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Welding advice is only as good as the welder at welding himself, learned that one not soon enough today. Attached ImagesWelding Supervisor Department of Corrections.
Reply:Actually it should say:Welding advice is only as good as the giver is at welding himself.  Like I said I learned that all to late after I followed a seasoned welders advice and ended up with a bead that was half inch when it was supposed to be 3/8.Welding Supervisor Department of Corrections.
Reply:one of my friends told me that a person ran a roll of wire before they figured out they were using straight argon for shielding gas....some people just have no clue.I forgot how to change this.
Reply:before I called a spade a spade, I would make sure he could do what he was advising.  Just cause you can't do it his way don't mean he or anyone else can't.  It just means you can't.  I would ask him to show you how to do it.this is the second post in just a couple days busting some oldtimer's ways.  from the sounds of it I would have guessed if you were in your early twenties.  Imagine my shock when i saw you were 39 according to your profile.
Reply:Normally I would agree with you but the advice he gave was wrong and I verified it by checking with three other long time welders in the shop wording it exactly as he had and with the part in question to be welded.  And let me point out something to you, just because someone is an old time welder does not make them a good welder at all.  If someone spends 20 years doing a procedure and it has been wrong that entire time the years spent doing it don't make up for it being wrong.  There are guys who come into the shipyard with 10 - 15 - 20 years experience verified that don't make it out of the testing phase because they can't run 3/32 7018-m overhead in a corner joint on 1/4" mild steel plate without it turning out like a jagged mess running all over the place.  Have I gotten bad advice from new welders?  Yes, and I have gotten it from seasoned welders as well.Welding Supervisor Department of Corrections.
Reply:That reminds me of someone who tends to hang around this place pretty often... Its a shame when someone is so stuck in their ways that they refuse to see reason, or admit a mistake.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:I take it that you asked for the details on a weld joint.  Next time, ask to see the cartoon (print).  If what you do meets the print details and QC says it's wrong, then you have a leg to stand on.  Otherwise, you're left hanging in the breeze!"The man of great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to the State, because he derives special advantages from the mere existence of government."  Teddy RooseveltAmerican by birth, Union by choice!  Boilermakers # 60America is a Union.
Reply:Well, I do feel for you Big65mopar. In a world where everything has to follow a spec, it sucks to be misinformed, it leaves you looking like the dunce. That sucks.All you can do is learn from it, and do your best to give the best info possible when asked for advice or help. Good luck tomorrow, it's a new day!And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:When I first went into a welding shop, I knew how to weld I thought.  I didn't.  I was "given" to a welder to help him and for him to teach me.  Neither one of us were too happy about the situation.  He was good, real good, but there was a rival that would come along and be all chummy and give bad advice just to mess with me and him.  As I progressed I learned some in the shop want to give bad advice because they can.  I don't know if it is jealousy, fear, meanness, or arrogance and pride.  This rival would give you the wrong settings and then say he didn't trying to make you look like a punk.  He would change your machine behind your back and then make a show out of coming to "help" you get it straight.  He reminded me of the first guy you mentioned.  the general mindset of the shop disliked him and he eventually worked himself out of a job.  when the shop could afford to let him go they did.  He was a good weldor, but a punk to be around.  The more you keep your hood down and the more teachable you are the more you will learn.  The better, more experienced hands will be willing to show you what you need to know if you come across teachable.  If you don't then they won't waste their time.
Reply:I've added some tools to help me out and have found a work around with the first guy with the attitude issues ( funny thing, he was able to help me out with some good advice ).  Your right about my thinking I knew how to weld after I got out of a year long welding program and I did walk into the hiring office like I had a red wood swinging in my jeans but after the first week I was pretty humble and realized that there was allot I didn't know and allot that I needed to learn.  With the way my block is set up I can always tell if someone is behind me where the box is at so I won't have to worry about someone messing with that but the gas is a different story because the regulator is 30ft away.  I'm lucky enough that I can come here for to ask advice from several welders that I trust and respect for the quality of their work that they have shown on here.  I also have my welding instructor from school and a few neighbors I can talk to that work as welders so I'm covered somewhat.   It's possible that if the bad advice was an adversarial issue that it could have come about because a supervisor stated that my tig beads were better than his own or that its just because I'm the new guy.Welding Supervisor Department of Corrections.