Stick welding

[Van]

I think I hate it....atleast when it comes to using a 1940's style of welding helmet that makes it nearly impossible to work on a weldmont on a table at stomach level or lower. The problem with the helmet is that the window is set at a level that makes it good for chest level up to head level and perfect for overhead while the newer designs including the auto darkening have a viewing area thats set lower making it great for bench work and good for kneeling and good for work up to face level and ok for overheard work. The tool bags that are part of our program have the new auto darkening 3 sensor shields but the instructor wont let us use them because he wants to be sure that we can weld with these old style helmets first and if we cant then we get kicked out of the program. His thinking is that there are places we wont be able to take the auto darkening and now that Im thinking about it it will basically be the same for the old style.

 

[stogie5150]

Speaking as an aluminum MIG welder/tacker for 8 years...your instructor is absolutely correct. Learn how to use the old style helmet, then graduate to the auto darkening. I didn't trust the auto helmets, although its been a few years since I used one, I have been out of the game for a few years now.

But one thing I CAN tell you: burnt eyes are NOT fun.

Oh, and good luck! I miss welding sometimes...but not enough to do it again...LOL...not for money anyways...


EDIT: something I forgot. See if you can get a shield with a flip lens. Then you can flip up just the lens to see your work without lifting the whole shield. Plus it protects your eyes and face when you using the chipping hammer or wire brush/wheel.

 

[Van]

I can understand his reasoning its just the lack of thought in getting it across by saying that an auto darkening helmet wouldn't be able to go into a confined space but a standard helmet would, thats like saying a 4 inch red ball wont always fit into a hole that a 4 inch white ball would. The other thing that gets me is the strong push on safety and yet saying that there are times where you will have to take a shade shield out of a helmet and hold it in front of you in order to weld something that's overhead. To me this defeats the purpose of the protective properties of a full face shield when welding a pipe or plate thats overhead from spatter and falling slag.

Now my issue with the old style helmets is the type of one that we are using. I can best describe them as looking like the face of a mid 1940's ultra low budget scifi flick like this one http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/1648512_lg.jpg but not as modern looking. The viewing angle is very limited as I stated before and the bottom of the helmet hits my chest about a quarter of the way up the sternum requiring me to hunch my back and making it more difficult to maintain a steady work angle.

 

[Van]

Oh, and good luck! I miss welding sometimes...but not enough to do it again...LOL...not for money anyways...


EDIT: something I forgot. See if you can get a shield with a flip lens. Then you can flip up just the lens to see your work without lifting the whole shield. Plus it protects your eyes and face when you using the chipping hammer or wire brush/wheel.

The money has went up considerably and should go up even more next year :up

The ones we are using have a flip shield, its just a matter of finding a way to get everything to work that way. What I would like to do is get an accustrike helmet from welding helmets, auto darkening welding helmet, Auto Dark alternative, Hands free, Mig-it, chin operated, Cherokee Ind, Accu-Strike, but the price is out of my range at the moment.

 

[stogie5150]

The money has went up considerably and should go up even more next year :up

The ones we are using have a flip shield, its just a matter of finding a way to get everything to work that way. What I would like to do is get an accustrike helmet from welding helmets, auto darkening welding helmet, Auto Dark alternative, Hands free, Mig-it, chin operated, Cherokee Ind, Accu-Strike, but the price is out of my range at the moment.

My (certified) welder that worked with me back then had one of those chin helmets, he liked it very well. Great field of vision, too.

I can understand his reasoning its just the lack of thought in getting it across by saying that an auto darkening helmet wouldn't be able to go into a confined space but a standard helmet would, thats like saying a 4 inch red ball wont always fit into a hole that a 4 inch white ball would. The other thing that gets me is the strong push on safety and yet saying that there are times where you will have to take a shade shield out of a helmet and hold it in front of you in order to weld something that's overhead. To me this defeats the purpose of the protective properties of a full face shield when welding a pipe or plate thats overhead from spatter and falling slag.

Now my issue with the old style helmets is the type of one that we are using. I can best describe them as looking like the face of a mid 1940's ultra low budget scifi flick like this one http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/1648512_lg.jpg but not as modern looking. The viewing angle is very limited as I stated before and the bottom of the helmet hits my chest about a quarter of the way up the sternum requiring me to hunch my back and making it more difficult to maintain a steady work angle.

You'll find out that when you get in the field you will have to do all kinds of things that no one could possibly prepare you for in the training classroom/shop. That's what your instructor is trying to get across. If you learn with basic equipment, you can do it all and KNOW how to do it all a LOT easier when you have the fancy stuff later. I have contorted myself in a ball, upside down, sideways, around corners, you name it, I've done it. Only advice I can offer is just roll with it, because it IS going to change when you get out in the field. Depending on whether or not you're going to work structural or in a shop, or a shipyard (which is where I worked), there's different things and tricks you'll learn. I had a bit of a head start because my Dad was a Structural Ironworker/Welder for 25 years, so I had some knowledge to start with, but his world was so different than mine, other than the basics, nothing carried over.

You tried welding with a mirror yet? Maddening.

And down here, a good welder can make 60k a year, IF he wants to work 60-70 hours a week. Shop welders down here MIGHT make 40k, depending on OT, or lack thereof.

Which is why I ain't going back to the shipyard. :up

This is what I helped build, BTW: Living in VA Beach you most certainly have seen them, because ACU 4 Is based there IIRC.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Van]

I havent seen that ship yet but then again I have only seen the ship yards 5 times all in passing by while coming to and leaving the area.

As for the pay rate its ranging now from $13 to $30 an hour with no experience being on the low end at northrup grumman though there all you have to do is pass tests and your pay goes up $1 each time.

We've already been warned that we will be welding under the tables upside down and we will be using a mirror later on all of which will help us prepare for attempting the 6G test. I'll keep working at it today and over the rest of the mod but I am going to see about a better viewing angle helmet today after I get out of class.

 

[Van]

Today was considerably better but I still need to get a different helmet and figure out what the cause is behind the amount of spatter that I'm getting. I had made adjustments to the first machine I was on but got booted out of the booth so someone could take a test. Second machine I could not get set quite right which also led to problems with stick sticking on initial strike.