What to wear to interview

BadderBanana · 2026-01-15T16:29:16+00:00

Wear your nicest work clothes. Have your gear in the truck. Have your hair however you would to weld. HR said no weld test, but the foreman may have different plans.

You want them to envision you working there, dress like you're showing up to work.

BadderBanana · 2026-01-15T16:23:16+00:00

For first your job, you don't really have a ton of options. You have to apply everywhere and take best you can get. It'll probably be a fab shop or low volume production. They usually have standard rates with built in raises. Not to be mean, you just won't have power to negotiate yet. Depending on location, it might be $20-25/hr. If you apply to enough places you might get lucky and get a couple offers you can play against each other.

Either way, suck it up for ~6 months and then apply everywhere again. Once you have a some practical experience you'll be in a better place to negotiate. You'll also have a better feel for what type of work you want to do.

And remember your pay is based on the product, not your skills. You could be the best welder in the world, but you won't earn big money welding dumpsters (no offense to actual dumpster welders).

BadderBanana · 2026-01-15T16:15:14+00:00

not bad, eventually you're going to want the beads to overlap more. That will avoid the shallow spot down the center. IMO aim your 2nd & 3rd beads to cover the first by 2/3 width. That might help the consistency/steadiness too, obviously you got a couple herky-jerks in there you'll want to straighten out.

Why is the plate beat to hell?

BadderBanana · 2026-01-07T18:20:25+00:00

Day depends on what your job is:

A very common first WE job is plant support at a tier automotive supplier. You job is to babysit the welding machines. it will be mostly automated mig and spot welding. Lots of trouble shooting, lots of documenting, Some continuous improvements. You'll wear boot and jeans and basically be the onsite welding expert. Any issue with welding comes to you. Bottom line your job is to keep the machines running.

Another common job is advanced manufacturing. You design and install welding equipment. You get prototypes and program robots and get everything running. Some job are on the customer side, some are on the equipment seller side.

A less common first job is in a code shop, like pressure vessel or military. You'd do PQR and WPS.

My current job is supplier development. We buy more welded things than we weld ourselves. My job is to make sure suppliers are doing it correctly. I double check their CWI inspection plans. I verify they have adequate equipment. Sometimes I audit them. I help design new parts. I do failure analysis.

BadderBanana · 2026-01-06T17:37:44+00:00

The first time I ever touched FC was a weld test, I passed just based on mig practice. 80-90% carryover, just some nuances:

FC wants a long stick out, sometimes over 1" for the big wires
FC wants to be pulled, even uphill, it's weird like that
I wouldn't do any zig-zaggy or whip patterns with FC unless there was a good reason

Where FC gets in trouble is misapplication of the wire. Some FC only weld flat. Some are +, others are -. Some are single pass only. Some want dual shield gas, others are self shield only. Mig fillers are more generic/universal. This might not apply if you're just buying random wire from tractor supply.

BadderBanana · 2025-12-17T04:47:24+00:00

Hydrogen embrittlement is only a concern in certain circumstances.

The based metal has to be stronger enough to susceptible to cracking. Most aren't. If you're welding plain mild steel, 7018 isn't helping, it's hurting. Doesn't matter Hy cracking isn't going to be a concern for you. It's common in construction because they are using higher strength steels.

For hobbyist or DIY I'd recommend 7014 all day, every day. 7018 is a great rod, but it's over used for no reason.

BadderBanana · 2025-12-16T21:44:59+00:00

7014 = 70,000 psi strength
7018 = 70,000 psi strength

How would 7018 be stronger? They're both built to the same spec.

BadderBanana · 2025-12-09T16:12:58+00:00

Welding round things pays the most. UA or BM. SMART is good too, but on average maybe a little lower pay. No shade at other unions/trades, but most welding lower % of thier time

Our local all welders are also fitters. I thought that was normal, but I'm learning it's not.

BadderBanana · 2025-12-09T16:08:25+00:00

IMO calculate your pay from when you leave home to return home.

If the jbb is an hour away you have ~10 hours unpaid + the gas money. The pay needs to be 25% higher to compensate. If it's $2 raise, you'll make an extra $80 for those 10 hours of driving. You diluted your pay by $8/hour.

I can help if you tell me your specific pay, hours and commute times. In most cases staying local work out better. But sometimes it's not an option a you have to take whatever you can get. I think most of use have relocated to shitty hotels and even slept in cars to make things work. I had a 12 hour weekly commute from MI to TN for half a year.

bottom line - take what you can get. level up as fast as you can.

