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Here are some questions I have about becoming a welder.
1#What are some tools of the trade I should be familiar with as a welder?
2#What does a typical day look like on this job, what should I prepare for?
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2 answers
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John L’s Answer
Hello Luis,
You will need a basic tool kit to start, including a ball peen hammer, chipping hammer, combination square, vice grips, wire cutters, channel lock pliers, and a chisel or scraper. You will acquire tools as you go, depending on the type of job you get, as it could be in fabrication, production, maintenance, or combination of several. Of course you’ll need a welding helmet, scull cap for underneath, safety glasses, welding jacket, gloves, jeans and steel toe boots.
To answer your second question , a typical day also depends on the type of job you’re hired to do. Fabrication work, you measure, layout and cut pieces to build something according to blue prints, then weld it altogether.
Production work, is basically either tack welding pieces together in fixtures, and/or welding them up, or welding larger items such as truck trailers all day.
Maintenance welding is repairing anything that breaks and/or building things to replace worn out items or to make new. It could be anything in an entire facility that needs welded or mechanical work repaired.
I’ve had experience in all three and more. Of these, the Maintenance welding and Fabrication welding are most rewarding to me, because of the sense of accomplishment I got every day was very fulfilling!
I hope this helps andfeel free to ask more questions! It doesnt hurt to learn more than one trade, which will make you multi dimensional, and more valuable to employers as well !
Good luck, John
You will need a basic tool kit to start, including a ball peen hammer, chipping hammer, combination square, vice grips, wire cutters, channel lock pliers, and a chisel or scraper. You will acquire tools as you go, depending on the type of job you get, as it could be in fabrication, production, maintenance, or combination of several. Of course you’ll need a welding helmet, scull cap for underneath, safety glasses, welding jacket, gloves, jeans and steel toe boots.
To answer your second question , a typical day also depends on the type of job you’re hired to do. Fabrication work, you measure, layout and cut pieces to build something according to blue prints, then weld it altogether.
Production work, is basically either tack welding pieces together in fixtures, and/or welding them up, or welding larger items such as truck trailers all day.
Maintenance welding is repairing anything that breaks and/or building things to replace worn out items or to make new. It could be anything in an entire facility that needs welded or mechanical work repaired.
I’ve had experience in all three and more. Of these, the Maintenance welding and Fabrication welding are most rewarding to me, because of the sense of accomplishment I got every day was very fulfilling!
I hope this helps andfeel free to ask more questions! It doesnt hurt to learn more than one trade, which will make you multi dimensional, and more valuable to employers as well !
Good luck, John
Updated
Norman’s Answer
At a bare minimum a weldhood and steel toe boots. From my experience about half of employers usually provide tools. It really depends on industry you are working in. I've primarily done TIG and done every thing from architectural products thst were fast production to medical, pharmaceutical, and aerospace for me there is very much a thing of trying to find the expections of the employer and their customers because they can differ drastically.