Getting into the TIG Welding Field?

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I've been a high school shop teacher for 4 years and I'm ready for a change. Teaching has been fun but I'm burned out of babysitting and administrative red tape. I'm currently a so so TIG welder but I've been spending 1-2 hours a day burning rod to get my skills up to snuff. I really enjoy the challenge of TIG and would like to try doing it full time.Any ideas or tips to get into the TIG welding field? Most job postings are looking for guys with 3-5+ years of experience. Which certifications should I work towards? Any ideas on getting my foot into the door? I'm willing to relocate almost anywhere. Thanks for any help.
Reply:Originally Posted by barrelrollI've been a high school shop teacher for 4 years and I'm ready for a change. Teaching has been fun but I'm burned out of babysitting and administrative red tape. I'm currently a so so TIG welder but I've been spending 1-2 hours a day burning rod to get my skills up to snuff. I really enjoy the challenge of TIG and would like to try doing it full time.Any ideas or tips to get into the TIG welding field? Most job postings are looking for guys with 3-5+ years of experience. Which certifications should I work towards? Any ideas on getting my foot into the door? I'm willing to relocate almost anywhere. Thanks for any help.
Reply:Thanks for the responseI guess I should have worded it 1-2 hours a day TIG welding. I've worked on a fair amount of 1/8" aluminum and some 10 gauge stainless plate. I feel I'm ready to move on to something a little more challenging. I need to put in a metal order and plan on ordering thin sheets of stainless and aluminum, what gauge/ thickness would you recomend? .040, .080? I'd one day like to get to the college/ trade school level and feel I need some time in industry to be a better instructor.
Reply:If you want something challenging, get ahold of some pipe.
Reply:Yes pipe is where the moneys at. Think stainless, Inconel, and aluminum.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:This is pretty good.  I have been 7 years working on a welding business.  Its finally coming to be what I expected.  I filled the empty spaces by fixing cars.  I have a lot of welding work right now  so the cars have to wait.   The best thing is most of the jobs I have are tig.  Heat exchangers I could weld pulsed spray.  I recommended to the customer I tig everything.  He said yes.  I don't know how well he understands it costs more and takes longer.   He likes the way it looks.  Everything has to be air tight  guaranteed.     The last 3 were oil cooler housings for diesel engines in trains or on ships.  Some of the work I do is for a machine shop.  Its all piece work, so I pulsed spray because I can make far more per hour than tig.Obviously  you can do the work, finding it is the hard part.   Applying at a machine shop would be a good place to start.If you work for your self, get a positioner.  You will be able to do work others cannot which may bring more customers.Good luck, I thought about teaching at BOCES.    I would love the schedule. Summers off.Last edited by David R; 11-02-2011 at 08:35 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.