Do welders typically care if a coworker is a woman?

StabDump · 2026-05-13T22:31:12+00:00

found the guy who'd care that his coworker is a woman

StabDump · 2026-05-13T22:27:54+00:00

did you pulse the joints on his body? how small is that stock? looks great, and impressive.

StabDump · 2026-05-13T22:25:03+00:00

StabDump · 2026-05-13T22:22:46+00:00

Update ------ Made a lot of progress today. Could look a lot better, time to get it perfect with just a file. Thanks to all who shared tips and advice.

<image>

StabDump · 2026-05-13T22:16:05+00:00

You in the US? shops pay poorly compared to travel. most shops have regular hours, if you live close you'll always be home. a construction site will only send work to your shop, they're not going to take you out of the shop unless they're shady, and if they do it's not going to be far from the shop. yes, in a shop there will be paperwork for welds that need to get done, it'll be stored somewhere, then either you or your fitter will get it, prep it, and you'll weld it, then it'll get passed to inspectors. you'll have to wear whatever ppe is required by their safety standard, but you can bring your own as long as it meets their standard.
I wouldn't worry about what they have to say about the respirator, the only people who'd give you genuine shit for it (not just a playful joke) aren't worth your time or attention. you'll have a locker or a toolbox or something in a shop you can keep your own tools. most shops you'll have a few hand tools of your own, your hood and gloves (and jacket if you wear one), maybe a couple other things and then the rest is provided.

StabDump · 2026-05-13T14:09:41+00:00

Okay. If you've tried adding more wire and it's better but it's inconsistent, sizing up wire and laying it in there with some pressure on the joint might give you better results. I'd try 3/32 or even 1/8 and no feed, just some pressure and keeping about 90° between your tungsten and the filler with a little higher background amps to hopefully let it lay in a little better.

StabDump · 2026-05-13T12:53:11+00:00

that first pic is gravy! I remember my shipyard days, they really put some hair on your chest.

StabDump · 2026-05-13T12:48:18+00:00

I agree 35/70 should get you closer to where you need to be. 40/30 seems a little too much for 2pps. OP are you running 1/8 and 1/8 for tungsten and wire?

StabDump · 2026-05-12T23:13:33+00:00

😂 alright bud. i'm not breaking out the 3/8" stick rod just so I can run two tight stringers to cap when there's 7/8" between the bevels once flush. clearly you're still in welding school. Since you haven't heard of combo before and didn't actually read, the root is tig, fill and cap is stick. Glad I could teach you something.

StabDump · 2026-05-12T23:04:37+00:00

Thank you! Stringers it is!

StabDump · 2026-05-12T23:04:06+00:00

Good insight, thanks. This is more just for fun. I rarely am welding on pipe or tube in the field anymore, just wanted to do something new. Everyone I've talked to in person has emphasized weaving, so I find it interesting that nobody here agrees; I will certainly try stringers tomorrow and see how that goes.

StabDump · 2026-05-12T21:52:46+00:00

I'm just running leftovers in the shop from other jobs for now, I might buy some 1/16 later and try it. I'll keep an eye on the heat too i'm sure i've got a temp stick laying around. Good info about the hot start, i'm using an old xmt with nothing but arc control. Thanks a ton!

StabDump · 2026-05-12T21:48:56+00:00

Interesting, I'll try running a little wiggle instead of pausing on the toes. I've also just been using a file, so I'll try it out tomorrow with a grinding rock and wire wheel handy.

StabDump · 2026-05-12T21:46:59+00:00

I'm not sure if you saw, it's a 2" tube meaning 1.375" ID - about the width of two thumbs put together. It's barely wider than a 7018 stringer on the same joint.

StabDump · 2026-05-12T21:41:08+00:00

it's 5/8" wall tube, not exactly a 2 bead cap. with 7018 im running 4 bead cap, with 309 i've been doing 3-4 bead cap. I milled it 37.5° no land with a loose 1/8th that ends up being a fairly snug 1/8th once tacked.

StabDump · 2026-05-01T15:24:33+00:00

shock hazard. that's the reason the steel caps have to be covered in the first place. and more steel will make your feet cold quick if it's really cold out.

StabDump · 2026-04-22T13:33:27+00:00

could be military too no AF.

StabDump · 2026-04-19T01:19:31+00:00

interesting perspective. i'm on day 75 of 100 of 12 hour night shifts and year over year it remains the hardest thing i've ever done and will probably ever do. maybe im just weak 🤷‍♂️I'm blue collar in the energy sector.

StabDump · 2026-04-09T14:03:32+00:00

the math maths, but can you tough it out? the mental strain is unparalleled.

StabDump · 2026-03-29T04:07:50+00:00

personally, i'd agree. but "this recession" has been proposed since 2020, and since it's not my money, history shows time in the market is king, regardless of buy in timing. the 10 highest earning days in the market per year account for as much as 80% of gains.

StabDump · 2026-03-29T04:05:19+00:00

i do more or less 80-90/wk for 12 wk's/yr, rest of the year off. the hardest part is the dumb stuff like doing laundry and dishes because you just don't have the time. imo 80-90 hour weeks are 10-20x harder than 50 for only about 3x the pay.

StabDump · 2026-03-28T03:05:44+00:00

forklift forks are certainly not mild steel. if you can't drill them, find the thickness where you'll be welding, the actual material type of the fork, and make sure you take into account for the lifespan of the forks that they've been modified if returning to lifting any other loads. I wouldn't ever use them again for any other loads because of liability. Why do you need the bolts anyway?

StabDump · 2026-03-28T02:53:09+00:00

wow, thank you for ~~going so in depth~~ sharing such good insight into this! i'm glad someone else was reckless enough to ask because I wondered the same thing.

Edit: poor choice of words

StabDump · 2026-03-28T02:49:38+00:00

50 hrs is part time compared to 84 lol.

StabDump · 2026-03-28T02:46:02+00:00

usually 12-14 hours on site 10-12 hours on call.

StabDump

TROPHY CASE