My advice for aspiring welders, welders just starting out. Learn as much as you can about your trade. Learn to diagnose your equipment, learn and retain the theory, practice until your cant, then practice some more. Read your books about what is scientifically going on when you strike that arc. Learn your alloys aswell. You either be that guy that can run a bead, or you can run that top dollar bead, and be that guy who everyone comes to to answer there questions. I learned this early on and it payed off.
The bulk of my time welding has been in the oilfeild, pipeline and plant construction. I had a young guy tell me once that structural was for the birds, and asked why I did all the structural instead of using my pressure ticket and welding pipe. At the time I was laying out a piperack with a crew and told him that while he burnt rod after rod all day(we weren’t supplied rod) it was 2 in the afternoon and I hadn’t started my welder yet. we were getting paid the same, he still told me it was for the birds. I figured out pretty early on that the structural guy on site was there for the whole job but the pipe guys would be there about half as long. It’s also neat to go back to lots of facilities in the area years later and see steps/platforms etc that you built.
I got a pipe cert in welding school but didn't go to work in the pipeline field so I never had any exposer to pompous pipe welders. Burning rod after rod is what the new guys do. With time and experience you become a fitter. If your worth it, you become the foreman, maybe the owner after that. Why the hell would anyone think it is beneath their status to learn new skills. I just don't get that mentality.
Hello from England. I've watched you on here for a few years now, and I definitely remember your attitude being pipe or nothing back at the start. I'm happy you've moved on, there's lots of fun in variety. I've welded cars with MIG, I've built test rigs for crash safety, I've built exhausts with TIG, and I've modified fences. I've welded sections of bomb proof rooms, to be installed in banks, and I've welded excavator buckets, and I've loved all of it.
Best advice, you never know who is going to be looking over your shoulder, or who is going to be looking at this when it’s done, so do the best you can, always
A real welder can do both structural and pipe The myth is pipe welders are the best welders To be an all around welder that can weld whatever you put in front of them is the actual real welder
Yeah some what ! I kind of get what your saying But a good welder should know his field “welding “ and be pretty good at his craft and not just good enough to get by , also most welders today don’t include being good with back gouging , using a grinder ,and a torch . Tig , stick , fluxcore, mig ( hardwire) , and subarc Working different places Field work (structural and pipe) , fabrication shop, heat exchanger /vessel shops , and pipe shops Will get you there , and with all that day in and day out repeatedly whether you feel like it or not , you really have no choice but to be slick at what you do , a welder with muscle memory especially in places like the pipe shops they known for cracking the whip slave driving with a number they expect you to get everyday , if you can’t they will let you know and if you run a jimmy jammer or a subarc Lol lol
@@whysoserious7014 I don't think that's really so much the case crossing over skillsets from pipe to structural. I believe in specializing and being a master of your trade, but when you've got a trade more or less mastered, why not add another skill? Especially one that's got so many similarities. Thicker steel, big stick welders etc ... hell, another crossover for a pipeline welder might be boilermaking. Lots of welding round things. Much smaller round things, and some tig involved and some exotic steels, but ... well you get where I'm going with that.
my dad told me at a early age to do what others dont/wont do!!! yea its not always the cleanest/best jobs BUT when no one will show up or do the work you can charge accordingly!! I do plumbing/HVAC, commercial air/gas lines & med gas, & sewage pumps!! glad to see you doing good!! Im going to give you another piece of advice to take to heart, DONT EVER GET TO BUSY THAT YOU DONT TAKE TIME FOR THE FAMILY!!! i know starting a business can be hard & you got to keep people happy BUT without family it dont mean much!!
I made that mistake, gone so much providing for the family that I ended up not knowing them. 22 years into things I stopped and looked around and didn't see anyone I knew... My kids had grown up hardly knowing me. Don't make the same mistake the others and I did... Spend that time with the kids, they grow up so fucking fast. You can always make up a lost dollar, but it's impossible to make up lost time.
Woman welder here .... I love welding I'm thinking of starting my own channel... When I first started learning everyone told me that I would not make it as far as I am... But I proved them all wrong I just g graduated top of my class welding better than the instructor. I have unfortunately not found a job yet.... Doing side gigs fixing exhaust systems (thank God for catalytic converter thief's) and trailers. Rock out welders
@@heathenbeast7341 hey you know welding isnt as hard as it seems. And even easier if you already feel that you could have a act for it. Training your eyes on looking at the puddle and just time burning rod is all it takes. Sure uphill 7018 is tricky. But so is it tricky to run it downhill on pipe mainly in my case.
This may be true.... but dont discount the value of proper prep. Sure, you can weld through scale and paint, but it could just make a bigger mess. Same if you cant cut a straight line with a cutoff wheel... now you have uneven gaps to fill. Now.... grinding to make the welds look pretty?? thats a whole other story! "Bondo and paint, makes me the welder I aint!"
Grinding is extremely important; for pipe and structural good prep grinding is critical. For ornamental work like fences, balcony rails, and hand grabs detail/finish grinding is what sets you apart from other fabricators and makes you your money. If you can't grind I believe you have no business running a bead.
A weld you give up is a weld you'll never make up. That metal is money no matter what it is. I love general welding and repairs. Its always somthing new and a new challenge. Great to see y'all doin good. 👍
Never be too proud to take what comes along, i make my money welding and fadricating the stuff nobody else wants to do. Structural, sheet metal, tig work etc. Stay blessed and be safe. Thanks for the videos.
This video was perfect timing, I’m on lunch at my current job in a fab shop making sign structures. Considering going on the road simply because I like welding circles. Good thing I watched this cuz there’s plenty of work in my area that will make me more money in the long run but I had that pipe stuck in my head
I was a structural ironworker and welder for 28 years. Always had work, provided for my family, and provided me with a comfortable retirement. Ironworkers/Welders have immense pride in helping to build America. Good luck with your company, keep your puddle moving fellas.👍👍👍
I'm about to start a job as an ironworkers apprentice with the local union inbetween chicago and milwaukee! My buddies dad is putting his name on the line for me and I couldn't be more grateful (He has experience like yourself). Can definitely confirm they take HUGE pride in what they do. Any tips to impress the guys? The starting pay is already more than double I've ever made and that's scary! Also if you don't mind me asking, is it common for these types of workplaces to take unemployment while searching for contracts? I heard a rumor about that here.
@@JewFroBoi Union ironworkers have to go where the union sends them. I stayed out of the union because I was raising my children, and wanted to be at home every night, not 1000 miles away working.
60 and hour is great money around here that’s a rate job. But he didn’t say how many hours If it’s 84+ hours a week that’s great money, if he was getting 40-50 than it isn’t.
