How does welding experience change the way you think?

admin

Hi all,I'm an amateur writer who's working on what's hopefully to be my first novel. For some reason, I decided that my main character was to be a shipyard welder, even though I previously knew nothing about welding.I'm now reading up on both the theory and practice of welding, but I know that this won't tell me how a professional welder would really think. Anyone who does anything for long will start thinking in terms of that thing, even when they're doing something else. For example, I've done role-playing as a hobby so I sometimes talk about things in game terms ("this argument we had was a little unpleasant but don't worry, our relationship still has plenty of health points left and the damage it took will heal soon enough"). I've also adopted analogies from programming, economics etc. other fields that I've done or studied.My main character has about four years of professional experience as a welder, so she would certainly sometimes adopt analogies from welding to the way she spoke and thought. But I don't have that four years of experience myself. And even though I can try to invent plausible analogies based on what I learn about the field, I worry that they will come across as inauthentic for as long as I don't have extensive hands-on experience of what the job is really like.So I would like to ask everyone who does have more welding experience, particularly professional experience: what kinds of welding analogies have you personally used in your life, either in speech or just thought? And do you notice your experience shaping your thought in some other way, or are there situations where you can notice a clear difference between yourself and non-welders? (For example, I imagine that professional welders might be more aware of questions of fire safety than the average person, and that this might sometimes cause an argument or two.) Plus if you can think of anything else that might be of use for me, all the better.Thanks in advance for all your replies!
Reply:Im no professional but I go by a saying in my one man farm held operation."When in doubt, 7018 it out. " Sent from my C811 4G using Tapatalk
Reply:Here is some reading for you that shows how welders may look at somethings differently than others. It might help some or it might not. It helps a lot to know something about welding to really apreciate what is being said though. It is intended mostly for laughs, but there is a big grain of truth to most of them too.http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...be-a-weldor-ifBe ready to read for awhile, as it is pretty lengthy, only 697 replies so far. By the time you get through all of them, there may be a few new ones added.
Reply:being a welder made me think i should've been a writer!i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Originally Posted by docwelderbeing a welder made me think i should've been a writer!
Reply:Since your character is female, you've got a lot of woman-in-a-predominantly-male-industry miles to cover, or at least touch upon, as well.
Reply:My SMAW welding class starts Monday.  Why don'[t you join me and get some first-hand learning experience?  BTW: You might mention where you are located.  Also, welcome to the board.  Hope you aren't a t/v.  Not sure how that will fit.  JerryLast edited by storeman; 05-15-2014 at 07:49 PM.Reason: Clarity30+ yrs Army Infantry & Field Artillery, 25 yrs agoMiller 350LX Tig Runner TA 210, spool gunLincoln 250/250 IdealArcESAB PCM 500i PlasmaKazoo 30"  vert BSKazoo 9x16 horiz BSClausing 12x24 lathe20T Air Press
Reply:While I'm not a welder by trade, based on my reading of this forum and the welding classes I've attended, I believe there is one phrase you're going to have to work into your book, "A grinder and paint make a welder what he (she) ain't"This is also one of those classic trades where a good welder makes it look easy.  People often want things fastened by welding, but don't see an inherent value in the knowledge, equipment and skills it takes to 'weld on demand,' on someone else's project.  That is, nobody wants to pay a welder what he or she is really worth.  The equipment to weld is tremendously expensive, there is an absolute requirement to understand what is going on at a metallurgical level, and everyone changes their mind halfway through the project (which requires a GREAT deal of time to 'undo' what you have already done and start from scratch again).Last edited by Machine_Punk; 05-15-2014 at 08:28 PM.Kevin / Machine_Punk from The Aerodrome Studio - Lincoln PowerMIG 210 MP - Meco N Midget w/custom welding station - Vintage Victor 100Current Projects: The Aerodrome Studio
Reply:One thing you might want your character to know is that a person doing welding is called a weldor, spelled with an "o".And a welder (with an "e") is a machine that makes it possible for a weldor to accomplish the welding process.It seems to be a "little know" factoid of the welding trade, perhaps your character will have learned the difference in your novel.
Reply:My wife says I cuss a lot more, since taking up the "skill" (...or lack of).    Is this normal???? Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerweldOne thing you might want your character to know is that a person doing welding is called a weldor, spelled with an "o".And a welder (with an "e") is a machine that makes it possible for a weldor to accomplish the welding process.It seems to be a "little know" factoid of the welding trade, perhaps your character will have learned the difference in your novel.
