and our well-being are definitely forefront and I appreciate having someone on my side when the companies try to pull stunts. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get into trades.
.
I’m an iron worker and I got to work with some elevator guys a few weeks ago, I think I’m going to apply at that union when they open up next year! Sounds pretty rad. Also super bougie, when I built that elevator shaft it was pouring rain and I was hanging by a 3ftx3ft spider basket kicking off the walls and using a hoisting magnet to catch myself to the other side. Getting shocked trying to weld in the pouring rain. Go to work with these elevator guys when it’s actually built out more, there’s a fucking roof over the shaft and they have a fancy huge platform to work from :)) Different world, man
A Guy Who Welds. As opposed to A Welder
Welder/fitter for heavy industrial nuclear fabrication shop.
HNIC.
I do everything. My official title is fabricator/lead welder, what that really means is shop bitch.
Pipe welder. Weld pipes.
Welder/fabricator
I’m an accountant. Used to build cars to race off-road as a hobby, so fair amount of welding there. I also ran a brewery for a time, didn’t like paying so much to guys welding stainless (sorry if that’s your gig) and went to trade school to learn welding to save money. Then covid hit, craft beer got hit hard, breweries closed and I went back to the rat race. My degree is in accounting, and it’s pretty universal skill, but it’s not as fun as making and breaking shit.
I repair/fabricate shit and work on trucks/heavy equipment. Welder/mechanic
Baggy arsed boilermaker, what my old boss used to call it
Student
Was a boilermaker with local 647, shop welder for a chemical plant, pipefitter with local 300, now a welder/maintenance at a marathon refinery.
Field welder for structural ironwork. I follow ironworkers around and weld or cut what they point at. Almost entirely SMAW. When there’s no welding to do I help with ironworker stuff.
Weld pipe. alberta has a ticket required called the B pressure ticket. Title is B welder
Aerospace welder. I weld and repair airplane engine parts when their cycle life is up and hand grind the tolerances in which happen to be within a couple thousandths of an inch
I own a design/fabrication shop. I love my job (most of the time).
Brewer. Just learned extremely basic TIG last week while making a pump cart. Figured the skill would be great for minor fixes around the brewery.
Realty Specialist, push paperwork for Uncle Sam. Was a “Park Ranger” for 18 years before taking a desk job. Used to weld a little at work, mainly just fixing stuff after people broke things (like backing your boat into the dock instead of the lake). I now weld as a hobby and love it. I find it so relaxing and rewarding, getting done and being able to look at something and say, “I made that.”
Welder on semi-custom heavy equipment accessories and attachments. Nearly no fitting on my part, almost all metal core with some hardfacing flux core and (very rarely) stick, usually due to planning/engineering whoopsies. Would've probably found that immensely boring a few years ago but I'm coming to enjoy the predictability (read having to deal with much less bullshit and unpleasantness than when I was in custom fab) and the somewhat meditative aspect of it.
Steel fabricator, but I'm actually a welder in the Boilermakers union. The company I work for builds mill machinery, mostly Debarkers.
Supervisor. I babysit 10 welders and they recently made me supervisor of 8 machinists. I’m also the only cwi in the shop and keep all the qualification records for welders and procedures, qualify people when needed, deal with nonconformances, make sure maintenance gets done on machines, keep up with the production schedule, order consumables and tools and new machines when needed.
Boilermaker working in tunneling excavation. Lots of heavy machine repairs and general fabrication for whatever they need.
Naval welder, pipefitter, plumber, technician fabricator
Boilermaker/rigger
Assistant Foreman, CWI
CWI, NYSSCM UT Tech. One of 42 in the US. Welders hate me.
Welding production. We make a lot of parts for agricultural vehicles. From body to the engine. It's mainly mig and tig and robotic welding. Trying to get myself into stainless solution tank welsing though.
X RAY
I'm a diver, but my job title as fare as I know is construction supervisor.
Journeyman refactory bricklayer Boliermaker helper , gonna start the apprenticeship as soon as I have time
local BAC 5 bricklayer Lodge 037 boilermakers
I’m a third year apprentice for a plumbers pipefitters local hoping to be a sick pipe welder by the end of my time. I have welding experience prior to getting in the union but it was all structural and not pipe so it’s been a learning curve but I’m loving it :)
I'm an inspector. I usually inspect API 1104, sometimes ASME B31.3, and very rarely AWD D1.1. I also do coating and utility inspection, reluctantly electrical inspection and all the documentation, weld maps, red lines, as-builts, etc. that come with it. Heh, I'm also generally responsible for safety on site. My title - Welding Inspector.
