my 6G

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hey every one ive been working on my 6G and i can seem to get my cap down any advice Attached ImagesLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:heres some more pics Attached ImagesLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:I am not a pipe welder, i do weld structural tubing.  What I see here is a classic lack of bracing yourself.  you need to brace yourself better.
Reply:get a lighter lense maybe?
Reply:I've learned 6g with bevel plate to start. It's easier to focus and it's easier to grind defect. Useless you can do 3g bevel plate perfectly i wouldn't touch 6g. Trust me it will save you frustration :P
Reply:It is hard to judge from the pics, and Im no pipe welder but it looks like your root may need some attention also, either turn your heat down or speed up a bit, your extension looks to be a bit much.   I also second what altered said, try to brace yourself a little better, I like to use vice grips or a C-clamp when welding on test coupons. Makes a good brace and its easy to move as you progress around the pipe.    Maybe a little more info on your setup would be helpful. Keep at it!!
Reply:im using 4" sched 80 pipe 45*  1/8"  ( E6010 ) 5P+ for root down hill  about 120 ampsDC+  then for my hot pass out 1/8" E8010 ( 8P+ )  about 90amps down hill when i run it hotter it seems to be a bit more wild , tougher to control if you want .  in my 5th pic that is the inside of the pipe my root is burning in good there i grind it down after its in then i put in my hot pass, knock down the high spots then my fill then cap  i have the correct bevel and am using a bevel machine to do those clean off the mill scale and grind back the black coating on the pipe  so its all clean  hope thats enough infoLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:I think more so with pipe than a structural joint it's harder to correct what you did on the lower levels. The last picture you posted has horrible wagon tracks, to correct them, you'd have to run your next pass really hot to eat out the wagon tracks! For me, not being a pipe weldor, and never having a steady diet of pipe I have to plan the dept of each weld more so than on plate. I have to make a conscious effort to leave a ledge for my cap pass to lay on. Not an excessive amount depth, and not too much fill.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Ok heimbuckwelding, here I am   and let me tell you what my 35 years or so of professional pipeline welding has to say.....  you ain't getting it man.  Sorry. lol First I must say that if you had followed something I've been saying for a long time and helped a pipeline welder for say a year or so then we wouldn't be having this conversation because you would be far passed this point.  You would be in the smoothing out period, not the initial learning period like you are in now. lol.  Helping even only a year would teach you so much about what a pipeline weld must look like, more than I could ever say on here.  But, ain't going to happen, right.  lolI think I read you are on 4" pipe with 1/8" rods.  A pipeline bead (root pass) in a typical testing situation is 1:1.  That means 1 inch of rod goes 1 inch of travel.  You ain't doing that man.  You're getting like 4" of travel from a rod.  I hate to say it but you ain't going to pass many pipeline welding tests doing that.  You need to learn to be able to do the 1:1 deal.  And a skated bead in a production situation on a pipeline job is like 1.7:1.  That's like 25 inches of travel with only 14 inches of rod, and be a good weld.  So your root has a long way to come to be even a typical bead.  Learn the 1:1 then we'll talk more. lolNow for your caps.      Ain't getting it man.  A cap is a cover pass that not only covers up all the other crap you did it is supposed to look like something in the end.  Its supposed to get out on the pipe 1/16 of an inch on each side and be uniform top to bottom with ripples that look like a stack of shiny dimes.  Your cap looks like nothing but pile of hammered dog shilt.    Sorry, but I must call it like I see it.  I ain't going to lie to you at any time. lolYou need to either go look at some real pipeline welds or go help a  real pipeline welder for awhile.  At least then you could learn what a pipeline weld is even supposed to look like, let alone how to make one.  Its the attitude man.  Its the speed at which one can make one of these things.  I've made over 50 xray 4" schedule 80 welds off my rig, complete, plus bend the pipe with a shoe on the boom, in 10 hours in one day with only 5 people in my crew.  Come on man, you've got a long way to go to do that.  You've got to pick it up so much you don't understand to where or how. lolAnd I can't help ya, because you're not even in the ball game man.   Sorry.I didn't make the rules and I'm not going to lie to ya, so ..... you suck man and you ain't even close with this stuff.  And I am sorry for telling you that but I ain't got no choice.  I'm only being honest with ya. lolIn this pic of me capping you can see the tight ripples.Good luck Attached ImagesLast edited by slowhand; 12-13-2011 at 07:48 PM.
