Would I be able to find a job if I refuse to work with thorigated tungsten?

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I am not unreasonable.   I would pay out of pocket if need be to use 1.5 % Lanthanated Tungsten electrodes which perform better than thorigated tungsten. I don't want to be welding with a nuclear fuel like uranium or thorium.  Many new nuclear reactors use thorium in addition to uranium as a fuel.  I have no desire to be fumigating myself with thorium. My concern is that I would not be able to find a job if I refuse to work with thorigated tungsten, even if I provide out of pocket a better alternative like Lanthanated Tungsten.
Reply:I'm not gonna say anything about your opinion or what you believe, I'm gonna comment on how an employer will see it.  Innterviewing a new guy, one of hundreds of resumes on my desk.  Plenty of people looking for work.  Enough people are looking for work, that I don't need to cater to one person's wishes.  I think that with this economy, anything that can raise a redflag will keep you from getting that position.
Reply:Could I get in trouble for just bringing my own 1.5 % Lanthanated Tungsten electrodes?  My desire to get into welding is that it is an in demand career I could immigrate to Norway with. I would probably be working on an oil rig or ship yard.
Reply:I'm much more concerned about the 1/2 pound of black muck that I blow out of my nose at the end of each shift, the result of grinding and all the other nasty things associated with a fab shop. My hands look like those of a skid row junkie and I've got so many burn scars on my body, that I have lost count. Thoriated tungsten is the last of my worries.
Reply:As a future-employer, Id hire you. I dont see how its that big of a deal unless the job specified the use of a certain kind of tungsten.[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Originally Posted by TinbasherI'm much more concerned about the 1/2 pound of black muck that I blow out of my nose at the end of each shift, the result of grinding and all the other nasty things associated with a fab shop. My hands look like those of a skid row junkie and I've got so many burn scars on my body, that I have lost count. Thoriated tungsten is the last of my worries.
Reply:Weldingdude not trying to be critical but i beleave your worried a little to much . I would not let it cause me a shot at a job i've been weldin with this stuff sence 91 the company i work with requires a full physical every two years blood work,x-rays ,and pulimanary function due to the exposure of the heavy meatals we deal with. I beleave I am more at risk due to the xrays than the tungsten exposure so id say don't sweat it dude and just go with it and like jmtibbens said don't raise that red flag before you get your foot in the door.don't  be mad cause i can be mad cause you can't!
Reply:If the shop has welding procedures in place and you don't follow them then a picky inspector can kick you out.
Reply:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=13220Dude, that stuff is pretty harmless. See this thread...[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingdudeI would probably be working on an oil rig or ship yard.
Reply:They might have work with pipeline work,  I am not certain what I would be doing to be honest.
Reply:Originally Posted by Lansehttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=13220Dude, that stuff is pretty harmless. See this thread...
Reply:How old are you and have you ever done any welding?
Reply:Never welded a day in my life, almost 30.  I am considering getting a 2 year degree in welding from my local community college.   My dream is to move to Norway, so I need an in demand job, and a 2 year diploma to prove my abilities to Norwegian immigration.  My other option is IT work in networking but I have to study programming for 4 years which would have no application to a job in networking, and I hate programming already.
Reply:There are other hazards to consider way before you worry about thorium.  Chrome salts and zinc come immedaitely to mind.  Those two will get you quick, the thorium will take about 20 life times.  It is one of those deals where they gave a lab rat a redicilous exposure like 2000 times normal every day and then said look it causes cancer.  The idea your express is noble, but you will become one very noble hungry and unemployed person pretty quick.  If you do not raise a flag and use what ever else you like when the job permits you have done way more than enough to protect your great great grandchildren from any possible ill effect. Get the job, become known for good quality work, then when you have experience and credentials you might be able to refuse to do certain things.  As a future employer, sorry dude, NEXT!  Thats the way of the world man, sorry to bust yer bubble.BobI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:So I guess you never spent one day inside of a welding or machine shop?If not boy! are you in for a rude awakening.....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:No offense, but you sound like a dreamer to me. Seems as though you got the cart well ahead of the horse. Best of luck!