I come from a family of welders and they all used to have the exact mindset you described. I went a different career route and weld as a hobby. I enjoy it and will weld on anything and everything.
I also did this insane staircase, a spiral, laser cut from one piece then rolled. One piece, four stories, we cut the roof open and craned it in and it landed almost perfectly. That was a little over one million, there is literally tons of money doing any kind of welding if you’re excellent at your craft and have the right clients.
Thanks for posting yet another "no bull Video". You speak from the heart. Not everyone likes, or appreciates honesty I call it constructive criticism, I'm my own harshest critic, I reckon to be a good welder, you've gotta be that way.
Great advice. Agree totally with you. That welding rod goes around, flat, uphill, downhill, and even horrible zontal. Just turn heat up or down and keep the hood down and go for it!!! Hope your company takes off for y’all!!!
Appreciate you brother, Ive been watching you since I started my welding journey and you've given me some solid advice these last few years. Glad to see you're doing well.
As a new structural guy I’ve been hell bent on getting into oil and gas work. Thanks for the advice and helping me realize I’ve already got a good thing going. Will definitely still get into pipe to be a better rounded welder but I will not idolize it as I have been. Much love
Great advice for yourself. I'm mostly a pipe guy and miss the other stuff alot. It's way overated just like Tig welding is. Too much of only one thing is hard on the head.
Plan, fit, solid tacking, welder comfort, assure leads are free and not binding, body protection from burns, good fitting non slip shield, easy full vision, correct lens number and never go to dark or too light, these things make for a great weld.
thats sort of where I started out. not custom gates, frames for machines that made computer chips, but an air conditioned shop... for less pay to tig weld than I made mig welding in the weather. paid off my house once I left the air conditioned shop to weld on any crappy farm job that came along. was just scraping by in the air conditioned shop all clean and tig welding. if you want pay, you have to get dirty.
Did that for 2 years after welding school before I called it quits and got a shop job. 70-80 hour weeks, 12-16 hour days on average kills your body. Not to mention you will be away from loved ones and people who depend on you. Some of the worst people I've ever worked with travelled too, alcoholics and drug addicts and miserable pricks who sabotaged their marriage hooking up with some trim out of town. Also gotta room up with those same guys in a shitty hotel because your company wont spend money on a decent one. Foremen take stupid risks and put you in danger to get the job done faster so they can get a bonus, coworkers trying to steal from you, boss running you into the ground rarely giving you more than a few days home before you go back to the meat grinder. It's not a life id wish for anyone really.
Currently about to start my second semester in a welding program at a technical college. I have two instructors, one was strictly a pipe welder for about 45 years and the other was an iron worker and a pipe welder throughout his 43 years. They both worked union and non union. One thing I’ll never forget, “If you weld with one hand you’re half as good as you can be.”
This is true I can weld with both hands, doesnt matter. It's all about the angle. Sometimes you can just bend the rod. But being able to weld left and right handed is very helpful.
Glad to hear you guys are doing well! Congrats on branching out! Just remember, the better advice is always who do you want to be known as, they guy who says no or they guy who gets it done? That was what I was taught by an old timer years ago and it has always got me paid...might not be glamorous all the time, but even at my worst I have always gotten paid. Best of luck to you!
I’m glad u talk about structure welding it’s really fun Man U want to talk about problem solving and thinking 2 steps ahead man I’ve learned a lot from my boss man it’s crazy from all the spirals , platforms and dumpers , tumbledrums it’s something new everyday and man I’m glad u mentioned the bidding aspect u can be losing money with every job or leaving it on the table it’s not easy at all
I’m in Kentucky working since things have been going slow. I’m from Texas coming from the pipeline and i can honestly say. I will never take structural welding for granted again. I’m in the Fab shop learning so much in the six months. I’m glad I’m getting a chance to learn more
I keep telling everyone that pipe isn’t the end all be all. I make the same if not more than pipe guys and I’m home every night with the family. Granted, I own my own company but the premise is the same.
Told a guy I do Structural because I enjoy crawling around and doing tough welds in places a lot of people do not fit, he says to me "What's that pay, 5 Bucks an hour?" That was a huge insult
Jacob, you’ve always mentioned don’t be a one trick pony this is a very good point adding onto this! Great advice and great video my man! Keep up the killer work my friend
I am so happy the hear another welder saying this. I dont field weld, but i do structures, pressur vessels and number of other thing but I have never said no to a job. When other welders complained about some job and even refuse, i said yeah give it to. When work got low, i kept my job and became versitile as a welder. Thnx, god bless and greetings from Canada.
I used to be your part time helper buddy in Texas. I worked with Orex. Now I have my own company. Miller’s WideRange Services. I’m glad your doing good, I enjoy your videos. Keep up the hard work.
My jobs sort of set me up. My vocational high didn't have welding, but I've always loved and been fascinated by welding. Took auto body, so some mig basics. Got a turd flux core and would weld anything at home. First welding job was for a fabrication company, lots of stainless and steel mig/Tig but nothing really requiring a spec. First day, started practicing Tig(not aluminum) and LOVED IT. Next job, all Tig. Mostly steel, stainless and titanium. Cryogenic/vacuum type work. Leak tested with helium, then processed in a high temp, high pressure vessel, >1500°f and >10,000 psi. If it leaked, it can be mild to catastrophic. Next job, building metering pump systems, oil and gas industry. Various pipe welding tests and shielded mig structural for the bases these systems are mounted to. Current job, back to the ALL Tig, same work, different company and AC in the shop! Getting to experience all this has helped tremendously. Not sure if I'd start a business but I'm pretty flexible with the skill. Moral of the story, learn learn learn!
That's a strange way to go about things... "If it's not round, put it down" If someone wants a welder, you can bet I'm interested because a guy's gotta eat, right?
I've heard this "advice" alot in my welding career! I also ignored it and started my own company have been for about 3 years now and never looked back!
Great bit of advice! I’ve always known the self employment route was for me, and it’s fantastic! If you take care of your work, your work will take care of you.
More great advice from The Man Jake. I share your videos with my son's and I make a point to highlight your endless positive attitude no matter what hand you are dealt. Head up..chin up..push forward for your family. She's a lucky woman!!!
BRAH ! Im happy for you because you tapped into how true iron workers think and learn , when there in pickle they make it happen , I remember many years on 66 - 80 story highriser and bridge work and have to think on the spot , and my best little italian forman , would say ," be one with the stinger and you can fabricate anything and dont stop asking those oldimers because the worlds made up of great thinkers " you keep learning Kiddo and skies the limit ! ONCE AND DONE MOBILE WELDING 👊😎
The more you know will always make you more money. Aaron Ross here on RUclips has gone down a similar route as you in his career. The pipeline work came to a halt and now he is doing his own thing doing structural fab/welding. My cousin, aka a pipeliner has had to put his rig to work doing structural work, since the oilfield has slowed down. Interesting to see this video cause it is 100% true. I am an HVAC technician now, cause I ran out of oilfield work myself. HVAC is what I knew before and is saving my pocket now. Definitely always need to have a backup plan.