Reply:Slowhand is correct you got to go help and ask a million questions . Your not doing yourself any favors by making the same mistakes over and over . Go help a welder for a while . You need 2 passes on the cap unless the company you are going to work for says you have do one only .
Reply:slowhand , I under stand where you are coming from totaly but whith the way you put some of that stuff to any one who doesnt know you are trying to be helpful would take it as words of discouragement like "you suck"  I would love to go help on a pipe line but i don't have the lucturay o9f doing that right now i have a business that i have to opperate and on a helpers wage that is not going to pay my familys bills at this time. so thats why im on here asking questions and practicing in my spare time  i know only a couple of rig welders but unfortuneatly they live in texas and im in wyoming so i cant get any hands on help from them  these pic that i posted are my very 1st atempt to do any pipe at all .  ive looked at sevral pics and videos on the web but that only gets me so far. not sure if i have my heat right or not ive gotten told what heat to run at but not sure if my machine is dead on or not , i have a miller big 40 and benn trying t9o guess with my fine tune wish i had a dial that read exactly what my amps were o9r a digital read out but i dont so i have to usewhat i got and ive tried looking at other rig welders machines but they have sa 200's so they are different  settings than mine.  ive tried with my cap to get it to look like yours but not sure where im going wrong weather its my heat angle speed  iv've even stood on my head (not reallt) lol but you know what i'm sayin i just need help  other than well you aint got it or your not close i need guidence on where to start so i can work on getting it or getting close  thank you ...if it makesw it easyer to expalin iot to me on the phone feel free to call me 307-660-7920Lincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:You need a pipe welder to show you how to do it and give you some basic parameters for gap, land, rod size, and amps. Perhaps you could hire one to stop by your house on the weekend.
Reply:IF you live in Wyoming shake a tree and a welder will fall out . There is lots of pipe welders there if you see one at the store or getting fuel offer them beer welders love beer . You need some serious help buddy and its hard to explain over the phone or via. this site but i would beg a welder over there to help you . Would quit trying to do 6g and get them down pat flat first
Reply:You need to learn to crawl before you run. I would ditch the 6g sched 80 small bore and practice your root and hot pass on some larger sched 40 coupons at least 6" in 5g first. Don't even mess with the lo-hy fill and cap until you master that. I like a nickle landing and a dime gap. If your root is going in properly you should hear the sound of like sizzling bacon from the inside and see no arc from the top of the pipe. Your fit is everything in pipe...bad fit = bad weld. Unfortunately you can't learn pipe welding from a book and I could write paragraphs out the wazoo on how to do it but without you seeing it real time you probably wouldn't understand what I'm talking about. The tips and tricks are passed on from welder to welder and even still a lot of welders can't do it. The best advice in the previous post I saw was get with a good rig welder to show you and watch you burn rod. It just takes a lot of practice..........period.