Reply:Go into a different field. And change your user name to worrywart. Have u ever struck an arc?
Reply:Originally Posted by TinbasherNo offense, but you sound like a dreamer to me. Seems as though you got the cart well ahead of the horse. Best of luck!
Reply:Gonna weld for Santa?? He's WAY old school!!! All he's got is 2% thoriated!!! Sorry dude!
Reply:I would say it all depends on. How good of a weldor you are... as u have never welded, even after a couple of years of school you will still be at the bottom of the barrel.  I would say forget tig and like Zap said focus on getting a pipeline welding cert with SMAW.   If you can do perfect 6G unlimited thickness you will always have a job and no radiation heh..Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Forget the Speedglass w/hepa filter. Tin foil work so much better...Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Originally Posted by grumpycricketGonna weld for Santa?? He's WAY old school!!! All he's got is 2% thoriated!!! Sorry dude!
Reply:no money for school and talking about a speedglas with filter, sailing away to Norway and dictating to your boss. best advice i could give you is hope in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up quickest or stow away on a freighter.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:No time for whinersYou came to a forum of hard men that do a hard job to the best of there abilitiesBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old TruckOriginally Posted by WeldingdudeI like to research, plan ahead, and be prepared.   Before I do anything, or make any big decision I try to think through the consequences of the that action.I am going to give it my best shot to get to Norway.
Reply:Originally Posted by boatbuoywhile you are researching,you'll find there is no such thing as thorigated tungsten.
Reply:Weldingdude,You come to a welding forum and the first question you ask is "where can I make the most money".You've never struck an arc and are already refusing to use a product many on here have used for years.The job shop is full of hazards that will make thoriated tungsten look like childs play.  Are you also going to refuse to weld stainless steel?Frankly, it sounds like you're looking into the wrong field.  Maybe it would be better for you to stay with the IT.  At least there you won't get your hands dirty.  Not sure those dainty fingers would look too good wrapped around a torch anyway.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprodsno money for school and talking about a speedglas with filter, sailing away to Norway and dictating to your boss. best advice i could give you is hope in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up quickest or stow away on a freighter.
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIIWeldingdude,You come to a welding forum and the first question you ask is "where can I make the most money".You've never struck an arc and are already refusing to use a product many on here have used for years.The job shop is full of hazards that will make thoriated tungsten look like childs play.  Are you also going to refuse to weld stainless steel?Frankly, it sounds like you're looking into the wrong field.  Maybe it would be better for you to stay with the IT.  At least there you won't get your hands dirty.  Not sure those dainty fingers would look too good wrapped around a torch anyway.
Reply:"The thorium fuel cycle is a nuclear fuel cycle that uses the naturally abundant isotope of thorium, 232Th, as the fertile material. In the reactor, 232Th is transmuted into the fissile artificial uranium isotope 233U which is the nuclear fuel. Unlike natural uranium, natural thorium contains only trace amounts of fissile material (such as 231Th), which are insufficient to initiate a nuclear chain reaction. Additional fissile material or another neutron source are necessary to initiate the fuel cycle."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_fuel_cycleSeems like Thorium-232 isn't radioactive enough to be used as a nuclear fuel source. It has to be transmuted into Uranium-233. Thorium-231 is fissile but is only found in trace amounts. I think you should do more research before you worry the crap out of yourself. I also read somewhere that you have to breath the dust from grinding the Thoriated Electrodes as the minute amount of radiation it gives off cannot penetrate your skin.Brad GeorgeCurrent Equipment:AIRCO Heliwelder IV 300Amp Model - Total Awesomeness!Old 120v Hobart Handler MIGVarious grinders, cutting tools, hammers, clamps, ect..."I'm an amateur welder with lots left to learn..."