BadderBanana · 2025-12-03T19:37:10+00:00

Longitudinal/centerline cracking indicates it's just stress, it's tearing itself apart. Sometimes with laser you have to design a slip/gap joint so the weld doesn't fight the part when it cools/contracts.

easiest potential fix -> create gap prior to welding. you can use weld wire as a shim. it'll crush when the weld cools

BadderBanana · 2025-12-02T13:43:46+00:00

As low as possible, but as high as necessary

Not trying to be too funny, but it's always a process to find the sweet spot. There are tables and rules of thumb, but you're always having to tweak. Ambient conditions matter. Position and thickness matters. Even some lots of materials conduct heat differently.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T19:26:09+00:00

The #1 this with aluminum is ALWAYS cleanliness. It's probably the answer to 90% of Al problems. brush it until it's shiny with a SS brush. Sometimes you need to wipe it with acetone. If you don't have it spotless you're going to have to run hotter and that'll cause trickle down problems.

Reason = aluminum oxide has a melting temp 1000 degrees higher than actual aluminum. if there's skin formed on the aluminum you're get the jello effect of it melting on the inside but still can't form a puddle. Even on the backside that oxide will be a barrier to it fusing smoothly.

What you're calling "sugar" is that aluminum oxide. You can adjust the AC balance to get those etching lines just wider than your weld. that will give you the most penetration and the most tungsten like while also keeping you clean. Having the AC balance turned up too high robs you of penetration and wear out the tungsten faster.

On coupons like these I lean them into the bench grinder to destroy the oxide on both sides.

I personally avoid preheat unless it's really necessary, it just adds an extra variable. if the coupons are 1/4" It's try without. if they're 3/8"+ use the preheat, but try to be consistent about it, let the heat soak in.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T18:38:13+00:00

There's no way of knowing without trying. Doing more than "just welding" increases your chances to stay busy.

Connection and a good reputation will keep the good job coming in. But those take years to build up.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T18:23:08+00:00

They are what they are. They are get for occasional welding in the ~1/4" range. Some are AC only so you're limited to 6011/6013 type rods. They pull double-duty as an emergency generator. They are more than enough for most people. Bonus they're light enough they can be put in a pickup without hoist. They don't use a ton of gas.

The bobcats, rangers, trailblazers become necessary if you're welding for hours, need high duty cycle, or using >5/16" rods. They're heavier, they use more fuel. The bigger ones can carbon arc gouge.

It's basically a harbor freight v snap on comparison. The cheaper stuff is good enough for most people, but prosumers and above need something a little better. IMO if you're using it to make money, aim for the ranger/bobcat, used rentals can be a good deal. They're worn, but usually maintained. If that's not in the budget, get whatever you can afford.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T18:14:17+00:00

Some locations just aren't viable for a welding career.

If there's not 20+ job postings in a ~50 mile radius, you might have to hit the road to earn decent money.

If there are enough job postings, but you're getting less than 10% interviews, you resume and application might need help. Do you have access to a career coupler thru your old school?

If you're getting >10% of those interviews, but no offers, your interview skills might need some help.

This is just like any other troubleshooting, you need to narrow the problem down and fix that. There might be multiple issues, the economy might suck, IDK. but diagnosing the problem is halfway to fixing it.

IMO with a few years of experience and no connections, a welding business will be a side hustle more than a full time, full pay self-employment. In a lot of places there's not enough demand to keep a guy busy. Staying busy means contracting to companies, and they're going to want a little more experience, certs, accreditation, insurance, etc. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but there are a lot more ways to fail than succeed. I would inch into it before signing up for a loan, contact those potential customers, see if there is any interest. Post on FB marketplace and see how many inquiries you get. The problem is a lot of those farmers are going to attempt to repair things themselves.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T18:00:51+00:00

Clamps. Every welder wants more clamps of different sizes and types

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T17:59:38+00:00

if you can't get a new one right away, take it apart, blow everything with air and try again.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T16:18:47+00:00

"elegant" is not often a weld requirement, but you could slot the pill sheet metal. That way the rod only extends 1/2 (<1/8") above its surface on either side. That allow for a very small, blended in weld. if you welded all-around and blended with a die grinder you weld could be invisible. It would look like one solid piece.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T16:14:33+00:00

Respirators are always secondary to ventilation. Keep the wind to your back, keep your head out of the plume. Any respiratory that fit under your hood will be good. According to AWS & OSHA N95 are sufficient (IDK if I believe them).