Reply:Originally Posted by heimbuckweldingim using 4" sched 80 pipe 45*  1/8"  ( E6010 ) 5P+ for root down hill  about 120 ampsDC+  then for my hot pass out 1/8" E8010 ( 8P+ )  about 90amps down hill when i run it hotter it seems to be a bit more wild , tougher to control if you want .  in my 5th pic that is the inside of the pipe my root is burning in good there i grind it down after its in then i put in my hot pass, knock down the high spots then my fill then cap  i have the correct bevel and am using a bevel machine to do those clean off the mill scale and grind back the black coating on the pipe  so its all clean  hope thats enough info
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhandOk heimbuckwelding, here I am   and let me tell you what my 35 years or so of professional pipeline welding has to say.....  you ain't getting it man.  Sorry. lol First I must say that if you had followed something I've been saying for a long time and helped a pipeline welder for say a year or so then we wouldn't be having this conversation because you would be far passed this point.  You would be in the smoothing out period, not the initial learning period like you are in now. lol.  Helping even only a year would teach you so much about what a pipeline weld must look like, more than I could ever say on here.  But, ain't going to happen, right.  lolI think I read you are on 4" pipe with 1/8" rods.  A pipeline bead (root pass) in a typical testing situation is 1:1.  That means 1 inch of rod goes 1 inch of travel.  You ain't doing that man.  You're getting like 4" of travel from a rod.  I hate to say it but you ain't going to pass many pipeline welding tests doing that.  You need to learn to be able to do the 1:1 deal.  And a skated bead in a production situation on a pipeline job is like 1.7:1.  That's like 25 inches of travel with only 14 inches of rod, and be a good weld.  So your root has a long way to come to be even a typical bead.  Learn the 1:1 then we'll talk more. lolNow for your caps.      Ain't getting it man.  A cap is a cover pass that not only covers up all the other crap you did it is supposed to look like something in the end.  Its supposed to get out on the pipe 1/16 of an inch on each side and be uniform top to bottom with ripples that look like a stack of shiny dimes.  Your cap looks like nothing but pile of hammered dog shilt.    Sorry, but I must call it like I see it.  I ain't going to lie to you at any time. lolYou need to either go look at some real pipeline welds or go help a  real pipeline welder for awhile.  At least then you could learn what a pipeline weld is even supposed to look like, let alone how to make one.  Its the attitude man.  Its the speed at which one can make one of these things.  I've made over 50 xray 4" schedule 80 welds off my rig, complete, plus bend the pipe with a shoe on the boom, in 10 hours in one day with only 5 people in my crew.  Come on man, you've got a long way to go to do that.  You've got to pick it up so much you don't understand to where or how. lolAnd I can't help ya, because you're not even in the ball game man.   Sorry.I didn't make the rules and I'm not going to lie to ya, so ..... you suck man and you ain't even close with this stuff.  And I am sorry for telling you that but I ain't got no choice.  I'm only being honest with ya. lolIn this pic of me capping you can see the tight ripples.Good luck
Reply:A downhill root is not an uncommon weld spec with an uphill fill and cap. The bottom right quarter in your last pic looked okay but is a little heavy on the protrusion into the bore of the pipe. Too much protrusion into the inner bore of the pipe can cause turbulence as product flows over it creating erratic readings on instruments downstream especially if its in a high velocity flow application. This is especially evident in the small bore pipe as opposed to the large bore...... It may not bust x-ray but it is frowned on by a lot of inspectors. While I think slowhand may have been a little harsh on you as an unproven green hand, get used to it if you ever break out on a pipe job until your welds are above reproach. My grandpa once told me something I will never forget....'a welder is only as good as his last weld'......