Reply:Speaking of reading. An excellent text for this misadventure..."Dream the impossible dream...."Last edited by WyoRoy; 12-25-2011 at 01:29 PM.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Originally Posted by blasphemy000"The thorium fuel cycle is a nuclear fuel cycle that uses the naturally abundant isotope of thorium, 232Th, as the fertile material. In the reactor, 232Th is transmuted into the fissile artificial uranium isotope 233U which is the nuclear fuel. Unlike natural uranium, natural thorium contains only trace amounts of fissile material (such as 231Th), which are insufficient to initiate a nuclear chain reaction. Additional fissile material or another neutron source are necessary to initiate the fuel cycle."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_fuel_cycleSeems like Thorium-232 isn't radioactive enough to be used as a nuclear fuel source. It has to be transmuted into Uranium-233. Thorium-231 is fissile but is only found in trace amounts. I think you should do more research before you worry the crap out of yourself. I also read somewhere that you have to breath the dust from grinding the Thoriated Electrodes as the minute amount of radiation it gives off cannot penetrate your skin.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingdudeI don't mind hard work, and getting my fingers dirty,  I do mind working with hazardous materials and I take it very seriously.It probably is the wrong field for me, but it is the lowest hanging fruit and if the quickest route to where I want to be. Also welding is probably a higher demand field than IT in Norway.    I don't care if I have to scrub fecal matter off toilets for 12 hours a day every day if it means I can become a permanent resident in Norway. There is no way I am going to weld with thorium no matter how safe it is reported to be, if you can burn it in a nuclear reactor as fuel, I aint welding with it. If I can't not weld with it, I'll look into IT work.
Reply:Originally Posted by WyoRoySpeaking of reading. An excellent text for this misadventure..."Dream the impossible dream...."
Reply:Billy Mac sneak back in the door??Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingdudeI know a lot more about the thorium fuel cycle than you think, but I still wouldn't want to vaporize it while working.  I would much rather work with 1.5 % lanthanated tungsten.
Reply:Originally Posted by blasphemy000I didn't mean to imply that you knew nothing about it, but I do think you are a little too worried about the risks of thoriated electrodes. Thousands of people have used these electrodes for many many years with no ill effects. I recently switched to 2% Lanthanated electrodes myself, but I made the switch because they work well on DC- and AC welding so I only need to keep 1 type of electrode on hand. To be honest, I'm more worried about all of the damage from the UV rays given off by the welding arc. I used to do a lot of welding wearing a t-shirt and I've gotten my skin burnt from the rays many of times. I don't do it any longer, but between the burns from the welding arc and working in the sun for years, when I get older I think I'll have to be more worried about skin cancer, especially since my dad had a couple small spots of it removed from his face.
Reply:I hope that the pipe line from Canada to the U.S. gets approved in the next 60 days by Obama, that would be good for both the U.S. and Canada, and I assume it would open up thousands of jobs on both sides of the border (including for welding).My .02 worth.Working on cars and bikes is my hobby, learning to weld the pieces together is my quest.
Reply:Well relax then, and dont worry about the tungstens. You'll be fine, we promise Just out of curiosity, where are you now, and what makes you want to head off to Norway?[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:>>I watched someone close to me die in pain from cancer and beg me to shoot them, they had no insurance and I don't want to go like that.<<I had a Heart Attack 5 years ago, was in the Hospital for 2 weeks while having a triple bypass.None of the above costed me a dime out of my own pocket, in fact when I left the Hospital they gave me many months of medication (pills), and I go back every 3 months for checkups, none of which involves an out of pocket expense here in Ontario Canada.Our Health Care system costs approximately half (per person) than it costs in the U.S., and everyone in Canada is covered as such.  I do not know where all the money goes in the U.S. Health Care system to be honest.Our system is no perfect here, but at least we do not worry about the expense side of things when we become ill.And I can tell you this for sure, I may wait for a number of hours in the Emergency room if I go there with a cut finger, or fever; however, I can tell you from personal experience that when you go through to Emergency with something critical (e.g. Heart Attack) then the whole Hospital stops for you (you are immediately Number 1).Regards to all.Working on cars and bikes is my hobby, learning to weld the pieces together is my quest.
