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hello to to all my name is matt i am a mechanic here in memphis tn..nice to meet u all  if yall chould help i need some advice on my future... i have been a mechanic for the past 5 years and i realized that the highlight of my day is if i get to weld or fabricate some metal even if only for 5 mins.. so i signed up for a welding course at my local college...  aight now when i get done with my colege training for welding what should i do next since i am lookin to make a carreer out of welding?? should i join the union? do they make the most money?? what types of welding whould be best???'''thanks matt
Reply:The most important thing to learn is safety! As for types of welding, the basics, stick, mig, tig, and oxy acetylene. You'll develop your own personal preferences, but it's good to be proficient in multiple welding techniques. As for what to do when you're done with school, most colleges have a job placement assistance program. A small job shop is a good place to start because they probably won't require any experience. Once you get a few years in there, then you can start looking at the better paying large factory type jobs that require X number years of experience. As for unions, I assume you mean the trade unions like pipe fitters, thats four or five more years of on the job training, and they have their own welding program you have to go through, kinda makes your college course pointless. I've been in a trade union, I didn't like it, I'll leave it at that. On the other hand I've worked for a factory that really could have used a union.
Reply:As far as unions I have no advice. I started out in a container yard as a helper and made good money doing that at 17. Worked there for 5 years and when I left I was the yard supervisor, I also learned everything I needed to know there. I have been running my own mobile rig now for 3 years and love the freedom, I still learn something new everyday I work, listen to all the advice you can take in. The money isnt to bad either.
Reply:There are several larger unions that a weldor could find a home. Ironworkers, Pipefitters, Millwrights and Boilermakers are the ones that come to mind. All have jurisdiction in various parts of powerplants, papermills, etc. All have apprenticeships, some are more difficult than others to get into, some make more money for their Top Scale while others have more work period.      I know Boilermakin' a little and have worked around the rest enough to know that they produce some dang fine craftsmen. Not all Boilermakers are weldors, nor are the rest of the unions strictly that line of work either. A Boilermaker is a Mechanic first, a plate weldor second or maybe a pressure weldor (tube) also. Being "on your tools" as a Boilermaker can mean a host of varied jobs, especially as an apprentice. 6,000 hrs and 4 years of 3 week summer classes earns your Top Scale or Journeyman Mechanics pay, with the pay increasing in increments as the hours accrue. Boilermakers stick, tig and mig depending on the job, all of which you will get your shot at learning in Apprenticeship School.       Google BNAP and read on. The college course your looking at taking will be your foot up on the other would be Boilermaker apprentices. Documented Post High School welding  instruction would get you higher up on call up list to get indentured as an apprentice in the Boilermakers. Your nearest local would be Local 263 in Memphis, and I have worked with some good hands out of that hall. Read the BNAP website, talk to the other halls and figure which is the better deal for you.Miller ThunderBolt AC/DCMillermatic 130XPDewalt 4 1/2Dewalt RecipCE Chop Saw3rd Period Boilermaker ApprenticeLocal 454, Chattanooga TN
Reply:There are several larger unions that a weldor could find a home. Ironworkers, Pipefitters, Millwrights and Boilermakers are the ones that come to mind. All have jurisdiction in various parts of powerplants, papermills, etc. All have apprenticeships, some are more difficult than others to get into, some make more money for their Top Scale while others have more work period.
Reply:Originally Posted by MacHineGunMaTTthanks for all these replys i know some about the millwrights union my dad was a union millwrights worker and i got a uncle who is a journeyman millwrights and goes around the world working makes a killing.. my dad on the other hand mad good money normally 17-25 dollars a hour but i want more than that. im looking for like 25+ and hour and i want to use m own rig... and get paid for it. what union will pay me these kind of wages... of course i know this is after i become journeyman and have years under my belt... i just want to make the right decision from the start and invest my time in a career that will be very succesful and fill my bank account LOL!!!
Reply:Get your skills up and get your certifications.I believe there is money to be made in welding but more money if you can fabricate and make that end product as a result.good luck!