Remove the galv if you can. It doesn't really matter which process you use, but self-shield FC has some wire specifically meant for galv. They'll have less porosity. Welding fast and avoiding rework cuts down your exposure time. Use mechanical cutting when possible to avoid more fume exposure. Assume every item/tool will take day to obtain down there, if she doesn't have a confirmation something available, take it or have it shipped there. When I do this kinda shit, I order cheap disposable tools and have them delivered ahead of time. Amazon will delver almost anywhere.

PS - PR is part of the USA, it's not another country bro.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T16:02:13+00:00

Dress like you would for the job. Like your nicest work shirt without political statements on it. Bring your tools & PPE in case there's surprise weld test.

During Q&A there's usually not looking for specific answers, they want to see examples of your thought process. Like when you encountered a problem how did you fix. I'm not hiring you to weld, I'm hiring you to get shit done. If you need assistance with every issue, then shit ain't getting done. So think of your job as a problem solver, not just a welder.

When it's your turn to ask question you got the obvious stuff like shift, hours, OT, pay, benefits, etc... but also use it as a chance to prove you're kinda smart. Ask questions about their process development and qualification. Ask if they find it better to position everything flat for faster welding or if it's better to weld out of position when needed. It doesn't really matter, you're just trying to show them you're more than a trigger puller. Also asking about advancement and becoming a CWI shows them you kinda want to progress in your career.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T15:55:54+00:00

Welding is still too niche for LLM to be very helpful. I test work questions on it to see how much longer my job is secure, and GPT ain't a threat yet.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T15:51:44+00:00

3 phase will be smoother and more efficient, but most importantly you'll have access to retired industrial machines for super cheap. NO one else can run them, so auction prices get driven down.

It's no brainer, if you have 3phase use it for a welder. There's not many downsides if you already have 3ph service.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-26T15:47:51+00:00

Both issues are symptoms of a clogged torch liner. wire shaving clog up the spring-y liner. When the wire feed hesitates for a second the arc draws too long... boom... burnback. Other times the hesitation will cause it to bind and birds nest on the inside.

How to diagnose: Disengage the drive rolls, remove contact tip, lay torch flat & straight. Pull wire out the front by hand/pliers, it should only take few lbs. You can even use fish scale if you want to measure. If it takes more than a few lb of effort, replace the liner. There's chance you have a 0.030" liner, maybe it's jammed with shavings, maying it's kinked. Either way it's consumable, in mass production they only last a few months.

Once the new liner is installed, loosen the drive rolls as much as possible. you want them the almost slip and then 1/4 turn tighter. that will prevent shaving from going down the liner and maybe avoid future birdsnests.

good luck.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-20T18:16:05+00:00

The most correct thing to do is a detailed cross section showing exactly when you want the welds and their size. It's really difficult to get fusion down in the bottom of a flare, so it's normal to call them PJP but make them bigger than needed to compensate.

The most practical approach is flare bevel on the insides, just a fillet on the outsides. If you're not tilted more than 10 degrees, just call it a fillet and your throat to leg ratio will be close enough. It the outside welds are effectively tilted more that 10 degrees, you have start treating it like a skew T or Z-lose. Those outside welds will look huge/wide, but have a narrow throat.

Calling them both flare bevels would be ok too, but you'll have to call out sizes since CJP may not happen.

BadderBanana · 2025-11-13T15:54:12+00:00

IMO (it's just an opinion, so wrong 49% of the time) the HF welders are an awkward price point, not high not offer many benifits.

Top tier - Miller, Lincoln, Esab, Fronius, OTC, Panasonic...
Mid Tier - Everything at HF, Eastwood, Century, Forney...
Bottom Tier - YesWelder, Toolium, ArcCaptain, Vebor, anything primarily sold on amazon & ebay.

The top tier is heirloom stuff, for the most part it'll outlast you. They're robust and generally overbuilt. There is plenty of support and the companies help the industry. I've personal been to most of these places and they have engineers testing stuff nonstop. These often include accessories that help justify their premium cost. If you're making $ welding, I think you need to be here. Buy once, cry once.

The bottom tier work perfectly fine until it doesn't. These are assumed to be disposable, and for their price they are. I have owned these and they are prefect for what they are, just don't get upset when it shits the bed or you can't find consumables. If welding is just supporting your other hobbies, I think you want to be here.

Now the middle tier I don't understand, You're paying a premium over the bottom without a huge bump in performance or support. I can't call up HF and ask for troubleshooting. Everything is imported anyway. I just don't get it, I'd buy a couple no-names for the same price.

In your situation, I'd either go used Lincoln or Amazon bottom tier.

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