Reply:Your over reacting Weldinngdude, Alot of mainstream places are already moving away from 2% red Tungsten now and it will probaly be completely gone in a few years. IMOJust like safety belts were phased out for harnesses in the 90's, By the time the compliance date came around everybody was up to speed even some of the backwoods places I was around.Anyway, I always thought the exposure from breathing the dust while sharpening it was probaly worse than welding with it. That's just my opinion. Wearing a respirator while engaging in any welding or grinding is a good idea.The welding business is full of hazards all of which can be successfully mitigated through a variety ways, first the hazard needs to be recognized then it can dealt with through engineered safegaurds, use of PPE and Training to use proper procedures.Alot of it has to do with personal attitude and the employer attitude, this stuff can be as safe or as dangerous as you can imagine.
Reply:Weldingdude- have you considered some of the other industries in Norway like forestry?  Do they consider being a forester, silviculturist or feller-buncher/processor operator as skilled labor?  And DavidSim- WTF?  How are your comments about a pipeline and Ontario health care even remotely related to Norway.  Ease off on the egg-nog, man.Lincoln AC225 & MigPak 140, Lincoln Magnum SpoolGun, Miller Spectrum 375-X Plasma, Syncrowave 200 TIG, Millermatic 252 MIG, Miller Digital Elite, General 7x12" horiz/vert bandsaw, 3' box/pan brake, 20 ton press, milling machine, 12x28 lathe, etc.
Reply:I think Weldingdude better not mention he uses a welding forum.  I would not touch him with a ten foot pole if I was an employer.  All an employer will see is a litigation hound in the making.... someone who files greviances as often as he changes underwear.  Thorium is being used less and less in industry but why bring someone to the table looking for boogey men.   I worked on an aluminum project and saw people panic stricken about ozone yet same people would not bother to wear any breathing protection while welding flux core.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingdudeIt may be irrational on my part,  I realize it is safer than uranium but if it can be burned for fuel in a nuclear reactor I won't be welding with it. If I can't get around using it, I'll go into a different field.
Reply:IF you can get a job in the first place, having no experience with only a 2 year degree to stand on, you would be a fool to turn it down. That's a big if.  Middle aged men with no experience don't exactly command lots of attention from hiring managers.  Stick with what you know.Personally I think you're a fool anyways, but that's just me.  Hundreds more things to be worried about in a weld shop than tungsten.  Hell, one chest x-ray will likely give you more exposure than you would get from a lifetime of working a weld shop.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:they should have shot you. Originally Posted by WeldingdudeWell exposure to thorium vapor is only one concern of mine among many,  it was hard to track down a reputable manufacturer that made special UVC (as well as UVA/B and blue light) protective goggles, I also plan on wearing a hepa respirator even though I am not sure of any real benefit against inhaled metal vapors. I take probably 50 supplements a day shown to have anti-cancer properties, and I focus my diet around anti cancer foods. I watched someone close to me die in pain from cancer and beg me to shoot them, they had no insurance and I don't want to go like that.   That had a profound effect on my mind, and I've never been the same since then.  As others have said I probably do worry too much, but it's just part of who I am,  I've always tried to er on the side of safety, and prevention.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingdudeMy life is pretty quixotic, I tell people hey a video I did the editing for just made it on national TV they think I am a liar, until I show them the paycheck.I came here to get my bearings, ask questions and research welding before I settled on it as a career to get to Norway.
Reply:Originally Posted by fdcmiamithey should have shot you.
Reply:Originally Posted by lotechmanI think Weldingdude better not mention he uses a welding forum.  I would not touch him with a ten foot pole if I was an employer.  All an employer will see is a litigation hound in the making.... someone who files greviances as often as he changes underwear.  Thorium is being used less and less in industry but why bring someone to the table looking for boogey men.   I worked on an aluminum project and saw people panic stricken about ozone yet same people would not bother to wear any breathing protection while welding flux core.