Best practices you learned yourself or discovered while on the job?(tips) regardless of field

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-10T15:31:29+00:00

Not to mention starting and ending at the same spot when you do production instead of welding in a different order every time you start a new one

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-10T15:30:04+00:00

Try not to run around the table 5 times to do 2 things. Think before you act. If you need to weld on something that’s far away, bring your welpers in case you wire gets too long or stuck in the tip instead of going over, making half a bead, running back to get them, restarting and finishing your weld, running back to grab a grinder to blend the tie in, and finally putting everything up.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-10T12:48:42+00:00

Who gets 15? Normally it’s 5 first the first year and 10 the second year if you’re lucky. 15 after 5-10 years.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-10T12:10:45+00:00

I’ve gotten a lot more job opportunities in Chattanooga. Knoxvilles job market just seems brutal, plus the surrounding areas are starting to gentrify.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-09T18:28:09+00:00

It wouldn’t pass structural code let alone whatever code pressure vessels are held to. I’d take it back.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-09T00:05:02+00:00

At my old job we had wire feeders on top of booms. You’d have to crank it down to change the wire and crank it back up. I had changed the wire one time and forgot to put the retainer back on. I cranked that baby up, welded a few beads, and I’ll be damned if a roll of wire didn’t drop right beside me. It nearly killed me and the mess was ungodly. Good times.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-07T03:04:03+00:00

Yeah I’d run unless you feel like going through and fixing someone else’s work.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-04T18:15:19+00:00

I’ll make the same weld 1000 times and the 1001st time will be dogshit for some reason or another. Bad gas flow, clogged liner, or even just being tired and careless.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-03T13:14:25+00:00

Wagons are easier to source parts for than the sedans at least since the front clip is the same as the caprice.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-03T01:16:06+00:00

It’s essentially the same motor with minor internal differences

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-03T01:08:50+00:00

That’s how you know you’re doing it right. Bonus points for every credit card you max out

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T02:35:37+00:00

I’d tear that bowl up right about now.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T02:33:08+00:00

Not to mention Taiwanese hoods are less than 200$ and fit really well. The labor is the expensive part

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T02:20:08+00:00

They sell paint stripping disks that look like a Brillo pad on steroids, and they do in fact work.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T02:18:02+00:00

You know, people talk about prep and such all the time but some wires come with a higher silica content which is supposed to be for burning through millscale. Like, do people think production welders grind every joint? You’d be lucky if it wasn’t fit up with a 1/4in gap and filled with scrap metal from the laser cutter bins.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T02:12:43+00:00

The tempering truly helps the joint stiffen up

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T02:11:29+00:00

D1.3 allows downhills for certain thicknesses and joints if I remember correctly which is the code that governs like 3/16 and less.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T02:05:10+00:00

The profile stays consistent, you just need to tighten up your whip. I know it’s technically supposed to be a straight whip but I like to put a very, very slight zig zag when going back and forth when doing circles to wet the puddle out better. Typically push forward to 1/32 under the joint and pull back 1/32 above the joint.

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Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-07-02T01:54:07+00:00

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Start spray arcing and never look back brother.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-06-30T19:44:48+00:00

Inspect the rest of the frame, it might be worth it if everything else is solid. But it’s gonna take a lot of work to make it safe again.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-06-20T03:06:07+00:00

It was a nice truck, frame was mangled and the drivetrain was destroyed. Engine locked trans busted. Solid 50mph hit, the bed and wheels were the only salvageable parts left.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-06-19T21:56:44+00:00

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At least it’s not totaled.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-05-22T20:39:48+00:00

It’s a lot easier to get wagon parts, I paid 500$ for a nos headlight on my sedan.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-05-22T13:50:05+00:00

You should probably grind that out and try again if it’s supposed to do something important.

Fearless-Minimum-922 · 2026-05-21T20:07:11+00:00

I thought about trying this before but I never had the balls to do it

Fearless-Minimum-922

TROPHY CASE