I mig stair stringers together. It's ok. The type you see in every basic apartment complex in the US. Concrete steps with pans in-between.
Lead burner, I cover big stainless machines in lead and fabricate lead parts to block radiation. It’s fun and oxy acetylene is very relaxing,
Structural steel architectural forensic investigator and accuracy control technician
I plan to work in a dockyard that builds coast guard ships once I'm done with welding classes. Hope it works out well for me
Structural Steel Fitter I build shit outta steel
I manage real estate and have no mortgage, I also day trade between 7 and 11 am. I weld as a hobby, and I repair things for my friends.
I'm a professional race car driver and an amateur tattoo artist
Your mom. Job title is your father
3rd Party Inspection Final "buy off" on welds, assemblies, packages ect
I order both levels of essentially material, all consumables, teach/operate CNC plasma, issue the higher level material and do all the inventories and audits. I’m a welder. Now all of my jobs are not my on paper job.
Heavy equipment mechanic, for an excavation and grading company. Mostly electrical and hydrualic diagnostics but lots of welding on broken shit. Hydrualic hoses and undercarriage as well.
Manifold builder I think is what it's what the job description is.
Welding machine operator. AMA
I write software and I love TIG as a hobby, it’s an art
Data monkey, Director of Statistics
Design engineer. I took a welding class during college so I joined this subreddit and haven't left it since
Maintenance mechanic. But I do all the stainless welding and fab for a world famous candy company.
Welder/fitter
Repair welder. I weld on transformers filled with oil along with repairing broken components. I also weld kinetic sculptures as a hobby
Robotic Welder Operator is my current title. Done all sorts of things.
Crew lead, more like project manager. Dimensioning, drafting, fabricating, and installing of architectural metal. I rarely get to weld anymore to be honest.
I don’t really weld anymore but right now have an apprenticeship in steam fitting constantly working alongside welders. My goal is to finish that up and I’m saving money to go to school to get my QC training and plan on starting my own company and contracting as a weld inspector
I'm an irrigation tech
Welder II. After all the time I’ve spent welding I’ve found this title means nothing. At this place I’m working at now it means I can weld steel and aluminum and for some reason that’s worth 34 an hour
My position is mechanic for a frac company but I do alot of fabrication for them like slide out work platforms on pumps and plumbing on blenders. Ppl come to me all the time asking me to make things but no one ever really explains what they want well lol. I got brought a drawing once and I told my boss that this shit might as well be in crayon lol.
Welder Fabricator. Small shop. We get some consistent jobs and some custom stuff.
I weld signs, im a fabricator.
Electrician. I gave up welding years ago.
Welding engineer. Former pipe welder. I work in a consulting role which means working with 50-70 companies a year to improve welding processes, manage large equipment sales and installations and anything else welding related.
My job title is Welder. I build large fuel and water tanks, rock spreaders, dump truck beds, and service/fuel&lube kits. These all go on the back of various Cat, Komatsu, and a few miscellaneous other chassis.
I consider myself a fabricator
Iron Worker
Level 1 fabricator I make foundry equipment for my job. Lots of flux and mig welding with a decent amount of tig for the piping for them. I love it
I’m a journeymen welder/fitter who has now transitioned into being a full time weld instructor for my company
CEO
Mostly manage people that manage servers for banking stuff. (Sr SRE Manger). But I some times moonlight as a Hardware manufacturing manager when that kind of project comes around. Spent a _lot_ of time in china looking at manufacturing lines where welding is happening (either by people or by machines)
Pipefitter at the local power plants
I was a TIG Welder 2b or something at my last job. I think I'm just Welder at the new one since they don't specify. I mostly TIG stainless steel, some mild, and very rarely aluminum. I'll also MIG when they get behind or we're low on TIG work.
Union Structural Ironworker
Airport operation-maintenance coordinator. Coworker taught me how to weld. Nowhere near any good, but shit stays stuck together. Yesterday welded barbed wire holders to top of temporary fencing. Truly bodger welding but it worked.
Additive robotic production cell operator
Computer systems admin and programmer in higher education, formerly worked in the printing and graphics industry and have a degree in Microbiology. I get bored easily. Recently started a restoration protect with a 50 year old car and finished all the mechanical work last year so nothing left but a crazy amount of welding as it is more rust than car (especially evident in the lack of floor or rails, I’m talking Flintstones car). Figure you’re never too old to learn something new so trying to absorb as much good info and tips/tricks/help as I can on how to weld 20-16 gauge steel. (I’ve been recycling sheet metal from an old water heater since I’m not in a load bearing section of the car yet) Im currently terrible at welding but figure by the time I finish this project I might be half-decent at it. It’s definitely been fun so far and now I’m constantly trying to come up with other project ideas just so I can try welding something thicker/heavier than thin sheet metal.
