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6:17 pm
October 21, 2011
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Hello everyone!
I'm having trouble 'getting my foot in the door' in terms of getting hired on at a proper welding/fab shop as an actual welder.
I did a year long welder's cert course, and got a decent working knowledge of stick, mig and flux core welding. Unfortunately the current attitude in the industry as I have seen, doesn't hold a school certified entry level welder in any high regard.
For an industry which is continuously lamenting over the lack of welders, yet being unwilling to hire people with less than 2-5 years experience as a full-time welder, is to say the least making it very difficult for me to advance past the first steps to achieve my professional goals.
I've been around the trades for a few years, and have done quite a bit of welding, shearing, using big drill presses and knocking out holes with a punch press, and always grinding anything and everything.
I need verifiable experience as a welder/fabricator so I can work my way out of this $11 slump, and am asking any of you guys in the Portland area if there's any work to be done.
Being a real 'hammer on anvil' blacksmith is my dream job, but I know that I first need to be proficient with standard welding and metal fabrication before I can move up to that next level.
I currently work a swing-shift job, which leaves my mornings open. I live in SE Portland near Powell and I-205, but work in the NW Industrial area.
Right now, monetary compensation is not important, experience and references are.
If you don't need help, maybe you know someone in my area who does.
Thanks for your time
Iain
7:19 pm
March 22, 2010
Offline
http://www.navsea.navy.mil/shi.....fault.aspx
check out this and also Naval submarine base Bangar Wa, NUWES, Naval Undersea Warfare Engineering station Keyport Wa
12:46 am
NWBA Member
April 22, 2010
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Well, I am not in Portland, and I am so slow right now that I have zero employees...
That said, I have hired probably a dozen guys with 2 year AA degrees in welding over the years.
And I find them to be quite employable.
In my shop, 90% of the welding we do is Tig, so I wouldnt hire anyone who couldnt do it all- mig, tig, stick, and oxy-fuel.
We have a few good community colleges up near me, and when a kid gets a 2 year AA in welding from one of them, they usually have no trouble getting hired in my area- at shipyards, refineries, small fab shops, and so on.
As in any field, the more you know, the more valuable employee you are- I expect my starting employees to be able to measure and cut accurately, to be familiar with basic fab machines- but I still expect to have to train em.
It takes me about 2 years to break in a guy sufficiently to where they can work largely unsupervised, and do some, but far from all, of the common shop procedures.
Welding is not a real high paying field- I usually get the arty kids, who are willing to work for less, and start em around twelve bucks, and work up to maybe sixteen or seventeen after a few years- but their classmates who want more money and are willing to put up with more grueling work conditions get paid more at places like Dakota Creek, or one of the 3 local refineries- but still, its really rare for a straight welder to get more than $15 to $20, unless he is union- either pilebuck or ironworker.
If you want the serious money, you need to get in the ironworkers union. I have been on jobs where those guys work 6 twelves, with double time for some of it, and weekly paychecks over 2 grand. But man, do they get grumpy, and most of em drink quite a bit too. Aint a job for old men, thats for sure.
5:28 am
March 22, 2010
Offline
Id put you to work but the commute would be grueling... about 300 miles round trip? If you worked all day you might make enough to cover fuel? Ken at Stumptown forge might be someone to call... I dont know what he is doing but look him up and give him a buzz.. Ken is a great guy and if he doesn't need you he might know who to send you to..
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
6:39 pm
October 21, 2011
Offline
Hello everyone, I really appreciate the feedback!
Larry, I was hoping to run into you at the Mt. Hood Blacksmith Conference, but didn't know what you looked like.....There's always next time.
You're right, the commute would be a killer, but would be nice if we were in the same town. I'd love to have a name like 'Monster Metal' on my resume! m/
The Family and I aren't ready to give up on Portland and Pull up stakes just yet!
Ries..I actually think I did talk to you. I was eavesdropping on you and another guy while you both were were eating burritos and talking shop. I need to be a little sneakier if I want to overhear any of those 33rd degree blacksmith secrets 🙂
Yes, Tig welding....I always thought it was somewhat specialized and used mostly for stainless pressure vessels and the aerospace industry, but more and more I see regular fab shops requiring tig welding experience. They TIG at my work, and have been watching the technique, I'd like to try it....but I'm not allowed to practice there.
The colleges in your area must be better than the ones down here. I keep hearing about people who went to school and cite expertise with different welding processes on their resumes, but when they do their weld tests, they fail them....It's apparently a common thing, and people hiring welders, seemingly bunch all the "welding school applicants" in the reject pile.
Right out of school, I would have passed a vertical flux-core test with ease, and probably a short arc mig test as well. But...that was almost 3 years ago, when the economy was REALLY in the crapper and NOBODY was hiring welders.
Fortunately I've been able to do plenty of mig at one of my previous temp jobs practicing during breaks and also grinding and re-doing bad robot welds.
Other places (such as my current employer) discourage lowly temp grinders to *gasp* advance themselves beyond being a semi-skilled laborer.
Fortunately, there's a blacksmith just down the street who runs his business out of his home-based shop. I talked to him yesterday and invited me over to come over and work on his "little hammer" He also has a TIG welder and seems like a thoroughly nice decent guy.
Let's just hope I prove to be useful 🙂
Anyways, I have babbled and been rather long winded.