Reply:Welding, mechanics, and fixing stuff, show many qualities of life.Think about it, fabricating from scratch, patching things up so they get by, fixing things to the best of your ability.Those traits transfer into our daily lives....Food for thought....~JohnJust a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:Hmmm, to a person, every weldor can not help but examine nearly every weld they see once the bug bites.  Especially at first!City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Originally Posted by BistineauHere is some reading for you that shows how welders may look at somethings differently than others. It might help some or it might not. It helps a lot to know something about welding to really apreciate what is being said though. It is intended mostly for laughs, but there is a big grain of truth to most of them too.http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...be-a-weldor-if
Reply:Originally Posted by tanglediverHmmm, to a person, every weldor can not help but examine nearly every weld they see once the bug bites.  Especially at first!
Reply:>>"A grinder and paint make a welder what he (she) ain't" >>>"I'll keep that saying in mind. Could you elaborate on its meaning a bit?"Visual characteristics of a weld give clues to how well the welding was done. For example, there can be a lot of spatter (little balls of steel that attach themselves to the area surrounding the weld) indicating low voltage, or it can show undercut (caused by welding too hot, or not pausing long enough at the edge of the weld); a ropy weld can be too cold. The weld can show cracks, or porosity. The grinder / paint saying means that a less talented welder can cover up the visual signs of mistakes by removing some of the visual indicators with a grinder, and covering with paint.Last edited by asdf; 05-16-2014 at 05:34 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by asdf>>"A grinder and paint make a welder what he (she) ain't" >>>"I'll keep that saying in mind. Could you elaborate on its meaning a bit?"Visual characteristics of a weld give clues to how well the welding was done. For example, there can be a lot of spatter (little balls of steel that attach themselves to the area surrounding the weld) indicating low voltage, or it can show undercut (caused by welding too hot, or not pausing long enough at the edge of the weld); a ropy weld can be too cold. The weld can show cracks, or porosity. The grinder / paint saying means that a less talented welder can cover up the visual signs of mistakes by removing some of the visual indicators with a grinder, and covering with paint.
Reply:Life in a shipyard or for that matter life around the docks is VERY different from your middle class viewpoint.  I am not saying that shipyard workers are all bottom feeders but there are a good percentage of people with life problems, substance abuse, domestic violence, money problems, divorces.  Only certain people will put up with the wet dirt and cold.  As for romance in the workplace.  I have never seen it end happily.   If you are a welder, male or female, you will always have a burn somewhere on your body.  It may only be a few dots on the back of your hand that are red with a couple of them infected.  Your hair is short because it gets to be a bother keeping it out of the way under a doo rag or wrap of some sort.  You cloths smell of smoke and even the vehicle you drive to work has the tell tale odour.  The only way to get rid of it is a complete bath and change of clothes and if you dumped those cloths in the laundry hamper ..... well you will smell it next time you walk by.   I remember coming back from Christmas and I asked the security guard at the gate if he had a good Christmas.  He was on shift during holidays and a cop came by with a pay stub.  They found a body downtown and the only thing he had on him was a pay stub with an employee number.  In a large yeard there are hundreds of worker and each is really only a number.   Often hard hats identify your job.  White hats are supervisors.  Red was welders, fitters were blue, labourers were orange, electricians were green , etc etc.
Reply:[QUOTE=ksotala;4184121]Oh, thanks a lot, that's a great thread! Only read a few pages so far, but I particularly like the comments about starting to inspect the welds on everything while out shopping. That makes perfect sense, but I wouldn't have thought of that myself, at least not yet.Keep reading, and you will see where weldors can identify things by the way they smell when hot/burning, like what kind of welding rod is being used, coatings that are on the metal being welded, either paint, oil, rust or what ever, and also the smell of their burning clothes when accidently set on fire while welding or dried grass under your feet. Once the hood drops, the only thing you can see is what is going on in the arc. In a lot of work sites, your hearing may be impaired due to the sound of other things going on around you. Like engine drive welders, loud grinders, saws, someone pounding on something with a hammer to get it to fit in position, cranes working around you with back up alarms sounding, etc. So you can lose some of your sensory perceptions, vision, hearing, feeling due to being covered up for protection from the heat, sparks, UV rays. But the sense of smell still can alert you to something that is amiss. Like I said, your clothes starting to burn before you feel the heat from it, you may smell it first. Then you need to quickly decide whether to finish the weld if it's a critical one that needs to be done in one pass, or stop to extinguish the fire before you are seriously burned. Certain types of paint, like vinyl can take your breath when you try to breathe it in while it's burning. You start to inhale, and it hits your nose and your diaphragm quits expanding to inhale. You HAVE to get away from it QUICK, just to be able to keep breathing. Bad stuff to try to breathe. Just a few examples. Continue reading the thread for more info like this.
Reply:Here's another thread you may find interesting. It is right inline with your subject matter.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ight=ship+yardUse the "search" function for shipyards for more threads on this topic. Type in shipyard, and hit the magnifying glass icon.Last edited by Bistineau; 05-16-2014 at 07:48 AM.