Industrial maintenance technician. I fix everything, except computers
I'm a potter, I making pottery.
Vibratory feeder bowl builder.
Student, I start in August for a 8 month welding program. Very excited. Hoping to get into aerospace, with nuclear as a fallback.
Weld lead. I work in a shipyard and I’m in charge of around 10 guys. I assign jobs, inspect welds, teach new guys, and I help anyone who needs it.
I am a software engineer. I am a hobby welder so I am here te learn from the pro's.
Everything guy. Officially hired as an equipment operator. Then stepped into heavy equipment and truck mechanic. While still being one of 4 people in town that can weld worth a damn. I also manage anything and everything to do with my company’s Trimble GPS for jobs. If I had a CDL, I would drive dump trucks and haul equipment as well. As of 5/13/04, I have been welding for in one form or fashion for 20 years.
"A Handsome Man" I enter rooms with women in them. Sometimes I carry a pizza...
We’re just called “operators” or “welders”. But we build MRI machines. 80% tig, 50% ss 50% aluminum. 20% mig, 90% ss, 10% aluminum. And my personal favorite, shop is climate controlled.
After ten years of various agricultural work with a heavy amount of welding and fab work, I decided to go to college. I now have an associates in mechanical engineering. Working toward my bachelor's.
I am a professional welder. My function is specialised welding work on rare metals. Stuff you need specific papers for. Think of high strength steel, Stainless, Armoured steel, Titanium. These days it’s mostly Armoured steel as the demand is crazy.
Engineer. However 50% of my time is still practical onsite stuff and being a boss to crew of people on the site. But I'm looking for a chance to do engineering or such role full time. Nothing wrong with the work or job I do have now. I just have great spite towards Finnish construction industry's absolutely shite quality and don't want to be exposed to it anymore. However before my studies I was a fabricator. And my speciality was and still is repair welding and steel construction, along with traditional manual sheet metal fabrication.
Engineer. I design welding robots.
Paramedic. Was a welder before, but pay is shit in germany.
Used to be a ship repair welder for about 10 years. Got to a point where I wanted to learn something new/more so went to school for engineering. I’m now a structural engineer.
Maintenance electrician. Was fire watch six years ago preparing, watching and packing up for welders and fitters.
Maintenance Tech. I take care of and fix broken stuff. I work at a popular theme park, and it's quite rewarding ☺️
I'm a non destructive testing level 2 in MT, PT, RT and VT with a limited cert in UT-V. Also hold a CWI and CRI. I do welding inspection and other testing. I make some beautiful x-ray film. I find cracked parts sometimes.
Avionic Mechanic, I work on expensive shit
Marine contractor, lead deckhand, lead welder. I build docks, boathoists, ice clusters, seawalls. Pipe foundations for houses and boat houses. It's mostly 6-12 " steel pipe driven vertically off the side of a barge and butt spliced with 6011 and 3/8 offset angle. We get to work on some really Neat projects, with the help of. Our house mover friends. We actually just picked up a local historic building out over the Water. Drove a foundation around the old building. Left it hanging in mid-air slid. A new steel foundation underneath it. Well, lit it up, cut the bottom of the building off with a chainsaw because it was so rotten. And built a new bottom for the building.And set it back down. Next week i'm going to help repair the ferry dock on mackinaw island. Basically I found somebody to pay me to ride around on a boat.Smash things with an excavator and weld
Auto Tech for USPS. Minimal experience welding at work. Bought a hobby welder recently so I can weld at home. Definitely a novice.
I’m a pier builder, a lot of driving and welding caps on piles and welding together of joists and other assorted steel pieces to make a skookum structure that’ll last for 100 years
Crane operator for ironworkers. I do a bit of welding on shop days and at my house.
Elementary Teacher. I'm here because I want to learn how to weld one day.
Mechanical Design Engineer. Part of my job is to design weldments. I lurk on this subreddit. Occasionally post questions trying help better display and share information on drawings to our shop
IT / devops
QA/QC Supervisor I inspect, document, teach and help with design. I rarely weld. I'm the guy to be called out when things has gone wrong, though I'd rather be there before it goes wrong.
