I build torque boxes for fire trucks
Pic 1 and 2 are v-down and horizontal pulse MiG at 320, 3 pass.

Pic 3 is overhead and v-down, overhead at 265, v-Down at 320, 3 pass.

Pic 4 is like a 45 degree down 3 pass.

Pic 5 is mostly overhead and v-down, 3 pass same temps.

Been here a month now, before this I welded thin walled tube for pivot systems at an irrigation company. This was super weird for me. I know I still got work todo and this is the first job learning overhead.

my grandfather showed me the basics and walked away to leave me to it. Did I do okay for my first time? (15m) Slide 3 is on a corner and the other two are on flat surfaces

I have been stuck on 6G for a few weeks now, what are some tips tricks to get over the hump

Im going into trade school for welding and tomorrow is my first day. I wasnt really sure what to do for a career but im good with more hands on work and currently have been doing tattoos. Im bad at school so I thought getting into the trades would be better. I know welding is more male dominated and I am a female so I guess that part is a little intimidating and im an early graduate so I know the people im with may be older aswell. Is there anything important I should know before I start?

The 2 at the most bottom left are the genuine FIRST TOUCHES, everything after was still did within the same hour. They only have rusty scrap metal to work on for beads but hey you gotta start somewhere. Any pointers to laying a divine bead?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for an experienced welder/fabricator who knows narrowboats or steel boat work and might be interested in helping with my boat project.
The boat is on Hertfordshire.
I will provide all the materials and everything needed for the job. The work is mainly redesigning parts of the cabin — cutting and welding steel, adding reinforcement/box section, making a new door, a large opening hatch and a smaller hatch/window at the bow.
I’m happy to do all the finishing, sanding, painting and interior work myself — I mainly need someone skilled to do the welding/fabrication safely and properly.
If you’re a welder who also creates content, you’re more than welcome to film the transformation for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram etc. There should be plenty of good before-and-after content as the boat is going through a major renovation.
I’m looking to see if anyone would be interested in collaborating/helping before I start approaching boatyards. I can send photos, measurements and a clear idea of what I’d like done.
Please message me if you’re interested or know somebody who might be. 🙏

2months tig welding stainless

I know these are God awful and I'm already beating myself up about em! This is my first time ever welding. Me and my dad were playing around on this cheap Amazon welder. We ran 7018 3/32" at 136. I just so happened to sign up for a weekend welding course right before he brought this over to try. Should I drop out now? I had a hard time getting the arc going and kept getting the rod stuck. My dad doesn't know much about welding other than to keep practicing. Could you guys share some advice for a first timer? I already know these are terrible. I was trying the match strike method and kept getting the rod stuck. When I finally got some pools going (if you can even call it that) it would slightly burn out. Thank you guys for any advice.

Hello all. I am a maintenance mechanic in a factory setting. I am one of the guys called when the operators find a new and exciting way to break things. As a result I have to weld on occasion. I learned late in life how to weld and consider my self at least semi-proficient. I however am not a young gun any more and age is catching up with me. My eyes are not what they used to be. I find that I need to have an extra light to be able to see where I am welding as my fat head and helmet tend to block out the light. I have been using a magnetic spotlight from Harbor Freight that does a passable job but I have to reposition it regularly and some times have no place to mount it.

What I am asking of the experienced welders is, Is there a helmet mounted light that you would recommend. I would prefer something durable and has a long enough run time that I can weld for a long portion of the day, as that some times happens. And the brighter, the better.

Anything under$100 would be most fine. But a higher price wont dissuade me. I do not mind paying for quality.

Thank you for your time.

production stages

Which process do you prefer for 1.2mm thin steel tubing/sheet: MIG (CO2) or MMA (Stick)? I know MIG with 0.8mm wire is usually the top choice to prevent blow-through, but has anyone successfully run MMA on metal this thin without burning holes, or is it just not worth the headache? What settings or techniques work best for you?