Reply:I can suggest a 2 books-zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance - shop class as soul-craftWhen you work on something, in effect you are working on yourself.http://fucdatbirth.blogspot.com/
Reply:Shipyard construction overseas involves a mixing of cultures.  Not sure where your novel is set, but yards in the pacific, and south america are frequently staffed with people from all around the world.  The big offshore yards that build oil rigs and such frequently pull welders from India, the Philippines, Vietnam, etc.  So language and cultural barriers can be a real problem.  If you want a historical perspective, check out the history of the British Empire in India.  Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, all working in close proximity on railroads, and other large public works projects....Something else you might look for are cheats that disreputable welders use to finish work more quickly.  'Slugging' being my personal least favorite.  Slugging is the practice of stuffing a weld joint with pieces of scrap metal and then welding overtop to create the appearance of a quality weld.  The scrap shows up readily on any X-ray or Ultrasound inspection.  This is a very stupid and dangerous practice as it creates a weld with severe defects that will fail.  It's most often found in thick sections that are meant to support heavy loads; the worst possible place for any defect.  Not sure what your storyline is, but this sort of thing could be the foundation for a mystery, or a reason for someone to be fired, etc.I'll second the comment about workplace romance.  I've never seen it turn out well.  If this is a part of your storyline, it ought to be tragic.Shipyards overseas are often incredibly dangerous places.  Check the internet for stories about the breaking yards in India.  Old container ships go there to be scrapped.  Often the death-rate for workers is measured in deaths per day.  Life can be very cheap; see the story about the Turkish coal miners recently killed for another example.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doSomething else you might look for are cheats that disreputable welders use to finish work more quickly.  'Slugging' being my personal least favorite.  Slugging is the practice of stuffing a weld joint with pieces of scrap metal and then welding overtop to create the appearance of a quality weld.  The scrap shows up readily on any X-ray or Ultrasound inspection.  This is a very stupid and dangerous practice as it creates a weld with severe defects that will fail.  It's most often found in thick sections that are meant to support heavy loads; the worst possible place for any defect.  Not sure what your storyline is, but this sort of thing could be the foundation for a mystery, or a reason for someone to be fired, etc..
Reply:Originally Posted by ksotalaI was already thinking that she'd develop a romance with her co-worker who's also been acting as her mentor so far.
Reply:Well we weldor's have plenty of time while we are under the hood to think  Originally Posted by ksotalaAlright, thanks! I figured it would be something like that, but wasn't entirely sure.Like the other person said, nothing preventing you from becoming one.  I need to focus on my "real jobs" (part-time programming, part-time college studies) while writing this too, writing's something that you can often do on the side of something else... though if your head is full of ideas for your latest story and your mind refuses to think about anything else while you should be focusing on your job, then that can be a problem.I  don't know what I am thinking half the time anyway so I can't answer your question......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcSpeaking of this, does anyone care to guess on why the "o" and the "e" are used differently in the "welding" world?  I just found  the answer in a book and I'll put it out to all if interested.  Just curious what others here think its origin lie.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcSpeaking of this, does anyone care to guess on why the "o" and the "e" are used differently in the "welding" world?  I just found  the answer in a book and I'll put it out to all if interested.  Just curious what others here think its origin lie.
Reply:you guys and your "weldor" :facepalm:welders cuss and complain a lot, that's all I got
Reply:Getting real tired of buzzes I get from welding. Tried using welding masks, also 8 inch overhead, fume remover, 1400 cfm.  Still get those hallucinations. Could be from grinding metal too.Wish this could be resolved. More like 10 years and still cannot resolve this aspect of welding, grinding.Charl
Reply:Its been welder for a100yrs and now all the metrosexual guys wanna be a weldor. Put a k at the end of it and you can keep it.  I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:I had to look it up: AWS says "weldor" is incorrect usage.http://www.aws.org/wj/2012/WJ_2012_08/index.html#/74/(bottom of the page)
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeIts been welder for a100yrs and now all the metrosexual guys wanna be a weldor. Put a k at the end of it and you can keep it.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcMy wife says I cuss a lot more, since taking up the "skill" (...or lack of).    Is this normal????
Reply:@ ksotala - begin your journey with http://www.thenewatlantis.com/public...s-as-soulcraft.  Understanding why humans gravitate towards creating & building will aid you in your journey."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:I seem to be able to drink a whole lot more since I started welding.
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeIts been welder for a100yrs and now all the metrosexual guys wanna be a weldor. Put a k at the end of it and you can keep it.
Reply:Sorry for the silence, real life has an annoying habit of causing interruptions for writing projects.  Originally Posted by lotechmanAs for romance in the workplace.  I have never seen it end happily.