Started doin my own thing a few years ago most of it does end up being structural and the absolute hardest part of all of it is learning to bid the jobs, the best formula I’ve come up with is materials at cost, keeps me from having to pay extra taxes on it if basically the customer bought it so less I have to deal with. and then the labor I charge 100/hr and I eyeball however long I think it’ll take and multiply by 2 1/2 but I’m also up front with my customers and tell them x2.5 is my bid just in case shit happens and we have problems that were unforeseen that we have to solve( which happens ALOT) however I will be tracking our actual labor time and at the end that is what they will be charged, I haven’t had a customer complain about me doing it that way yet because 99% of the time the bill is less than what I bid it at.
I have welded pipe but not professionally, but I didn't like it at all. I hung steel for a living and was blessed to have a brilliant older welder/fabricator take me under his wing so to speak, and he taught me some excellent lessons on structural welding and fabrication. I love structural welding and have done allot of it and loved most of it.
Great video, I've only done structural welding and started my business full time about a year ago. There is way to much work out there, to much to take it all. Good advice!
Definitely a lot of pride in Ironwork. Some pipers couldn’t do their work without us laying down the foundation for them first. At the same time, as much as I love being an Ironworker, I’m a welder too. If structural is slow, I got no problem picking up a tig torch or a stinger and going to town on some pipe. Gotta make a living any way you can. Keep it up, brother! Stay safe.
Welding is a very diverse skill. You have to find what you like best! I weld in the transportation industry repairing everything that rolls.. I never know what is coming next.. it keeps the job interesting...
That was all I knew and was taught was if it's not round throw it down . I have always loved welding and didnt really care what it was I just wanted to build something. Not only that make it look good . I'm on the production side now not the construction side and have learned so much .. I hopefully want to start my own business welding simply for the fact because I can weld pipe do structural and work on trailers and just do alittle of everything.. like you said it's time to grow up its not all about pipe especially when there is no pipe..
Hey man I’m 32 now and been on my own for the last year trailer repair is my bread and butter and I came from pipe welding..trust me I know first hand they would always tell me ohh you just weld blah blah blah well I learned a lot and had came in handy a lot…and rust is gold for me brother
I concur. I’m a structural fabricator who never worked a pipeline job but knows how to. Working with experienced, very able pipe welders who move into a fabrication setting, I have found that too many of them have not paid much attention to honing their fabrication skills. It’s like having super fine handwriting but not knowing how to write a complete sentence.
I have been in the game for over 20 years. I learned through trade school the basics. I learned on the job to weld anything I needed to weld. The real world taught me to try it all and I’d never go hungry for work. If I didn’t know how to weld something I learned through practice, talking to others and hands on trial and error. I am working in the boiler service industry. I weld steam pipe, stainless water storage tanks , aluminum fuel cells , aluminum water storage tanks, stainless pipe, structural and mechanical assemblies to name a few things. We build from scratch what customers can’t buy and we repair what has to be fixed to keep a business up and running. You can call a structural welder to build the cat walk on the boiler you just installed or finish the pipe work and build the cat walk yourself. You can specialize and that’s great. For a lot of guys that works. For me I have made a career being able to weld whatever lands in front of me. Sure guys are faster when they specialize and work on just one type of weld. Repetition builds speed. My aluminum tank work looks clean and is water tight and my pipe work is as good as guys who do nothing but pipe all day. My stainless pipe is nice and tight with crips bright welds. I’m no Jack of all trades I’m a master welder. Get out there master your craft and go get that money !
Never had weld pipes for no big companies I remember about 10 years ago I was laid off from work and I knew always a little bit about welding in cars I bought and sold fix them I know a little bit about everything I come from a family of entrepreneurs but no one's ever really taught me anything my parents were divorced at a young age and I had a rough childhood coming up but I always like to work on things I remember I went down for this job I was on unemployment actually going to school taking up some Heating and Cooling and Automotive and didn't finish it cuz I didn't have the money to finish it So within this time it was just about to be winter time here in Michigan I got a job off Craigslist an opportunity to start welding so I went to the welding job it was about 45 minutes away from where I lived and I was willing to travel they said it was 20 or $19 an hour and this was 10 years ago which I thought was really good money but I was used to driving a truck and fixing cars not welding everyday they give me a MIG welder I don't remember what exact kind it was and wanted to see if I could burn a weld around this whole thing it was like around pipe and I did pretty good but they didn't wind up hiring me but from there on out I already had a welder because I weld it on cars and trailers and stuff like that I said that I'm going to do my best with what I know and Welding on cars being in the Collision business which I started my own Collision business right after this had happened in 2013 I've always been good at a lot of things Bodywork paintwork Collision building houses whatever it takes but I struggled a long time and I still struggle in my own business but I've always fell back though on buying stuff fixing it and selling it and most of it requires welding trailers and so forth and I self taught myself how to do all this nobody has ever taught me how to weld how to fabricate do any of this and I would like to get more in-depth and bigger and doing welding and just welding but I think what really helped my skillset was working on cars everyday welding quarter panels door skins patching up stuff and really getting ahold of the welder and learning how to use it and all its functions been building all the stands and carts by hand to move the vehicles around and cabs and truck beds and doors I've created some really nice unique things off from thought and a welder I love welding it is became part of my life everyday I've had a couple eye injuries also I've been burnt a couple times from it to flash burn of the skin face and arms and hands I'm not wearing the protective gear so make sure you wear your protective gear always I learned my lesson I don't care if it's a hundred degrees outside wear that mask in leather jacket and gloves but yeah there's a lot of money if you know what you're doing I'm getting into more and more as I go and learning how things work
I use to manage an equipment repair shop working on large mining equipment. I was reluctant to hire pipe welders because I needed guys who could think on their feet and figure out how to approach a wide variety of jobs. Pipe welders could lay nice beads but someone else generally had to set everything up for them. It is all about where you learned the trade and got your experience.
You definitely have to be willing to adapt and grow and reinvent yourself. The best advice I ever received was to “Work yourself into a position of indispensability”
Working for a fab shop in northern Mississippi making 30$ a hour on a 60+ hour week for the last 7 years...I'll never weld pipe on the road again!!!fuck that hot sheet !!!
I was a pipe welder for five years as a Boilermaker, I would run circles around any pipe welder in a high end fabrication shop, they would literally be lost and left in the dust in that kinda environment. Period.