Reply:- HeimDont be discouraged by what you've heard by some here.... this forum is going for **** in this regard, its meant to help and aid people. I will agree you arent skilled enough YET to go and test and produce quality high pressure welds but everyone has to start somewhere. EVEN slowhand at one point sucked... i dont care who you are you dont pick up a tig torch or a 6010 and run a flawles root to cap your first try. Personally i would suggest getting some 2" schedule 160 pipe, having it beveled on a lathe and practicing on that. Its heavier wall thickness will give you more time to focus on creating an asthetically pleasing weld versus having to produce an asthetically pleasing bead while moving your *** on a 4" sch 80. Try running all your pass's uphand to start off with, i know its not everyones preference but i whip my roots when going uphand, it creates a much flatter surface for your hot pass and essentailly all you have to grind are your stop/starts and wire brush it, whereas dragging your root creates a crown where slag collects at the toes of the weld (perfect example on your pipe). Ditch the 1/8" 7018 and focus on using 3/32" 7018, ill use 3/32 7018 all the way upto 4" depending on the schedule, anything 4" and up, and upto sch 120 and over ill use 1/8". Basic parameters ive used since day one on my pressure welding is 3/32" gap, and 3/32 landing, running my uphand 6010 at 79 to 82 amps, and ill run my 3/32" 7018 hot pass, fill, and cap all at 90 to 93 amps, its hot and fast but when you acquire the correct speed and manipulation its produces a very tight and pleasing looking finish. I have numerous tickets 2 1/4% chromoly, hastalloy, inconel, stainless ( stick all the way and tig/stick), combo stainless to mild steel, lol and copper to brass with silfos if you want to count that hahah. Ive been doing these tests for years now and have produced hundreds of xrayed welds in our plant, and in all the years ive been doing it have never once even came close to failing an xray. Ill tell you this much with holding 6 different high pressure tickets which i have to test annually and use almost on a weekly basis i most certainly "sucked" in the beginning when i was practicing to get these tickets, but i got to the point where i was preforming some of these exotic alloy welds with a mirror and passing flawless xrays. i cant stress enough how everyone has to start somewhere and props to you for taking on this challenging and rewarding form of welding keep your head up and keep practicing. Heim, you do not "suck" what your doing is called PRACTICE, Slowhand is excellent at what he does on the pipeline, but i garuntee if i hand him a tig torch and hes required to do a xrayed weld on a selected exotic alloy hanging upside down with a mirror attached to another pipe so he can see the backside he wouldnt pass. As goes the same for me ive never ran downhand on pipe because its not in my procedures so i would likely fail too. Just to give you some peace of mind. If you want any instruction PM me questions and ill help you along the way.Last edited by Pressure_Welder; 12-14-2011 at 09:19 AM.
Reply:just so you know man, when i did my first tube it looked worse. We weld tubing instead of pipe but the premise is the same. Root pass, but we hotpass, flush, and cap with 8018 and sometimes inconel mo-10. But it just takes practice man, plain and simple. If i had to take a guess i would guess that the first time slowhand ever picked up a stinger it probably wasn't the best weld in the world. The only way to get better is hood time, and having someone to show you what you're doing wrong. I don't know if you have that available but if you are trying to get into a pipeline welding career you should probably invest in a class or try to get in the field some how to get a better understanding of what you're doing wrong and what you can do to fix it. i've seen people lay dog **** down their first weld ever and a couple years later people go to them for advice. Contrary to belief years of welding doesn't necessarily equate to being a good welder. I know plenty of guys who brag about how they were welding when i was ****ting green in my diaper but when it came to xray time they busted and i didn't. I don't claim to be the best, but I can get it done. I've passed hundreds of xray tests on pressure tubes and i've failed some too, without failure you can't improve. The best welder in the world can bust a test any given sunday, that doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's doing, it just means he had a bad run. I busted my certification test on the job, but a month later I took the same test and passed every company we have.I don't know if you've been there but weldingtipsandtricks.com has some useful info too.ESAB MigMaster 275Miller Econotwin HFMiller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Heim, I'm sure you are feeling kind of tender and bruised from being dug over the coals so hard.  First thing to remember is that NO ONE starts out as an expert at anything. Everyone has to learn how to do things correctly whether it is welding pipe or giving advise.Other than saying I welded a LOT of pipe and carried an ASME Code IX-G6 card for a lot of years I'm not going into any detail about my abilities, most of which have atrophied a great deal since retirement.Like others have already said, if you could find an experienced pipe welder to show you the correct way to do things would really make things a lot easier for you. If that is not possible just keep practicing and experiment. If something you are doing isn't working don't be afraid to change.  More amps, less amps, faster travel, slower travel, rod angle, etc. It all makes a difference.Something I think would help is to go to larger pipe. 6 -sch. 80 or even 8" or 10" will make a world of difference. When you can make a decent weld on the larger pipe then drop a size. Smaller is harder. Keep trying and you will eventually get it. Good luck.
