Should I get qualified in NDT?

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Should I get certified in NDT? My uncle, who is president of a large mining equipment supply and service company in Western Central Illinois, said he'd hire me to do field welding alongside my cousin once I get my LA City Structural Steel and American Welding Society Certified Welder designation; the college instructors are certified to administer both exams. My cousin, who's been welding for him for a while and is currently in weld school, said that getting certified in an NDT technology like ultrasound or eddy current testing will give me an edge over other welders, and that I could command a higher hourly wage, since I'd have inspection abilities as well as welding abilities. My cousin said that my uncle might even pay for the training courses and exams.Last edited by Protoman2050; 07-18-2010 at 03:24 AM.
Reply:Hi Protoman2050,I've been certified in NDT since 1972 and working in Canada.  Over that time, the welding and NDT professions have changed.  However, they tend to remain separate - very few migrate from one to the other.  Their unions tend to be different too.  My comments reflect the situation in Canada; it could be diffferent where you are.RE: "getting certified in an NDT technology like ultrasound or eddy current testing will give me an edge over other welders"I don't see how being certified in NDT would make you (or me) a bettter welder; a person might have more metal theory (if the weld school didn't provide that) but that's it - of rather limited value when trying to skilfully lay down metal.  Note: Eddy current has little application to welds, ultrasonics and radiography - yes.RE: that I could command a higher hourly wage, since I'd have inspection abilities as well as welding abilitiesI cannot comment on your uncles business, but in most industries, you are either a welder or an NDT inspector - not both.  You are in the welder union or in the NDT union - not both.  e.g. More than 1/2 the certified NDT personnel in Canada belong to one union - Quality Control Council of Canada.  Under union agreements, NDT inspectors are paid according to what they hold in terms of  number of NDT methods and the level of certification in each NDT method.  There is no provision for additional money because you are also a welder.  Non-union industries follow the union lead - with wages based similarly to the union rates = upon the number and level of NDT certificates held.I expect that the reverse is also true; in a union of welders, I expect members are paid according to the 'tickets' they hold - number of certifications for different welding processes (stick, mig, tig, etc.) and for different welding positions (horizontal, vertical, overhead).  I doubt there is any provision for additional money because you are also an NDT inspector.RE: My cousin said that my uncle might even pay for the training courses and exams.Anytime, you get offerred a good deal on education, take it.  In this case, your desire to be a welder and more knowledgeable about NDT might launch you on an NDT career.In times of industry slow downs, I have regularly seen unemployed welders coming in for NDT training - mostly on government sponsored retraining programs.  Rarely have I seen NDT inspectors leaving the NDT profession to become welders; it just doesn't happen.Like I said at the beginning, that's the situation in Canada.  The USA is different, so my observations may not apply to your situation.  Best of luck in your future.Rick V 1 Airco Heliwelder 3A/DDR3 CTC 70/90 amp Stick/Tig Inverters in Parallel1 Lincoln MIG PAK 151 Oxy-Acet
Reply:Protoman2050If your asking if being a certified weld inspector along with being a welder will give you and edge in being hired and possibly promoted over other welders, I would say yes.  I you were  hired in as a welder but then a inspectors position(non welding) opened up and you were a certified inspector and no one else had their certification then you would an advantage.  If I were you I'd check what the requirements would be to become a inspector because I believe it requires 5 yrs of experience.L.A. city and AWS practical test are the samething but to complete the process to get your L.A. city license you need to go to downtown L.A. and take the written portion.
Reply:Education is invaluable, if you can justify the expense then go for it !!!Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT
Reply:I think I will take a course in ultrasonic weld defect analysis, as my uncle would like to advertise that his company has AWS-certified welders and NDT technicians, as he'd like to offer his customers repair and inspection services.
Reply:hey guys, i need to know, where to get la city certified. i live in huntington beach. i have 14yrs welding experience n need this cert asap
Reply:You need to go to downtown LA to the building that issues permits, don't know the exact address but it is on Figueroa.  You sign up to take the test and are required to pay something like $65 and then they will mail you a scheduled test date, which I would imagine would be a couple of months wait time.You will also need to purchase the AWS  code book ($300?) to take the test or borrow one from a friend. You also need to find a testing location to be able to do your practicle test (3g,4g) in stick and flux core.  Some of the local CC are testing locations so you may want to contact your local CC.