Your 1st welding job

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When you guys became qualified welders what was you first welding job?...did some of you guys go straight into structural,pipe,production,shop work,shop donkeys  ,welders helpers?What kind of wages did u guys start on? Did u enjoy it when you started working in the welding trade and are you happy of your life choice of becoming a welder
Reply:There is no qualified welders here, wrong site. I took an intro class to welding first, and liked it. After the intro class, my first job/s listed below.. First welding job, I was welding fillet welds on plates to use for i-beam clips. Then I went on to weld structural support beams for roof top units. After that job was complete I went to pipe welding. All this happened in about a 2 year span. After that, I wanted to learn more and get better, and enrolled in welding school and completed that. Then I went back to welding pipe and various other things. lol I mostly weld pipe ( Exhaust, gas, High pressure steam, water, etc, etc..).For Wages, I'm a union contractor, so I do ok...For me, I l really like to weld. I did the traditional schooling, got my degrees, wanted to pursue to a different career path, but while in school and working I really took to welding, so after I graduated, I became a Union Mechanical Contractor specializing, in HVAC, Plumbing and Welding..   I don't consider myself just a welder.
Reply:First welding job was day after I graduated High School.still only 17yrs old.. Job was 40 miles away. Making only 10$ an hour. Welding countless stainless steel fittings .i did it only to get experience cause I figured I noone would hire me without it but needless to say it gave me good basic TIG welding experience with stainless steel and I landed a WAY better job not even 6 months later...
Reply:I mostly do farm repair, since I'm just about to take my first structural exam. How much do I get paid? However much I want, that's the beauty of being freelance.
Reply:My first welding in earnest was helping my dad weld some bar onto cross members on his stock trailer before putting in a new floor. That was 21 years ago.  His evaluation was "that'll hold."  I was 14 at the time.
Reply:1983 @ $4.75 an hour welding and installing restaurant exhaust hoods and ventilators.
Reply:Originally Posted by polarred211983 @ $4.75 an hour welding and installing restaurant exhaust hoods and ventilators.
Reply:Got out of USAF in 1994, started truck driver, mechanic, welding, fabrication at $9.00/hr.It was for a septic pumping and wrecker business and all jokes aside - it was CRAPPY job.Dave J.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:started welding in 1989 for $6.25/hr/I was TIG welding parts at H&M metals for Digital Equipment Corp.3 hours of training, & into a booth I went.  They trained 2 of us the same day, the one that picked it up quicker got to be a welder.The other guy went back to the grinding room..That other guy still can't weld for ****..Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:One day I decided I'm gonna open a metal fab shop, didn't knew anything about welding, I even tried to Tig without gas, I had to learn how to weld cause welders asked insane salaries.Things were good till the global economy failed in 2008.I'm ashamed of a few jobs I asked money for.If I could start over I would get a nice desk job and stick to it, you can make lots of money welding but it all depends on ONE THING " who you know"After only 8 years of welding my knees are toast , eyes not what they used to be, nervous system degraded a lot , lungs .. don't want to think about.Right now I'm starting a new business in motorcycle repair--------------------------------------------------------------www.becmotors.nlyup, I quit welding.. joined welder anonymous
Reply:First job welding was piecework in 1978 on the nightshift. Tig welding .035" alum tube  backpacking frames for Wilderness Experience Inc. Averaged $2.25/hr.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:2" wet taps at a local pharmacutical company. Chillers were running, loop temp 52 degrees. Had to crank heat and several passes 6010 to be sure I got some penetration. After I ran a bead of 7018, I could put my hand on thread-a-let and not get burned. Im still waiting for phone call that they failed/leak, broke clean off....Lincoln Power MIG 210 MP ( boat anchor )Lincoln Weld-Pac 100 HDHobart IronMan 230Cutmaster 42Jackson NexGenSumner Ultra ClampsDWM120
Reply:My first job after I got my first structural welding ticket was not welding. I had to arc air out some deep cracks in heavy steel at one of the local wood mills. After the gouging was complete, I welded them back up with 1/8 7018. Was making $25/hr.No helpers, just me and one other welder who was also a journeyman sheet metal guy.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:1979, USAF welding on F111-D fighter jets so that heroes could go out and shred them all over again.Two turn tables and a microphone.
Reply:My first job was a couple months ago. Got tired of having to call people come out to fix corrals so figured I'd better learn. Bought a Lincoln 180 and started hanging out here asking lots of questions and listening even more. Terry, Wookie, Moderators and others chimed in. Practiced a lot, still buggering but penetration is good and stuff's not falling apart anymore. Used Lincoln 180; $400. Scrap and practice; free. Good friends on WeldingWeb and large ears to listen with; priceless!!!
Reply:Graduated welding school in the spring of 95, went to work in a union pressure vessel shop building superheaters. Lots of FCAW, TIG, and gouging. Stayed at it for 1-1/2 years, had 14 certs, and was making about $16/hr when I drug up. Then got into millwright/mechanical type maintenance. Been at it every since, run a small shop at my farm to satisfy my welding bug.
Reply:Dad taught me to weld a little in High school on a Mig 110v, thought it was cool.  Then a friend took me into the welding lab at the school and showed me a TIG at 300 amps on full blast and I never looked back...First job was welding stainless for a weather proof box companythen stepping into off road racing for the next five yearsOnto manufacturing then became a CWINever had a drop a regret
Reply:I learned as a freshman in high school about 10 years ago, stuck with it every semester. After graduation I landed a job as a helper at a local conveyor shop. Moved up pretty quick with the previous experience. Now I'm an ASME pressure vessel mechanic. I must say there's no greater glory in fabrication, especially at my young age. I'll never do any other welding again if I can help it
Reply:I started Out at home with my dads homemade welder when I was about 12.  I never just got a job welding for the next 10 years. I could just weld so someone always put me to work doing that. I got my journey man card in 1960 in portland Or. working for Fabri Valve co. I was welding for them when a Journey man job came up. so I took it.  I started building tools in 1970 for industry and did that till I retired.  Mac
Reply:My first joj was to fix my little 5-ton bearing press.  The cheap Chinese chinkomachine welds on the sill plate failed.  I had just got a new Lincoln AC225 arc-box and was dying to try it out.  I think I used a combination of 6013 and 6011 on there because I ran out of one or the other.  They still hold to this day.  I since sold the Lincoln for a Miller XMT which is 1000x better, though it's only DC.  If I have to use AC I have a little 70A 120V Campbell Hausfeld that works fine for most stuff.