Reply:thank you all for your kind words of encouragement i will see what i can do to find a rigwelder around that will help the reason for not using 7018  and using 8010 is for downhill cross country pipeline.  for my root i can hear it in the pipe and most of the fire is inside as well after messing with it yesterday i think my heat is giving me the big problem as far as controling my puddle  but i will give a try to 7018 uphill and see what comes of it and keep my hood down, *** up, and keep practicing. ill post some more pics when i get some again thank you every one for the help.Lincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:also for my pipe im using 4" because thats as big as my beveler will handle dont have the extra cash to get a bigger one right nowLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:You can freehand a bevel and finish it up with your grinder, landing and all. Of course that's another skill that has to be learned.
Reply:very true very trueLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:You guys have been busy today.  I'm impressed!!! (not)  Originally Posted by Pressure_WelderSlowhand is excellent at what he does on the pipeline, but i garuntee if i hand him a tig torch and hes required to do a xrayed weld on a selected exotic alloy hanging upside down with a mirror attached to another pipe so he can see the backside he wouldnt pass.Originally Posted by slowhandI'm sorry I was so rude to you.
Reply:you know what there is no need to be a prick your not hurting my feelings one bit all i wanted was some advice you gave meno advice other than putting someone down for trying but thats ok because in the end yeah i will learn it the hard way burning lots of rod and making lots of mistakes but when im done i know i will be a damn good pipe welder probably better than you so if you dont like that you can stick it where the sun dont shine princessLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:im sorry i was so rude to you.. i better take it all back  ....... any way when i asked for advice you basicly said it sucks and i need to jusdt pack it up now how is that good advice or tips  i relize my cupons do not look good thats why i came here to get good advice if not i wouldn't be here asking for help those where my 1st cupons ever for pipe so obviosly its not going to be good im not stupid so what its worth thank you oh so very much for your snide comments it is such an insperation to me and i will forever be greatful...Lincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:Back up and practice open root on plate until you are highly proficient in all positions, then move to pipe. That's how we trained pipe welders and it works.You may want to make a pipe coupon fixture for quick beveling to speed prep. Something like a Watts rotary beveler with a bracket to hold a conventional cutting torch. If it has enough torque you can hold a grinder against the coupon too.
Reply:Never once did I see Slowhand say you should quit , They are terrible looking welds he told you the truth and gave you advice as well. Some people dont sugar coat the people that taught me didnt . You need help and lots of it I cant tell you where to set your welder they all weld diffrent . You could get a piece of pipe and just cap and cap . Cant do bottoms roll the the pipe so all you do are bottoms . Quit trying to do a test weld until you are ready . You look pretty handy at other stuff I would concentrate on that until you find someone to help it will probably make sence wwhen you watch some one .
Reply:I use a Ridgid 300 power head with a 6-inch wood lathe 4-jaw chuck, and a 9-inch grinder to bevel pipe. Works pretty good, and fairly fast. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:They aren't kidding about the jobsite. The first thing to throw away is ALL personal sensitivity to EVERYTHING. It clears the mind and makes folks nicer to work with. We trained folks from "off the street" to "passing 6G well enough to get hired in 19 weeks, but the ones who made it worked HARD. Cut and bevel about 40 plate coupons for open root. (That's only 20 roots since each takes two pieces.)  Do plate roots and post clear pics until Slowhand approves, and I'm NOT kidding! Just roots. Bust a root and you won't make it to the rest of the test. Hit it hard and steady and perfect your brace.Once root proficient, fill plate in all positions and post pics. Then move to cap. When ready, bend test MULTIPLE plate coupons. Make a tester, you'll want one to monitor your own progress because bend tests tell ya the truth. Post CLEAR BRIGHT pics of the test coupons because where they are imperfect is vital FEEDBACK you can use to refine your technique.When you can pass plate tests in your sleep, do just roots on pipe. Post pics, get feedback. Same deal until you can knock out those bend tests.but when im done i know i will be a damn good pipe welder
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPI use a Ridgid 300 power head with a 6-inch wood lathe 4-jaw chuck, and a 9-inch grinder to bevel pipe. Works pretty good, and fairly fast.