I own Durango welding and all I do is handrails and structural steel. I always said I ain't welding circles. Now that I'm 50 wish I was a little bit better pipe welder
I have been on the fence from moving from industrial carpenter in the refinery’s to welding. I would like to know what actual welders can tell about where to school. If you will
Never heard that but my teachers were two CWI who worked on subway cars and the other two were ironworker before one fell and the other had a kid and didnt want to travel, but a bunch of my classmates went down to Texas and The South for the pipe and they make good, not to knock being a shop welder but whatever makes you work and makes you a good living.
I use to work in the coal mines in West Virginia . So every shift you would get 60 pounds of rods and weld everything that evening and day shift broke. Most of it was 1 1 "1/2 --6" inche plate.
Lots of rig hands finding out that the big dick swinging pipeline life isn't the only end to a means when it comes to welding. You gotta be able to do it all to stay ahead.
I’ve probably only got about a year of experience and about 2 years of school as well. I’m pretty good at reading prints, building structural, even some ornamental stuff. Hell even the more experienced and older guys in my shop know I’m a good fabricator. I downplay it because I don’t think I’m that good, there’s always someone better, but a lot of people I know and work with always tell me “hell you’re not just good, you’re damn good” but I’m getting cents on the dollar in Arizona because it’s one of the most underpaid states as far as trades go. I only make $15.50 an hour currently, and most of Arizona you’re lucky to get $20-25 an hour, when I can work well with others, or by myself, I can read prints very well, and can also fabricate shit out of nothing but my own mind.(boss has given me a few shop jobs saying “I need you to build me this” and all he told me was take measurements and make it, as well as personal projects at home, etc.). I would like suggestions from those of you making good money on where I should go to get paid for my skills. Appreciate any suggestions
"If the glove don't fit, you must acquit". Right? It rhymes, so they let him free. Therefore, "If it's not round, put it down". It rhymes, so it must be true. We humans are suckers for things that rhyme. We automatically think that if it rhyme, it must be a rule bestowed upon us from the sages of the universe.
I make more money doing structural and building custom equipment than any pipe welder out there. Pipe welders think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread and think they make more than anyone. I just laugh and keep doing my thing. I sleep in my house every night and literally have more work than I could ever want. Two more guys got hired in the last month to help keep up. Got 5 guys working as many hours as they want, paid from the time we leave the shop, no more than 2 hours drive time max. Those pipe guy can keep that crap. Oh, we do run pipe, but that’s maybe 5% of the work we do.
I wish more people could get a sense of how much of the value they create on a job goes to bosses and other middlemen, instead of showing up in their paycheck. I kinda regret waiting until I was older to try running my own business.
Started welding in the Navy 1969 . Got out four years later pass a state and city welding test. Was able and got in the Ironworker union .Welded some but like pumping that rebar. Pump rebar for ten years ,then went back to welding and bolt up work. After a few years of all kind of work I just became a hook on for 20 years. Welding can feed you, but hell on the lungs and eyes. Also Chase the hard jobs and don't drink ,drugs are stay up late. Eat a big breakfast ,oatmeal toast and heavy on the butter and peanut butter. A couple pork chops and half a steak and oatmeal cookies and five cups of coffee, for lunch and coffee break. A couple Snickers and chicken drumsticks in the bolt bag. Go home clean up eat a little ,play with the women ,then repeat as long as you can. When the elections pass you the stairs ,time to quit.
Structural welder 50 years and every weld I ever made I looked at and asked myself how can I make that same weld better next time .
My back hurts just reading that comment
Structural welding has more rules than pipe welding
@@lowhydrogen7018a1 yeah and we do all the heights too 😾
And you should. Glad I’m not the only one
thats the secret to every job!💯
An old welder once told me "The more you know the better you will be"
My wife told me the same thing🤔
Can say that about a lot of things not just welding. Always strive to know as much about something you are interested in as you can to be the best
Knowledge is power and common sense will take you anywhere basically what my grandfather told me 😁
@@sebastianalvarado2390 so true
My advice for aspiring welders, welders just starting out. Learn as much as you can about your trade. Learn to diagnose your equipment, learn and retain the theory, practice until your cant, then practice some more. Read your books about what is scientifically going on when you strike that arc. Learn your alloys aswell. You either be that guy that can run a bead, or you can run that top dollar bead, and be that guy who everyone comes to to answer there questions. I learned this early on and it payed off.
I have a hard time retaining information from the textbook
The bulk of my time welding has been in the oilfeild, pipeline and plant construction. I had a young guy tell me once that structural was for the birds, and asked why I did all the structural instead of using my pressure ticket and welding pipe. At the time I was laying out a piperack with a crew and told him that while he burnt rod after rod all day(we weren’t supplied rod) it was 2 in the afternoon and I hadn’t started my welder yet. we were getting paid the same, he still told me it was for the birds. I figured out pretty early on that the structural guy on site was there for the whole job but the pipe guys would be there about half as long. It’s also neat to go back to lots of facilities in the area years later and see steps/platforms etc that you built.
I got a pipe cert in welding school but didn't go to work in the pipeline field so I never had any exposer to pompous pipe welders. Burning rod after rod is what the new guys do. With time and experience you become a fitter. If your worth it, you become the foreman, maybe the owner after that. Why the hell would anyone think it is beneath their status to learn new skills. I just don't get that mentality.
small minded simps treat other people like they're beneath them on the same jobsite. ego battles are for children.
Hello from England. I've watched you on here for a few years now, and I definitely remember your attitude being pipe or nothing back at the start. I'm happy you've moved on, there's lots of fun in variety. I've welded cars with MIG, I've built test rigs for crash safety, I've built exhausts with TIG, and I've modified fences. I've welded sections of bomb proof rooms, to be installed in banks, and I've welded excavator buckets, and I've loved all of it.
I welded this ramp when I was learning about 20 years ago. ruclips.net/video/QAs8urSaVEs/видео.html
Best advice, you never know who is going to be looking over your shoulder, or who is going to be looking at this when it’s done, so do the best you can, always
Love the video. Best part to me guys , is seeing little man hug his dad. That’s why we do it. 🇺🇸👍🏻
A real welder can do both structural and pipe
The myth is pipe welders are the best welders
To be an all around welder that can weld whatever you put in front of them is the actual real welder
That's like being a Jack of all trades and a master of none. Nothing fancy but gets the job done.
Yeah some what !
I kind of get what your saying
But a good welder should know his field “welding “ and be pretty good at his craft and not just good enough to get by , also most welders today don’t include being good with back gouging , using a grinder ,and a torch .