Thanks again for the advice
7:27 pm
NWBA Member
April 22, 2010
Offline
The community colleges here with welding programs teach directly to welding certs, with lots and lots of practice welding coupons, bending em til they break, and doing it again til you get it right.
Most kids I know at Bellingham Tech graduate with Certs in pipe, structural, and plate- the school itself is a certified WABO testing facility, and the instructors all worked in Industry, most of them for 20 years or more. They work directly with the employers in the area, and teach the actual welding skills that companies want.
What good is a welding program that doesnt teach you how to weld?
Seems like a no-brainer to me.
For me, welding is the most basic skill- and a 2 year AA degree is proof that a potential employee is committed enough to metalwork to spend 2 years of time, and their own money, to get one.
We tig weld most everything, because its gotta look good, and be strong. Flux core is Ok for building truck bodies or bridges, I suppose, but I wouldnt use a little flux core welder on anything I was gonna sell, in the ornamental trades- its messy, and any time you save in welding, you lose again in cleanup.
I have 4 mig machines, and used to have 3 stick welders, til I sold one this summer- but it can often be a year at a time between me firing one up.
But I tig weld every day I am in the shop.
I have former employees who live in Portland, and Tig welding, with fab skills, has meant they usually get decent paying jobs there- welding store fixtures for J Crew, or titanium for scientific equipment, or bronze for sculptors.
Machining would be another good skill to pickup- I spent 2 years at night school in machine shop, and I sure dont regret a minute of it. I am still far from a journeyman, but every arrow you can have in your quiver helps.
10:56 pm
April 21, 2010
Offline
Welding schools are great. Everyone has to start somewhere. I came out of a welding school 48 years ago (damn - time passes quick!) and managed to make a pretty fair living at it. Once you get on a job that is where you really start your education - when you can do it overhead, 100 ft. in the air, hanging on with one hand and welding with the other one, and know in your own mind it will make x-ray is when you can make a few bucks at it. Stay with it, burn lots and lots of rod. Get lots of experience welding OUT of position.
Any welder that that tells you he (or she) never busted a test is either a liar or hasn't really taken many.
Check with your metal trades council in Portland. Tell them you are looking for an apprencticeship with one of the metal trades and follow up. If they are not receptive keep bugging them! The construction trades NEED good welders.
2:30 pm
October 21, 2011
Offline
Hello again
Yes Yes and Yes
I welded tons and tons of coupons, my instructor was a blacksmith apprentice, millwright and was welding in the Navy during the Vietnam conflict.
I also did PLENTY of bend tests. After a while I got tired of passing them all, so I started burying slag inclusions underneath very nice looking cover passes to see if I could get them to fail.
I went for Flux-core welding with the idea that my best chances for employment would be in structural steel/shipyards, not doing ornamental ironwork.
Tomorrow, with hopes of making it a regular thing I will be helping out a blacksmith in his shop, (which is located about 8 mins from my doorstep) in exchange for a welding and metalworking reference, but also see how well I do in terms of producing the same parts 20, 50, 100 times with quality, speed and consistency. He also offered to let me use his welders and stuff for my own projects.
Anyways, I'll let you all know how it goes. Thanks again for the advice!
Iain
He has several welders in his shop, but stated a preference for tig welding.
4:55 pm
NWBA Member
Board Member
April 26, 2010
Offline
Ian, have you enquired at Precision Cast Parts?
No matter where you go... there you are.
4:42 pm
October 21, 2011
Offline
It's been a long time since I noodled around on this site.
I have to fill you guys in and mention that I kicked a weld-test's ass last week and FINALLY landed myself a job as a bona-fide welder-fabricator at one of those structural shops up along the river in N. Portland.
The job starts today...Wish me luck everyone!
I'm so glad I got a lay-off from that last position I had....Things were tough for a WHILE, but are seemingly working out for the better now.
Thanks again for the great advice and support!
11:19 pm
June 10, 2010
Offline
Congratulations and the best of luck. It has been so long since I worked for anyone that I don't even know what a pay cheque looks like.
11:57 pm
May 22, 2010
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Congratulations on the job! I hope that it works out well for you. Job hunting is nothing like it used to be. Glad that I am not really looking for work at this time. Actually I am going to win the Lotto before Larry Langdon does ... I can then get on with my blacksmithing plans and stop having to go to work and earn money ... :bounce::showoff: would rather stay home and play with the power hammer and things that change the shape of metal. I only work so that I can afford the toys I want for my blacksmithing. Some day I will have enough to start working at what I love ... :spin::happy::dance: So with the winning of the Lotto, I will then have a good start!
Anyhow, congratulations!
Brad Roland :hot:
3:05 am
NWBA Member
June 8, 2010
Offline
Brad Roland;15434 wrote: Congratulations on the job! I hope that it works out well for you. Job hunting is nothing like it used to be. Glad that I am not really looking for work at this time. Actually I am going to win the Lotto before Larry Langdon does ... I can then get on with my blacksmithing plans and stop having to go to work and earn money ... :bounce::showoff: would rather stay home and play with the power hammer and things that change the shape of metal. I only work so that I can afford the toys I want for my blacksmithing. Some day I will have enough to start working at what I love ... :spin::happy::dance: So with the winning of the Lotto, I will then have a good start! Anyhow, congratulations!
Yeah, me too !!!:mstickle::mstickle::mstickle:
7:28 pm
NWBA Member
Board Member
April 26, 2010
Offline
QUOTE]"Luck" is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Looks like you've got some!
No matter where you go... there you are.
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