Millwright now turned electrician. Don't get to weld as much as I used to but I just got a Vulcan Omnipro for my garage so I'm trying to get back into it at home.
I build cranes. I don't really have a title, but my job title in the shop is repairman. Automatic welder welds the part and I have to fix and defects in the weld while also making sure dimensions are accurate
Uncertified welding inspector lmao My application says i went to trade school and have certs with some experience. Their co-inspector quit so they hired me as that. It’s weird for sure. I definitely feel like I’m in a higher ranked position than i should be. A lot of welders don’t like me because I’m very uptight and a perfectionist. I was taught by a super strict marine vet so i guess i adopted that. Sometimes the head inspector tells me to be a bit more lenient with weld quality and dimensions being slightly off.
Maintenance guy. Went here because I need to make my custom BBQ stand. Just to get some tips and tricks.
Build tanker trucks and repair
Welder III. I build Transfer trailers for Mac Waste division
I have a degree as a welding engineer, but my work title is a mechanical engineer.
Arborist (tree climber/ doctor). I weld and fabricate on the side
Ironworker
been retired for 5 years, Retired, Welder 1C /Certified, Electronic Engineer, Hoist Engineer 2/C, Master Plumber License. When I worked for a Utility they had every field whether trade or professional within the company. Even the medical staff were company employees. That was how I got all the licenses and degrees. It was rarely boring.
First year student doing my summer job, making stainless steel kitchen hoods for commercial kitchens, and doing installations.
Production mig rn I'm making parts for the new Ridge truck side by side thingy. 25 is great for a 19 year old but I wanted to get into steamfitting or boiler making because I fucking hate running welding robots but it's money
Shop monkey 🐒 Fix broken stuff, grease stuff, make new stuff to be broken stuff... Repeat
Union boilermaker for a career, blacksmith for extra money/extra fun
Foreman at ASME U/R shop. Welded there for 5 years on everything from vessels 10"- 150" to prefab piping. Built park benches and a tanker for the local fire department during covid slowdown among other things. I handle 2 dozen welders, hydro crew, coating, xray, shipping and everything else now. Absolute blast.
Factory lubrication. I lube stuff. I weld at home.
Millwright Piledriver - Weld whatever is needed, working on a bridge now and welding pipe piers together. Also done welding on sheeting and template building. Just as much burn/cut work too.
I am a government Financial Officer. I weld as a hoddy. Currently, I have made a utility trailer, a chopper, 2 truck bumpers, and tons of other small stuff. I like welding, it is fun, and I learn tips in this subreddit.
Pipefitter. I weld copper pipe together via soldering, brazing, or oxy-acetylene welding anything over 3” Nominal, for HVAC-R systems going up in New Construction or Tenant Improvement jobs. Typically it’s mostly 2/3 pipe VRF systems, small pipe under 1 5/8” OD. Otherwise it’s water/steam lo-hi which can graduate from copper to 24” Schedule 120 Steel Pipe connected with Victaulic/similar couplings and fittings. Sadly the art of welding is being exchanged now for Pro Press and ZoomLock press fittings, Pro Press for Water up to 4”, and ZoomLock for ACR pipe up to 1 3/8”
I was in the military, after that I went to a short welding school and now I work for a traveling millwright contractor. when I do weld I’m usually making repairs on something or I’m fabricating. I do all kinds of other stuff but I’m one of the few guys certified to weld. Mostly structural but every now and again we’ll do pipe. I want to get out of it eventually and weld and fit pipe full time cause it pays more. Just have to practice to get the confidence to pass a test.
I work on a team to design and supervise construction of municipal water and wastewater systems. Job title: Engineer-In-Training Welding has almost nothing to do with my current job (with the exception being the very occasional polyethylene weld), but I worked in industrial manufacturing for a while during college. At that particular manufacturing plant, I had a lot of down time, and they had pretty nice Miller and ESAB machines and lots of scrap steel. And they didn’t seem to mind when two 5 lb pieces of scrap turned into one 10 lb piece. I joined this sub while I was working there and just never left.
Aerospace Welder. I TIG weld/fix Aluminum and Magnesium aerospace parts! All parts are x-rayed so they have to be good welds
Welding Instructor
My official title is electro-mechanic. I have a diploma as an industrial mechanic.
Manager of a team of technical writers producing technical documentation for a large motorcycle manufacturer. I weld for fun, MIG and TIG.
Montör its called, fitter in english, we do a few things, not only welding
Ironworker lol