Reply:If you are looking to run your own rig and get paid $20+ an hour I would say check out the Pipeliners union and possibly the Operating Engineers. The OEs have mechanics that go around and fix the heavy equipment. Honestly this sounds like it may be the best use of your mechanic background and your desire to weld and fabricate. I would say that your day could easily be 50/50 welding/mechanic type work. You could operate your own rig and own your own business. http://www.local798.org/http://www.local798.org/online/templ...pplication.pdfI have an Ironworkers book but have logged over 7,000 hours boilermakin over the years. I think if I had it to do over again I would be a boilermaker or a pipefitter. I really enjoy welding tube and pipe. I also think that the Boilermakers and the pipefitters respect their weldors more than the Ironworkers do. I am not sure why my trade does not view welding as a serious stand alone skill but it is what it is. Do not get me wrong I love working in the Ironworkers and welding heavy plate. In the Ironworkers most of your welding will either be FCAW(flux core wire feed) or SMAW(stick) welding. Every now and again we will have some tig welding on an ornamental job but for the most part its either going to be stick or wire feed. Most apprenticeships in the Ironworkers are 3 years with a handful of locals doing 4 years. My local up here in Hartford does 4 years. The welding training is top notch if you are into welding heavy plate. I will say that I think the Boilermakers have a more comprehensive welding training than the Ironworkers or the Millwrights. The pipe fitters are pretty good as well but obviously the emphasis is on pipe welding with mostly stick and tig. Again my feeling is that the Boilermakers offer the most comprehensive welding course of the trades. With them you will see stick, tig, and wire feed on plate and tube.Hope this all helps and best of luck.http://www.ironworkers.org/becoming/http://www.bnap.com/index.htm'MikeEdit: The both the Ironworkers and the Boilermakers also have "shop guys". The rate for Ironworker shopmen is less than a guy working in the field. I am not sure how this works for the Boilermakers.
Reply:dude dont cornhole yourself in one field..Damn sure dont card up in a union gig untill you know thats what you want... do every job you can get your hands on and when you get bored go do something else.. figure out what you like and then get to the top of the heap.Air vantage 500 on the 08' KWharris torchesl25 pro suitcasecomletely restored 1969 SA200 redfaceon my 08' duramaxPIMPN AINT EASY
Reply:I would say thats wise advice overall. I would suggest trying to find a small company where everyone does a bit of everything. Some shop welding and fabrication and some field welding.'Mike
Reply:i got a question i know when u join a union apprenticeship u have to do some class work.. aight now were are those training centers at? will some union require u to move if there is no school around u???
Reply:In my area they have nightly welding school.To be honest I love to weld but I doubt I could weld 8-10 hours a day.
Reply:Usualy there is a school near to the union hall. I know that some of the Boilermaker lodges(locals) do not have their own apprenticeship training and send their guys to Kansas City to the Internationals school house for 148ish hours of training. My understanding is they do it all in one full swoop for like 4 weeks in a row out at KC. I THINK your local/lodge pays your housing fees and whatnot but I am not sure and would certainly ask your hall about that before you sign up.The school is broken up into classroom and hands on. I would say its a 60/40 split between hands on and in the seat class room stuff. The class room stuff is anything from print reading and layout to OSHA 30 or asbestos training. The hands on is mostly welding but also runs into use of O/A torches and plasma cutters. Depending on your hall and what kind of work they typicaly see in their jurisdiction you may get some other training like running a shear or bender or other shop type tools. Some of the hands on will also cover rigging and some of your class room will cover rigging. Truthfuly there is a lot to learn if you are going to be a decent hand. Don't blow off the class room stuff thinking so long as you can run a good bead you will be ok. Its tough to find a cat that can burn wire, layout, and work with the tools and be good at all of it. These are the guys who work steady. You will certainly find work if you can burn wire or just lay out...but you are more employable if you can do many aspects of the trade. 'MikeMerry Christmas everyone
Reply:Originally Posted by KChoatedude dont cornhole yourself in one field..Damn sure dont card up in a union gig untill you know thats what you want... do every job you can get your hands on and when you get bored go do something else.. figure out what you like and then get to the top of the heap.