Tig , stick , fluxcore,
mig ( hardwire) , and subarc
Working different places
Field work (structural and pipe) ,
fabrication shop,
heat exchanger /vessel shops , and pipe shops
Will get you there , and with all that day in and day out repeatedly whether you feel like it or not , you really have no choice but to be slick at what you do , a welder with muscle memory especially in places like the pipe shops they known for cracking the whip slave driving with a number they expect you to get everyday , if you can’t they will let you know and if you run a jimmy jammer or a subarc
Lol lol
@@whysoserious7014 I don't think that's really so much the case crossing over skillsets from pipe to structural. I believe in specializing and being a master of your trade, but when you've got a trade more or less mastered, why not add another skill? Especially one that's got so many similarities. Thicker steel, big stick welders etc ... hell, another crossover for a pipeline welder might be boilermaking. Lots of welding round things. Much smaller round things, and some tig involved and some exotic steels, but ... well you get where I'm going with that.
@@notsure7874 Well said, and I can go with that. 👍
BOILERMAKERS hands down the best different welds n tests all the time.
my dad told me at a early age to do what others dont/wont do!!! yea its not always the cleanest/best jobs BUT when no one will show up or do the work you can charge accordingly!! I do plumbing/HVAC, commercial air/gas lines & med gas, & sewage pumps!! glad to see you doing good!! Im going to give you another piece of advice to take to heart, DONT EVER GET TO BUSY THAT YOU DONT TAKE TIME FOR THE FAMILY!!! i know starting a business can be hard & you got to keep people happy BUT without family it dont mean much!!
@@gl9500 That's great but don't neglect time with your family. I made that mistake by chasing the dollar.
@@gl9500 Exactly. That's how I live now. Better late than never.
I made that mistake, gone so much providing for the family that I ended up not knowing them. 22 years into things I stopped and looked around and didn't see anyone I knew... My kids had grown up hardly knowing me. Don't make the same mistake the others and I did... Spend that time with the kids, they grow up so fucking fast.
You can always make up a lost dollar, but it's impossible to make up lost time.
I've never heard of such a thing. Welding is welding. It's all good. Burn that rod.
Woman welder here .... I love welding I'm thinking of starting my own channel... When I first started learning everyone told me that I would not make it as far as I am... But I proved them all wrong I just g graduated top of my class welding better than the instructor. I have unfortunately not found a job yet.... Doing side gigs fixing exhaust systems (thank God for catalytic converter thief's) and trailers. Rock out welders
@@heathenbeast7341 hey you know welding isnt as hard as it seems. And even easier if you already feel that you could have a act for it. Training your eyes on looking at the puddle and just time burning rod is all it takes. Sure uphill 7018 is tricky. But so is it tricky to run it downhill on pipe mainly in my case.
@@heathenbeast7341 Don't let anyone tell you you can't make it. A steady hand and attention to detail will get you a long, long way.
The worst welding advice I ever heard was , you don’t have to be a good welder , but you need to be a good grinder. Words of a hack
This may be true.... but dont discount the value of proper prep. Sure, you can weld through scale and paint, but it could just make a bigger mess. Same if you cant cut a straight line with a cutoff wheel... now you have uneven gaps to fill.
Now.... grinding to make the welds look pretty?? thats a whole other story! "Bondo and paint, makes me the welder I aint!"
thats not words of a hack, prep is everything, thinking fuck it just weld it , is the words of a hack.
still gotta be a good welder tho haha
Grinding is extremely important; for pipe and structural good prep grinding is critical. For ornamental work like fences, balcony rails, and hand grabs detail/finish grinding is what sets you apart from other fabricators and makes you your money. If you can't grind I believe you have no business running a bead.
A Grinder and paint makes you the welder you ain't 😆
A weld you give up is a weld you'll never make up. That metal is money no matter what it is. I love general welding and repairs. Its always somthing new and a new challenge. Great to see y'all doin good. 👍
Never be too proud to take what comes along, i make my money welding and fadricating the stuff nobody else wants to do. Structural, sheet metal, tig work etc. Stay blessed and be safe. Thanks for the videos.
This video was perfect timing, I’m on lunch at my current job in a fab shop making sign structures. Considering going on the road simply because I like welding circles. Good thing I watched this cuz there’s plenty of work in my area that will make me more money in the long run but I had that pipe stuck in my head
I was a structural ironworker and welder for 28 years. Always had work, provided for my family, and provided me with a comfortable retirement.
Ironworkers/Welders have immense pride in helping to build America.
Good luck with your company, keep your puddle moving fellas.👍👍👍
I'm about to start a job as an ironworkers apprentice with the local union inbetween chicago and milwaukee! My buddies dad is putting his name on the line for me and I couldn't be more grateful (He has experience like yourself). Can definitely confirm they take HUGE pride in what they do. Any tips to impress the guys? The starting pay is already more than double I've ever made and that's scary! Also if you don't mind me asking, is it common for these types of workplaces to take unemployment while searching for contracts? I heard a rumor about that here.
@@JewFroBoi I was never unemployed, I worked for established companies, not for myself.
So do unions subcontract to their workers? I'm confused. I'll still be an employee, but if you can't relate I understand.
@@JewFroBoi Union ironworkers have to go where the union sends them.
I stayed out of the union because I was raising my children, and wanted to be at home every night, not 1000 miles away working.
@@freeman4589 Fair enough, seems as though I may be getting lucky with this local one.
"We were just kind of scrapping by"
"We were just making 60/hour"
If that's scrapping by I want whatever isn't scraping by!
But he said he had to provide the welding rig and the materials. Ouch.
Welding supplies, the good stuff, are expensive. And if you're burning rod after rod at your cost, profit starts disappearing fast.
Haha that’s what I just posted
@@RcFlyer49 and for 2 guys, shit he was paying them to work basically.
60 and hour is great money around here that’s a rate job. But he didn’t say how many hours If it’s 84+ hours a week that’s great money, if he was getting 40-50 than it isn’t.
I come from a family of welders and they all used to have the exact mindset you described. I went a different career route and weld as a hobby. I enjoy it and will weld on anything and everything.
I also did this insane staircase, a spiral, laser cut from one piece then rolled. One piece, four stories, we cut the roof open and craned it in and it landed almost perfectly. That was a little over one million, there is literally tons of money doing any kind of welding if you’re excellent at your craft and have the right clients.
1 million profit or total, even so that’s fucking crazy
Thanks for posting yet another "no bull Video".
You speak from the heart.
Not everyone likes, or appreciates honesty
I call it constructive criticism,
I'm my own harshest critic,
I reckon to be a good welder, you've gotta be that way.
Great advice. Agree totally with you. That welding rod goes around, flat, uphill, downhill, and even horrible zontal. Just turn heat up or down and keep the hood down and go for it!!! Hope your company takes off for y’all!!!