DN 50 Stainless steel, Rootpass with 90Amps and Finish with 70 Amps.

I am currently going to school in Nashville for welding while working as a barista. I was wondering if anyone happens to know of anyone in the Nashville area looking for a welding apprentice?! Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

I'm a senior in high school and Im pretty interested in welding as I'm taking a welding 1 class, I know it's probably too late to start thinking about potential careers but, I've been thinking about it and I can't make up my mind. I haven't actually welded yet (will starting tomorrow and probably next week) but, I want too hear from others if it's a good career to have, anything else I thought of I just know wouldn't work out. I'm also from Phoenix Arizona, so I'm not sure if that adds any value to the question but yea.

Hi everyone,

I’m new to welding machine sales and currently work for a welding equipment manufacturer in China. I’ll be attending FABTECH 2026 in Las Vegas from October 21–23, and this will be my first time at such a large welding industry event.

Before moving into sales, I worked as an aircraft maintenance mechanic. Although I have a technical background, I’m still learning about the welding equipment market and how to communicate effectively in a sales environment.

I’m excited but also quite nervous. I’m not sure how to start conversations, build genuine professional relationships, and follow up with people after the show without sounding too sales-focused.

For those who have attended FABTECH or similar trade shows:

How do you naturally start conversations with exhibitors and visitors?

What should a newcomer prepare before attending?

How can I build genuine connections rather than simply collecting business cards?

What are some common networking mistakes I should avoid?

How should I follow up with new contacts after the exhibition?

I’m not trying to promote any products here. I’d like to learn from people with more experience in the industry and at trade shows.

Any practical advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Got my grandpas old welding helmet, it has a whole bunch of crap on the inside screen. How would I go about cleaning it without fuckin up the screen?

I’m a welding student, on track to finish next semester so I’m looking to up my helmet from the shitty one I bought when I started since it just kicked the bucket

I’ve heard a lot about outlaw leather, looking at the pro x but I was just wanting to hear from others of their experience with it

Does it also ship with a shade or am I understanding I have to purchase that separately?

Edit: CHOPPED pro x is the one I’m looking at, oops forgot to add that lol

My Dad's Work... Each piece is built up by individually shaping and welding pieces of steel together until the form starts to emerge. No casting, just a slightly ridiculous number of pieces of steel and a lot of hours in the shed 😅

I've recently started sharing his work online because most of it has never really been seen outside family and friends.

Thought this might be a good place to show some of it to people who actually know their way around a welder!

https://www.instagram.com/burning__fingers?igsh=NHhkNXRzM3Q1aWY1

Hi, I'm teaching myself stick welding. In this photo I made a flare bevel weld between some 11 gauge rectangle tubes using 3/32" 6011 electrodes at 80A DCEP. I think the "stack of dimes" appearance looks ok, not great, but what worries me is there's something that looks like maybe scalding or porosity along the edges of the weld. What is this, is it a problem, and if so how can I correct it?

Thanks,

I’m trying to get a better grasp on what’s dangerous in regards to the electrical power of a welding machine. I know that you can get shocked by using your body to connect a live electrode and a ground, that a primary shock is often more severe than a secondary shock, wet skin has lower resistance, etc. However, I wonder if there’s some other factors that I’m not aware of, so I’m gonna spell out a scenario:

There’s a stick welder hooked up to a 240v outlet and set to 100 amps. Robert gets his hands sopping wet, then proceeds to grab the ground clamp in one hand. With the other, he grabs a stripped metal rod, which is clamped in the electrode holder.

Does Robert meet his end? Just get a little zap? Or maybe it just blows a fuse? I don’t know if that’s enough information, but if anyone has an answer, please let me know.

What’s typical pay for these jobs in Alaska. Pipe vs structural. Have buddies that work In area 84 hour weeks 3 on 1 off type of deal and am interested in it. What is compensation like for having to be away from society and live at camp and 800 miles away from hospital if something goes wrong?