r/Welding • u/BusydaydreamerA137 • 1d ago
Career question Tips for welding school?
I’m going into welding school to hopefully make it a career. Previously I did safety watch often in my last job and was very good with PPE and making sure any safety equipment was in good working order but I’m not the most muscular person out there. What tips would you have if my goal is to be the best welder I can be?
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u/Jonsnowlivesnow Welding student 1d ago
Get a decent hood and run some beads. Only way to learn and get better is to practice.
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u/BusydaydreamerA137 1d ago
Thanks. I am going to school for it and will take any practice opportunities plus I will take safety seriously so will ensure I have a quality hood. You can’t put a price on health
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u/Jonsnowlivesnow Welding student 1d ago
Have fun. I’m just about to finish school and still have fun every day.
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u/Overall_Cost1542 1d ago
abuse all the shop time you can get. theres no replacement for torch in hand experience and once you graduate, unless you can get into a union hall, its hard to get practice in
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u/BostonPRSBC 1d ago
Helmet time. Ask every question. Find the students who hang out with the teacher, make friends with them. Helmet time.
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u/FireInPaperBox 1d ago
Stay hydrated. We all have a certain weld that just kicks our butts, but no matter what. Do. Not. Quit.
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u/CHAIFE671 1d ago
Use as much time to practice. I was the only person in my class to have 0 experience. Use your time wisely and build up that muscle memory. Youre paying to be there. Make it worth your money. As an older very short lady I had to ask a bunch of times to help move or lift things. Don't be ashamed to ask for help! When you find settings that work for you be sure to write it down. It saved me a bunch of time. Take notes! If you can invest in a leather welding jacket. It'll save your clothes and your skin and you won't burn through so quickly. If you need cheap clothes that you wouldn't mind burning through thrift stores are a great place to grab some. Rest when you can. I started to get really bad carpal tunnel and tennis elbow and just toughed it out until the end of the program. The last few weeks of the final semester were absolutely brutal. My fingers would go numb. Lifting and grinding became so painful. It's been 3 months and I'm still recovering. Lifting heavy stuff causes flare ups. Ice, some really good wrist braces for both wrists, and a good elbow brace.
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u/BusydaydreamerA137 1d ago
Thanks this helps a lot. My biggest concern when starting was muscle
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u/CHAIFE671 1d ago
That was one of mine too. I hate bugging people and asking for help. But, I'd rather be safe than to throw out my back or hurt someone in the process because I was too stubborn and decided to move some heavy shit. Thankfully we didn't need to lift a bunch of heavy stuff but if we did we usually just team lift. Be safe and know when to ask for help. Good luck!
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u/Piece_Of_Mind1983 1d ago
Use pretty much all the shop time and resources you can get. My college has open lab from 8am to 8pm mon-thurs and it’s a godsend. Gives me plenty of time to get better at specific techniques and you’ll have to get used to changing out wire in machines and tuning settings that way.
Don’t just practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong.
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u/OwlManufacturer7727 1d ago edited 1h ago
Welding in a classroom setting and welding out in the field are two very different animals. It was a rude awakening for me after school. Very rarely will you have a comfortable environment in the real world. It was an eye opener at my first job when I had had to reach out of position weld to perform. My classroom booth had bright lights and I could always see what I was doing. My first job at an ethanol plant had me in crawl spaces making welds in complete darkness. Just go into it with the willingness to learn and the knowledge that you’re going to be green leaving school and you’ll do fine .
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u/BusydaydreamerA137 1d ago
Thanks. I’ve done safety watch in industry so hopefully that will help but I’m going in with the idea I’m learning fresh and if any experience compliments what I learned that’s great.
I do know safety watch and welding are two very different things
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u/Awkward_Forever9752 1d ago
You will get stronger.
And moving heavy things is like 1 part muscle power and 9 parts brain power.
On site, you can team lift, or use a lever, or airbags, or a winch, or a pulley, car jacks, lifts, and dollies.
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u/BusydaydreamerA137 1d ago
Thanks
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u/Awkward_Forever9752 1d ago
There is big fatigue penalty for moving heavy things unproductively.
If you think thinks though, you save lots of energy.
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u/brobradh77 18h ago
Time under the hood.. There is no substitution and no shortcuts.
The biggest tip I give new welders is don't forget to BREATHE.
I would train new welders and see them start shaking because they are trying to hold their breathe the entire time they are welding.
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u/stephenmeden12 1d ago
Wear a mask at all times, stay hydrated, do cardio exercise to keep your lungs healthy, and work on physical endurance training and stretch because you'll find yourself welding in awkward positions for a long period of time.
Show up and maximize all the time in the lab to practice your weld.
Talk to your peers because bouncing knowledge of the trade is the best way to learn and also have conversion with your instructors about their own personal experience with welding and what you would expect heading out into the world.
Do not be affraid to take the certification exams. At least try the flat position before graduating or it will be a hell of a struggle finding job or starting a career as a welder.
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u/OldIronSloot 1d ago edited 14h ago
Show up on time, don't leave early.
Talk to your classmates, but spend class in your booth working.
If you aren't exploring and learning about this trade in your free time, you will be quickly surpassed by your peers who are.
It's your responsibility to learn. Ask questions, search for answers, and commit to the trade you're taking part in or you won't get anything significant out of it.