Appreciate you brother, Ive been watching you since I started my welding journey and you've given me some solid advice these last few years. Glad to see you're doing well.
As a new structural guy I’ve been hell bent on getting into oil and gas work. Thanks for the advice and helping me realize I’ve already got a good thing going. Will definitely still get into pipe to be a better rounded welder but I will not idolize it as I have been. Much love
Great advice for yourself. I'm mostly a pipe guy and miss the other stuff alot. It's way overated just like Tig welding is. Too much of only one thing is hard on the head.
I'm still pretty new into welding I really appreciate all the good info jake. Stay safe brother.
Am I the only one who would love a collab between jake and Austin Ross?
Austin is a goober, his union hasn't put him to work in 2 years
Plan, fit, solid tacking, welder comfort, assure leads are free and not binding, body protection from burns, good fitting non slip shield, easy full vision, correct lens number and never go to dark or too light, these things make for a great weld.
Cant argue with any of that brother.
I'd rather hang out in an air conditioned shop and weld fancy custom gates, handrails, and furniture than travel around and weld on pipes...
Yeah not alot of people are tough enough for work like that, unless you really want more money..
@@TransAm20000Wr I'm glad some people are, it's work that's gotta be done, and rightly so they should be compensated for it.
thats sort of where I started out. not custom gates, frames for machines that made computer chips, but an air conditioned shop... for less pay to tig weld than I made mig welding in the weather.
paid off my house once I left the air conditioned shop to weld on any crappy farm job that came along. was just scraping by in the air conditioned shop all clean and tig welding. if you want pay, you have to get dirty.
Did that for 2 years after welding school before I called it quits and got a shop job. 70-80 hour weeks, 12-16 hour days on average kills your body. Not to mention you will be away from loved ones and people who depend on you. Some of the worst people I've ever worked with travelled too, alcoholics and drug addicts and miserable pricks who sabotaged their marriage hooking up with some trim out of town. Also gotta room up with those same guys in a shitty hotel because your company wont spend money on a decent one. Foremen take stupid risks and put you in danger to get the job done faster so they can get a bonus, coworkers trying to steal from you, boss running you into the ground rarely giving you more than a few days home before you go back to the meat grinder.
It's not a life id wish for anyone really.
Currently about to start my second semester in a welding program at a technical college. I have two instructors, one was strictly a pipe welder for about 45 years and the other was an iron worker and a pipe welder throughout his 43 years. They both worked union and non union.
One thing I’ll never forget, “If you weld with one hand you’re half as good as you can be.”
This is true I can weld with both hands, doesnt matter. It's all about the angle. Sometimes you can just bend the rod. But being able to weld left and right handed is very helpful.
@@edwardclark3980 i think he was talking about tig compared to stick in that refrence
Glad to hear you guys are doing well! Congrats on branching out! Just remember, the better advice is always who do you want to be known as, they guy who says no or they guy who gets it done? That was what I was taught by an old timer years ago and it has always got me paid...might not be glamorous all the time, but even at my worst I have always gotten paid. Best of luck to you!
Now you’re learning! I’ve welded everything under the sun….,except pipe. I’ve also never lacked for anything to do.
Pipe is Soo hard especially if on a roller controlled by a foot pedal... 🤬🤯🗜️
I love welding but I love making money even more I don’t care what it is if I can weld it and get payed for it I will
100%
Same
I’m glad u talk about structure welding it’s really fun Man U want to talk about problem solving and thinking 2 steps ahead man I’ve learned a lot from my boss man it’s crazy from all the spirals , platforms and dumpers , tumbledrums it’s something new everyday and man I’m glad u mentioned the bidding aspect u can be losing money with every job or leaving it on the table it’s not easy at all
Thanks for that. I’m not a pipe welder but I love welding. Just a big thanks man.
I’m in Kentucky working since things have been going slow. I’m from Texas coming from the pipeline and i can honestly say. I will never take structural welding for granted again. I’m in the Fab shop learning so much in the six months. I’m glad I’m getting a chance to learn more
Happy Father’s Day brother always looking forward with the vids be safe out there and keep on welding
I keep telling everyone that pipe isn’t the end all be all. I make the same if not more than pipe guys and I’m home every night with the family. Granted, I own my own company but the premise is the same.
Told a guy I do Structural because I enjoy crawling around and doing tough welds in places a lot of people do not fit, he says to me "What's that pay, 5 Bucks an hour?" That was a huge insult
Jacob, you’ve always mentioned don’t be a one trick pony this is a very good point adding onto this! Great advice and great video my man! Keep up the killer work my friend
Great advice, thank you so much for sharing that and all the other information that you share on your channel.
Of course, no problem bud. Happy to help and educate. Thank you for stopping by the channel. Hope we see you here more often. ;)
I am so happy the hear another welder saying this.
I dont field weld, but i do structures, pressur vessels and number of other thing but I have never said no to a job. When other welders complained about some job and even refuse, i said yeah give it to.
When work got low, i kept my job and became versitile as a welder.
Thnx, god bless and greetings from Canada.
I used to be your part time helper buddy in Texas. I worked with Orex. Now I have my own company. Miller’s WideRange Services. I’m glad your doing good, I enjoy your videos. Keep up the hard work.
My jobs sort of set me up. My vocational high didn't have welding, but I've always loved and been fascinated by welding. Took auto body, so some mig basics. Got a turd flux core and would weld anything at home. First welding job was for a fabrication company, lots of stainless and steel mig/Tig but nothing really requiring a spec. First day, started practicing Tig(not aluminum) and LOVED IT. Next job, all Tig. Mostly steel, stainless and titanium. Cryogenic/vacuum type work. Leak tested with helium, then processed in a high temp, high pressure vessel, >1500°f and >10,000 psi. If it leaked, it can be mild to catastrophic. Next job, building metering pump systems, oil and gas industry. Various pipe welding tests and shielded mig structural for the bases these systems are mounted to. Current job, back to the ALL Tig, same work, different company and AC in the shop! Getting to experience all this has helped tremendously. Not sure if I'd start a business but I'm pretty flexible with the skill. Moral of the story, learn learn learn!
That's a strange way to go about things... "If it's not round, put it down"
If someone wants a welder, you can bet I'm interested because a guy's gotta eat, right?
It's really a oil and gas industry thing...I also use to say it as well
I've heard this "advice" alot in my welding career! I also ignored it and started my own company have been for about 3 years now and never looked back!
“We were just scraping by making $60 an hour” (115k a year, with no overtime) 😂😂😂
Me actually just scraping by making 20hr lol
When you bring a 100k truck to a job provide fuel consumables insurance and good welding/fabrication... 60$/hour is scraping by
@@nelsontanguay8446 you are 100% right thank you.