Reply:a wise man once told me something:"if someone tells you to quit and never try again at what you want to do and you give up, then you dont have the stones to do what it is you want to do"not to sound like an *** - but if you cant take a thrashing from the guys on the site, dont ever step onto one of my jobsites - il send you home crying to mama!you dont have to apologize either, people are dicks - its part of life. if you worked for me you would hate my guts by the end of your first day. i dont know your work history or age, but if your young like me, wait until you get out into the real world where you will get thrown under the bus because your better at your job than someone twice your age! so if someone tells you its crap, you have to suck it up and try harder. The world is full of people who will talk total BS to you until you are up to par, and if you cant take it your not ready to be in that business. no offense kid - you seem to want to do this, and your going to have to grow a pair you seem to have the yearn, you just need the practice. from what I can see, you need to just burn some rods - probably a good 100lbs or so and develop your basic weld. start with plate welding and a good welding manual to learn where your shortcomings are. from what ive seen you have 2 problems you need to work on, proper penetration, and rod control. do you have any plate certifications? one of my early teachers laughed in my face when i told him i wanted to do 6GR cert - because i didnt have any basic plate certs yet. listen to some of these guys.like in anything, yes there are prodigy's that can barely practice and all of a sudden be great, but chances are your not one of them. Practice, Practice, Practice!!!. the more practice you do the better you will become.now, go burn some rods until your hands cant hold the stinger any more!
Reply:thats a good idea with the rigid deal and lathe chuck i may have to go to a junk yard and find a gear reduction box and a lathe chuck and build something like that , im not doing any actual test yet for i know im not ready this is all just practice as for the jobsite ive been there im there every day so i know how that works.  im not worried about slowhand approval i dont need his aproval  but what ever dont really care what he has to say any more i dont have a problem with constructive critasisim (sp) but i dont have time to sit around and take his crap i wont stand for it as far as every one elses advise i appreciate it and will heed  it untill some one else decides he thinks hes god and can talk down to me if you have something to say talk to me not at me im not 2 any more and thing=s will be alot smoother i promise you thatLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:Originally Posted by smokin_dodgea wise man once told me something:"if someone tells you to quit and never try again at what you want to do and you give up, then you dont have the stones to do what it is you want to do"not to sound like an *** - but if you cant take a thrashing from the guys on the site, dont ever step onto one of my jobsites - il send you home crying to mama!you dont have to apologize either, people are dicks - its part of life. if you worked for me you would hate my guts by the end of your first day. i dont know your work history or age, but if your young like me, wait until you get out into the real world where you will get thrown under the bus because your better at your job than someone twice your age! so if someone tells you its crap, you have to suck it up and try harder. The world is full of people who will talk total BS to you until you are up to par, and if you cant take it your not ready to be in that business. no offense kid - you seem to want to do this, and your going to have to grow a pair you seem to have the yearn, you just need the practice. from what I can see, you need to just burn some rods - probably a good 100lbs or so and develop your basic weld. start with plate welding and a good welding manual to learn where your shortcomings are. from what ive seen you have 2 problems you need to work on, proper penetration, and rod control. do you have any plate certifications? one of my early teachers laughed in my face when i told him i wanted to do 6GR cert - because i didnt have any basic plate certs yet. listen to some of these guys.like in anything, yes there are prodigy's that can barely practice and all of a sudden be great, but chances are your not one of them. Practice, Practice, Practice!!!. the more practice you do the better you will become.now, go burn some rods until your hands cant hold the stinger any more!
