Any tips for a aspiring welder/fabricator? Fairly new to the industry and been with my company for a few months, fitting into the lifestlye of it all is being abit challenging haha
Well, the most important piece of advice I can give you is to love what you do. Being a welder/fabricator is something you absolutely cannot become good at if you donāt enjoy doing it. That may seem rather obvious, but there are a shit-ton of people out there who for one reason or another struggle every day to get better at doing something they hate.Ā
Now, apart from that itās hard for me to know what sort of tips to offer you. You did not indicate whether or not you had gone to welding school. Iām going to err on the side of caution and assume you did not. Now that leaves a lot of stuff for us to cover - too much. Iām actually going to pass the buck here and hand you off to a few internet resources Iāve used myself over the years.
1) Steve Bleile - This guy is at the top of the list for a reason. Heās an excellent teacher in all aspects of the welding process. Ā He has a ton of videos on YouTube and I suggest you watch them all.
2) Welding Tips and Tricks - Jody is another guy with a lot of practical knowledge. Watch his videos as well.
3) King Metals - This company is the leading supplier of iron and steel parts for the fabrication of gates, railings, fences, and many other projects you may find yourself faced with. They also have a YouTube channel with a lot of good videos geared specifically toward the mig-welding fabricator.
4) ChuckE2009 - Now, this kid is a bit of a hot topic on the internet. Some dislike him, while some think heās fantastic. Ā Personally, I think he has the makings of a very excellent welder/fabricatorā¦ 5 years from now. Also, he needs a mentor if he doesnāt have one already. Still, if you are fresh to the industry, it might do you good to watch some of his videos.Ā
5) Lastly, if you can afford it, buy a small welder and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Everlast sells a small welder about the size of a toaster. It does Tig and Stick. Ā You wonāt get it to put out more than 90 amps while running off a household outlet, but if you have access to a 220 outlet, it will go up to 140. Ask your boss if he minds you taking home a few pieces of scrap once in a while. Practice, practice, practice. Oh, alsoā¦ praaaaaactice.
6) Donāt get discouraged. You probably suck at welding right now. Like, a lot. You wonāt forever. I know it may feel that way sometimes. Donāt give up.Ā
Welding is a fine and noble profession. It is something primal. We harness the forces of nature. We hold the power of the stars in our hands.
Thatās why I call it Prometheus Welding.
Amen to that! I've been welding and fabricating for 15 long hard years. Everything from welding up a hole in a tank full of discarded cow parts in a slaughter house rendering dept. to laying down dimes on some stainless clean enough to eat off of. Just like you mentioned, it's all about practicing. I spent a number of years early on in my career doing production welding. Repetition over and over and... As much as I hated it then, I look back and I am very thankful for those years. Those years made me refine my technique and speed by constantly making me weeks the same joints over and over again. Finally, you need to have a genuine love for it. I feel so lucky to have a career doing something that I love so deeply. Still to this day, I wake up excited about what I am going to create and build. Can't teach that... It's gotta come straight from the heart!! Very well put Prometheus
