What Makes a Welder?

admin

Here is something that was givin to me that I can really relate to. WHAT MAKES A WELDER ?A welder is the guy you’ll find working on a high plains pipeline in January at twenty below, or inside a boiler in the California desert at 105 degrees. He might be asked to back weld a joint in a section of pipe hot enough to melt a hard hat, or to do repairs at the top of a box section where elbow room and visibility are near zero. At a construction site, the welder is sometimes expected to weld joints that were easy to design on paper, but are nearly impossible to reach in a real life situation. On especially tricky jobs, he may have to weld in a tiny pocket, watching his progress with a hand mirror and trying to read his reflected movements backwards. Sometimes, high on a structure, the welder has to put up with gusting winds that threaten to blow away his gas shield while he attempts to block the drafts with his body. Despite all this, he has to weld the joint right the first time. There are no second chances and no opportunity to fix mistakes. Every job a welder does ,every second of arc-on time, is permanently etched in steel and visible to everyone who passes by.Unlike most workers, many welders must continually prove their ability, recertifying on every new job and every welding procedure they will use on that job. Since there is no guarantee that he will pass a certification test, the welder must keep practicing everything he knows, while learning new techniques every chance he gets. Welders on big projects must often wait by the phone for jobs, and when the call finally comes, they frequently have to travel long distances and live away from home for extended periods. If hired in the middle of a project, they must meet existing deadlines without complaint. And, while the wages are sometimes good, pay increases are often out of the question because of the short-term nature of the work.Yes, it’s often a tough job, but we’ve got a devoted group of people who are willing and eager to do it. That’s why I take my hat off to the welders of America. They possess levels of skill, resolve and professionalism that are rare today in any work force, anywhere. And that is what makes them absolutely essential to the well-being of our country.I thought this was a good descripion of what we do.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:That about covers it.
Reply:Very nice Tozzi, and spot on.   But thing's are changing.I'd rather be hunting........USE ENOUGH HEAT.......Drifting around Aussie welding more pipe up, for something different.....wanting to get home.