Reply:Originally Posted by heimbuckwelding BTW im 30 been welding for 20 yrs just not on pipe i dont have any certs havn't had the need for them ever
Reply:When I was a kid (long time ago) I watched the local water well driller spud(drive) a piece of casing in the ground. He and his helper then set another piece of casing on top and the helper then welded horizontally around that seam. They were RED colored Lincoln rods. That impressed me enough to become better at welding, Well I have been welding for 40 years in all disciplines but even I can not weld a perfect pipe. I can put them together so they don't leak nor break apart at the weld. I fix alot of broken equipment but always try to find time to practice.Keep doing what you are good at, practice the stuff you are not. Good Luck!drujinin
Reply:Originally Posted by heimbuckweldingthats a good idea with the rigid deal and lathe chuck i may have to go to a junk yard and find a gear reduction box and a lathe chuck and build something like that
Reply:heimbuckwelding, let me give you a "for-instance".  Lets say a person was going to do a body-job and repaint his own car but knew nothing about bodywork or painting.  Faced with this much lack of necessary knowledge this poor fellow is going to need to "reinvent the wheel" so to speak.  Not only will he need to learn all the skills necessary to do this job he must also learn what products are available and all about them, completely on his own.  Very difficult to say the least, and not smart.If you could just watch a pipe welder make a weld, even if you can't watch what he does with a hood on.  If you could just drive-by and look at some procedure welds laying along the road.  If you only knew what it was you were trying to learn (the procedure) it would show in your practice.  This will help and it will make the learning process faster because you won't need to learn what you're learning now, you will only need to learn how to make a procedure weld.   ie: not reinventing the wheel. lolI've looked at many practice pipe welds made by many young men over the years and I can tell where you are now.  I did give you good advice - - - help a qualified pipe welder for a little while when try it on your own.  You'll already know the procedure because you're been working it.  You'll already know what it's supposed to look like and also how easy its supposed to be to make one.  All you'll need to learn is how to do it yourself.  Not reinvent everything everyone has already learned over these years.Good luck
Reply:thank you slow hand that is all i was lookinhg for i guess i went the wrong way about it and took some of the stuff said in here wrong.  smokin-dodge  as far as welding in general i am what you might call a proficent welder i have my bad days as well as everyone else.  the reason i blew up was i was trying to get my point across i dont have to take crap from anyone i alreaedy served my time in the Marines.  but if talked to and not talked at i am willing to listen and learn., i have never welded pipe before so i havent been able to learn bad habbits on pipe those where my 1st ever atempt i know it will take time but i also know i will get there with blood, sweat and tears.slowhand ... also i do thank you for the advice, at this time i do not have the lucxury(sp) of helping a pipe welder for the wages are not there to provide for my fasmily, i would love to do it though.  i am on the hunt of trying to find a pipe welder in my area that might have time on the weekends to comeover and help but i do relize they are busy as well as I.  so there for thats why im having to do this on my own and come here and other places looking for advice.Lincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhandYou guys have been busy today.  I'm impressed!!! (not)    You're cracking me up man...... FYI - In reality I have passed tig pipe welding tests, worked tig pipe welding jobs, made tig pipe welding xray welds (and passed them too man  ), I've even went to welding school to learn the tig pipe welding skill, and even made tig xray welds upside down.      So stick it where the sun don't shine man.      You don't know crap about me.  As for heimbuckwelding......  Ok I take it all back.  I'm sorry I was so rude to you.  Your weld samples don't suck.  You can be a pipe welder if thats what you want.  Sure you need some practice but who don't. lol Good luck man.