Nobody said you had to stay at 20.00 an hour.
@@spyder6100 why so they can have him wait on a call list and take his dues for no reason
Lol feel it but at 8 dollars an hour.
Great bit of advice!
I’ve always known the self employment route was for me, and it’s fantastic!
If you take care of your work, your work will take care of you.
More great advice from The Man Jake. I share your videos with my son's and I make a point to highlight your endless positive attitude no matter what hand you are dealt. Head up..chin up..push forward for your family. She's a lucky woman!!!
Congratulations on your success and hope you will continue with it.
Peace ✌️
Thanks brother.
BRAH ! Im happy for you because you tapped into how true iron workers think and learn , when there in pickle they make it happen , I remember many years on 66 - 80 story highriser and bridge work and have to think on the spot , and my best little italian forman , would say ," be one with the stinger and you can fabricate anything and dont stop asking those oldimers because the worlds made up of great thinkers " you keep learning Kiddo and skies the limit !
ONCE AND DONE MOBILE WELDING 👊😎
we love you guys down here in Florida.....cheers, Paul
Great video brother and great advice! Welcome to my world, the “anything liner”. Proud of you bro, y’all are killing it! 💪🏻 🔥
The more you know will always make you more money. Aaron Ross here on RUclips has gone down a similar route as you in his career. The pipeline work came to a halt and now he is doing his own thing doing structural fab/welding. My cousin, aka a pipeliner has had to put his rig to work doing structural work, since the oilfield has slowed down. Interesting to see this video cause it is 100% true. I am an HVAC technician now, cause I ran out of oilfield work myself. HVAC is what I knew before and is saving my pocket now. Definitely always need to have a backup plan.
Started doin my own thing a few years ago most of it does end up being structural and the absolute hardest part of all of it is learning to bid the jobs, the best formula I’ve come up with is materials at cost, keeps me from having to pay extra taxes on it if basically the customer bought it so less I have to deal with. and then the labor I charge 100/hr and I eyeball however long I think it’ll take and multiply by 2 1/2 but I’m also up front with my customers and tell them x2.5 is my bid just in case shit happens and we have problems that were unforeseen that we have to solve( which happens ALOT) however I will be tracking our actual labor time and at the end that is what they will be charged, I haven’t had a customer complain about me doing it that way yet because 99% of the time the bill is less than what I bid it at.
I have welded pipe but not professionally, but I didn't like it at all. I hung steel for a living and was blessed to have a brilliant older welder/fabricator take me under his wing so to speak, and he taught me some excellent lessons on structural welding and fabrication. I love structural welding and have done allot of it and loved most of it.
“Guess who gets to weld it! Little jakey” 😂😂😂
Great video, I've only done structural welding and started my business full time about a year ago. There is way to much work out there, to much to take it all. Good advice!
Definitely a lot of pride in Ironwork. Some pipers couldn’t do their work without us laying down the foundation for them first. At the same time, as much as I love being an Ironworker, I’m a welder too. If structural is slow, I got no problem picking up a tig torch or a stinger and going to town on some pipe. Gotta make a living any way you can. Keep it up, brother! Stay safe.
Welding is a very diverse skill. You have to find what you like best! I weld in the transportation industry repairing everything that rolls.. I never know what is coming next.. it keeps the job interesting...
That was all I knew and was taught was if it's not round throw it down . I have always loved welding and didnt really care what it was I just wanted to build something. Not only that make it look good . I'm on the production side now not the construction side and have learned so much .. I hopefully want to start my own business welding simply for the fact because I can weld pipe do structural and work on trailers and just do alittle of everything.. like you said it's time to grow up its not all about pipe especially when there is no pipe..
Jacob how about a video of how you and your brother(s) got into welding. By the good looking dog there
Hey man I’m 32 now and been on my own for the last year trailer repair is my bread and butter and I came from pipe welding..trust me I know first hand they would always tell me ohh you just weld blah blah blah well I learned a lot and had came in handy a lot…and rust is gold for me brother
God bless ya jake, you’ve helped me learn alot of valuable stuff the past couple years.
Thanks brother . Glad things are going well for you and your brother ❤️🇨🇦
I concur. I’m a structural fabricator who never worked a pipeline job but knows how to. Working with experienced, very able pipe welders who move into a fabrication setting, I have found that too many of them have not paid much attention to honing their fabrication skills. It’s like having super fine handwriting but not knowing how to write a complete sentence.
I have been in the game for over 20 years. I learned through trade school the basics. I learned on the job to weld anything I needed to weld. The real world taught me to try it all and I’d never go hungry for work. If I didn’t know how to weld something I learned through practice, talking to others and hands on trial and error. I am working in the boiler service industry. I weld steam pipe, stainless water storage tanks , aluminum fuel cells , aluminum water storage tanks, stainless pipe, structural and mechanical assemblies to name a few things. We build from scratch what customers can’t buy and we repair what has to be fixed to keep a business up and running. You can call a structural welder to build the cat walk on the boiler you just installed or finish the pipe work and build the cat walk yourself. You can specialize and that’s great. For a lot of guys that works. For me I have made a career being able to weld whatever lands in front of me. Sure guys are faster when they specialize and work on just one type of weld. Repetition builds speed. My aluminum tank work looks clean and is water tight and my pipe work is as good as guys who do nothing but pipe all day. My stainless pipe is nice and tight with crips bright welds. I’m no Jack of all trades I’m a master welder. Get out there master your craft and go get that money !
That’s some good advice.
Thank you
Never had weld pipes for no big companies I remember about 10 years ago I was laid off from work and I knew always a little bit about welding in cars I bought and sold fix them I know a little bit about everything I come from a family of entrepreneurs but no one's ever really taught me anything my parents were divorced at a young age and I had a rough childhood coming up but I always like to work on things I remember I went down for this job I was on unemployment actually going to school taking up some Heating and Cooling and Automotive and didn't finish it cuz I didn't have the money to finish it So within this time it was just about to be winter time here in Michigan I got a job off Craigslist an opportunity to start welding so I went to the welding job it was about 45 minutes away from where I lived and I was willing to travel they said it was 20 or $19 an hour and this was 10 years ago which I thought was really good money but I was used to driving a truck and fixing cars not welding everyday they give me a MIG welder I don't remember what exact kind it was and wanted to see if I could burn a weld around this whole thing it was like around pipe and I did pretty good but they didn't wind up hiring me but from there on out I already had a welder because I weld it on cars and trailers and stuff like that I said that I'm going to do my best with what I know and Welding on cars being in the Collision business which I started my own Collision business right after this had happened in 2013 I've always been good at a lot of things Bodywork paintwork Collision building houses whatever it takes but I struggled a long time and I still struggle in my own business but I've always fell back though on buying stuff fixing it and selling it and most of it requires welding trailers and so forth and I self taught myself how to do all this nobody has ever taught me how to weld how to fabricate do any of this and I would like to get more in-depth and bigger and doing welding and just welding but I think what really helped my skillset was working on cars everyday welding quarter panels door skins patching up stuff and really getting ahold of the welder and learning how to use it and all its functions been building all the stands and carts by hand to move the vehicles around and cabs and truck beds and doors I've created some really nice unique things off from thought and a welder I love welding it is became part of my life everyday I've had a couple eye injuries also I've been burnt a couple times from it to flash burn of the skin face and arms and hands I'm not wearing the protective gear so make sure you wear your protective gear always I learned my lesson I don't care if it's a hundred degrees outside wear that mask in leather jacket and gloves but yeah there's a lot of money if you know what you're doing I'm getting into more and more as I go and learning how things work
Too long didn't read
Have you ever heard of periods and commas ? Very hard to read.
