[NU_BLUE]

I have a question. Most of you on here are good welders. I was wondering where ya'll learned it? Do you just pick up over the yrs. or were you trained, etc?

I've played around with a stick welder more times than I remember and I've got the basic idea from welding on farm equipment, etc. However, I would like to get into MIG and TIG welding....I'm just curious where to start.

[robz71lm7]

I messed around for a while by myself(couple years) then I set about doing it right. After I became a CWI at work I decided I needed to become proficient at what I was inspecting. I've been taught by our day to day and maintenance contract welders working outages at our plant (coal fired utility boilers). (ASME code, x-ray quality tube welds for those that don't know). I should be taking a tube test tig root, tig hot pass and stick cap in 6G before the end of the year. Lately I've been welding 4 to 6" pipe (not on the boiler but service water in the plant) and some boiler tube with the tube welders that work for me when time permits.

FWIW I've met more than a few expert TIG welders that cannot stick weld worth a damn. In some cases TIG is the easiest process for a 'real' welder because there is so much independent control. BTW, all of our TIG welding at the plant is scratch start w/o remote amperage control, so don't let people tell you that you need the latest top of the line inverter machine to TIG weld. (Just a pet peeve of mine)

Don't listen to the internet hoopla about just burning tons of wire/rod and practicing....that's part of it but you need quality instruction from someone. In fact it's best to get it from multiple people. Everyone has a different way of doing things and you will learn a lot faster than working by yourself.