Reply:You can do a lot on your own since you can post pics here, but have a SYSTEM for gradual self-training and "go slow so you get there quicker".Think of it as what it really is, REPETITION of fine motor movements to train yourself. That also works with beveling with a grinder. We had students manually bevel their first 20 or so plate coupons, then switched to pre-cut coupons. Same with pipe. They could do it fast and correctly. Repetition is king.Another trick which will serve you is to cover the indicator on your welding machine, randomly crank/set it WAY off, then use scrap to set heat before welding. This prepares you to use any machine in the field with any length lead. When you weld on weekends etc, consider setting up and hitting it for hours at a time to drop into the rhythm of the work.Next time you train, do some plate roots and post pics of both sides. The gurus (I ain't one, but I helped train plenty of folks and know training) will critique them. It's perfectly reasonable to spend a weekend doing roots only! Don't go beyond that until your roots pass a visual from one of the "inspectors" here. It's actually not usefull! Training is "different" than just "welding", but if you know the difference and get FEEDBACK you can train yourself.Nobody is too awesome not to benefit from systematic training. That's why the military uses it. Tape a dollar bill somewhere for motivation. We trained folks who went from "unemployed" to nice money pipe welding. You can push PHYSICIAN take-home money in a couple-three years if you hit it wide open.
Reply:Originally Posted by heimbuckwelding  as far as welding in general i am what you might call a proficent welder i have my bad days as well as everyone else
Reply:Originally Posted by claymans13i love cocky guys like you on the job, they get 5 gallons dropped on them so fast...lol
Reply:Originally Posted by smokin_dodgehttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/proficientyou should look up the meaning of the words before you use them.....Slowhand is a proficient welder. until you post up some of your "good work" its difficult to use an adjective to describe what you are. I would go with "mediocre" or "self taught..."good work on the sentence structure and formatting though!!
Reply:They are also being helpful. The welding and mechanic and all sorts of other trade worlds have the informal "code of conduct" they do for a reason, and as folks conform to group mores they become smoother and more professional to work with. The military is also this way. I learned the most from the crustiest, most direct-speaking trainers and long ago figured out I preferred to work with them because they pushed me to improve and never humored me.Since the Original Poster came for advice, how about advising him on staged training and feedback and technique?These threads help many more folks than the person they are addressed to.Maybe drop this one and start a Pipe Training thread, purified of any extra fecal matter and with examples like Irish Fixits torch cutting thread?
Reply:Originally Posted by heimbuckweldingat this time i do not have the lucxury(sp) of helping a pipe welder
Reply:go take a class at the local community college. Most welding programs offer some type of open root pipe/tube weld.As for practice, take a section of pipe and run stringers around it in the 6g position stacking one of top of the other until it starts to look uniform, then take some pipe, grind grooves in it and practice filling them with tig/stick however you're doing it, keep doing those until you have the control you're looking for, then have at it again.ESAB MigMaster 275Miller Econotwin HFMiller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Claymans13, that is the best advice I think I've seen yet! A plan for practice that is heading somewhere. A lot has been said here and there has been some decent advice but I just have to say, Slowhand, you can weld like few can and for that I respect you.You say that you have had the tig pipe training and I am sure a great deal more on top of that. You have more hood time than a lot of people too. But, as far as training goes. Ever thought of getting some training on people skills? You know, how to talk so it doesn't sound like everything is coming from "the crack in the back"?I know welders are a different breed. I buried a cousin a few years ago that was a fitter/welder and a damn good one at that. They called him Mile of pipe Mike if anyone here ever ran across him. He was a real a$$hat too (trust me, I know).It's one thing to gouge on a guy when he hits the job site. But to jump on someone who is just try to better himself, learn something new or just raise his stock prioce when it comes to putting food on the table. That aint right at all! BTW, Heimbuckwelding, THANKS for your service in the Corp!I read a lot of the posts here because I am trying to teach myself some extra skills. I am too old to try and change careers and become some kind of super welder. But I am getting better at sticking two pieces of steel together and making them actually look like welds. I do appreciate what all of the pros have to offer and just got done grinding a whole pile of scrap so I can practice on some heavier steel as I have been asked to help out a friend with some stuff I haven't yet tried.Keep the posts coming everybody. I only chime in when I feel I have something to say and I have said it for now!