I use to manage an equipment repair shop working on large mining equipment. I was reluctant to hire pipe welders because I needed guys who could think on their feet and figure out how to approach a wide variety of jobs. Pipe welders could lay nice beads but someone else generally had to set everything up for them. It is all about where you learned the trade and got your experience.
I've welded rust for 20 something years now.
Good show.
You definitely have to be willing to adapt and grow and reinvent yourself. The best advice I ever received was to “Work yourself into a position of indispensability”
so well said. any type of welding is good welding as long as you learn something new everyday. God bless.
Working for a fab shop in northern Mississippi making 30$ a hour on a 60+ hour week for the last 7 years...I'll never weld pipe on the road again!!!fuck that hot sheet !!!
Good morning sir have a great Friday
Great video as always it helps me stay on track for sure.
The best advice I learned about Welding, was if it can be done, do it and look for another variable. God bless!
Great thing about welding is there's such a vast range of stuff to build and weld. Learn to weld and braze as much as you can
I was a pipe welder for five years as a Boilermaker, I would run circles around any pipe welder in a high end fabrication shop, they would literally be lost and left in the dust in that kinda environment. Period.
I own Durango welding and all I do is handrails and structural steel. I always said I ain't welding circles. Now that I'm 50 wish I was a little bit better pipe welder
Just getting into the trade and I have always wanted to do structural work.
Good to hear from you Schofield, good job,
I have been on the fence from moving from industrial carpenter in the refinery’s to welding. I would like to know what actual welders can tell about where to school. If you will
I do it all, structural, pipe, heavy equipment, and now line boring, I bill out the same for that trailer coupler, as I do for a pipe job.
Never heard that but my teachers were two CWI who worked on subway cars and the other two were ironworker before one fell and the other had a kid and didnt want to travel, but a bunch of my classmates went down to Texas and The South for the pipe and they make good, not to knock being a shop welder but whatever makes you work and makes you a good living.
I use to work in the coal mines in West Virginia . So every shift you would get 60 pounds of rods and weld everything that evening and day shift broke. Most of it was 1 1 "1/2 --6" inche plate.
Lots of rig hands finding out that the big dick swinging pipeline life isn't the only end to a means when it comes to welding. You gotta be able to do it all to stay ahead.
I'm a heavy equipment mechanic/ welder. You outta get in on some of that kinda work like ic weld
Heavy mining diesel fitter myself, I loved doing repairs with the boilermaker/welders
Great advice Jake 👍! Baylen sure is growing up fast, wow. Stay safe out there buddy 👍
60 bucks an hour doesn’t sound like scraping by
shit dude I'd quit my job right now for $60/hour lol
they were making 60/hour but had to supply everything for the job, end of the day its scraping by
I’ve probably only got about a year of experience and about 2 years of school as well. I’m pretty good at reading prints, building structural, even some ornamental stuff. Hell even the more experienced and older guys in my shop know I’m a good fabricator. I downplay it because I don’t think I’m that good, there’s always someone better, but a lot of people I know and work with always tell me “hell you’re not just good, you’re damn good” but I’m getting cents on the dollar in Arizona because it’s one of the most underpaid states as far as trades go. I only make $15.50 an hour currently, and most of Arizona you’re lucky to get $20-25 an hour, when I can work well with others, or by myself, I can read prints very well, and can also fabricate shit out of nothing but my own mind.(boss has given me a few shop jobs saying “I need you to build me this” and all he told me was take measurements and make it, as well as personal projects at home, etc.). I would like suggestions from those of you making good money on where I should go to get paid for my skills. Appreciate any suggestions
I am both a pipe welder and a structural welder and I have learned the work "leak" never has a good meaning.
BOILERMAKERS best welders n steel n pressure different welds all the time 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥
"If the glove don't fit, you must acquit". Right? It rhymes, so they let him free.
Therefore,
"If it's not round, put it down". It rhymes, so it must be true.
We humans are suckers for things that rhyme. We automatically think that if it rhyme, it must be a rule bestowed upon us from the sages of the universe.
Interesting
I make more money doing structural and building custom equipment than any pipe welder out there. Pipe welders think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread and think they make more than anyone. I just laugh and keep doing my thing. I sleep in my house every night and literally have more work than I could ever want. Two more guys got hired in the last month to help keep up. Got 5 guys working as many hours as they want, paid from the time we leave the shop, no more than 2 hours drive time max. Those pipe guy can keep that crap. Oh, we do run pipe, but that’s maybe 5% of the work we do.
I wish more people could get a sense of how much of the value they create on a job goes to bosses and other middlemen, instead of showing up in their paycheck. I kinda regret waiting until I was older to try running my own business.
Just scraping by at $60 an hour! Sh-it I wish!
good to see you back
Started welding in the Navy 1969 . Got out four years later pass a state and city welding test. Was able and got in the Ironworker union .Welded some but like pumping that rebar. Pump rebar for ten years ,then went back to welding and bolt up work. After a few years of all kind of work I just became a hook on for 20 years. Welding can feed you, but hell on the lungs and eyes. Also Chase the hard jobs and don't drink ,drugs are stay up late. Eat a big breakfast ,oatmeal toast and heavy on the butter and peanut butter. A couple pork chops and half a steak and oatmeal cookies and five cups of coffee, for lunch and coffee break. A couple Snickers and chicken drumsticks in the bolt bag. Go home clean up eat a little ,play with the women ,then repeat as long as you can. When the elections pass you the stairs ,time to quit.
Perfect advice
Do it 'well and correctly'
Words to live by.
Getting it on proper.......nice 🤘
thanks for the info ! YOU be Blessed. 🙏
Just subscribed, can't wait for more solid content. Take care
Kickass!! Thx from TEXAS