[coldman]

Hey there folks, my name is Vic and I am an industrial refrigeration mechanic. A bit over a year ago I enrolled in night college (introductory welding course) to learn how to use the tig part of my inverter power source. Self taught stick burner for many years. This course taught me to connect up the leads and strike an arc. Not good enough. I also did some research online and found WT&tricks and from then on I was gone - my wife blames Jody. I have now completed tig GP (general purpose) tig SP (structural purpose) and finally tig certification. Now I weld beside experienced pressure welders in my day job from time to time on refrigeration ammonia pipe installations which is all sched 40 low carbon steel with 10% x-ray. Have also done some staino and aly jobs too. How's that for a baggy-assed fridgie in his twilight years? Got plenty of tig fingers and also CK Flex-Loc torch posted out from USA and fitted to my 200DX and pinky. The local suppliers and welders walk around and look at this stuff with envy and don't say much. I gave a tig finger to a mate of mine who is currently working out on the gas pipe project up north and he loves it and all the other welders want one too. Hope this is some pay back for the knowledge I have gained here.
Thanks Jody for your inspiration and help!!!

[jwmacawful]

welcome vic!
it's a very small world. i signed up at the local tech college to learn how to use the heli-arc end of my welder at work but gave up after it was cancelled twice. i'm a maint welder and by no means would ever call myself a pipe welder but the steamfitters here at work don't weld so i do the best i can. btw, if you're welding alongside experienced pipe welders then that must make you one also??

[Mike]

Vic welcome to the forum.

[coldman]

My welds have been x-rayed, subjected to tensile & hardness tests plus face & root bends and macro inspections - so far zero defects so my welding is good. The guys I work with are all old school with scratch start air cooled rigs, bucket helmets with cigarettes hanging out the side. They will offer to woop any safety officer who tells them to take off their cowboy boots and put on steel cap safety boots. They do amazing work upside down, sideways, in the dark, oil and ammonia running out of the joint they are welding and never ever drop an x-ray. I am humble to be in their presence and hope to learn from their experience. They make me do all the hard welds upside down etc (probably to explode my hi-tech reality and for fun). I find my speedglas hi tech helmet cumbersome in these situations and falling off, I can't use my foot control in this situation so its on with the liftig start. I am learning. Being 6'-5" and 280LB they don't try to be too cheeky with me but I wear steel caps and refuse to smoke so I guess I will never truly be one of them... I do drink them under the table though so I do get some respect. sometimes.

[weldin mike 27]

Hey Mate,

Welcome. I got a mate who is a fridgie as well and dabbles in the welding side, but lacks the passion.

Where abouts are you, Im in Vic.

Mick

[coldman]

Hi Mike.
I know what you mean, I am not stopping working on my fridgie trade but I am aware that I must keep up my welding skills (and increase them) by practice. In between installation jobs I make sure I do some 6G coupons each week while in and out of the workshop - its easy you do the root quick and go away on another job, come by later & do the hot pass or fill etc.

But you know I have noticed that since acquiring the welding skills, people find out and more welding work comes your way without even chasing it, and it is all different varieties of joints and materials and this is also increasing my skills. Did you find the same thing?

A couple of weeks ago I was repairing refrigeration on a ship when they blew out a salt rusted hydraulic line (3,400 psi working pressure) 40nb sched 160 carbon steel pipe. They heard I was certified so they asked me to fix it. Well, I had qualified a 6G QPR & WPS for 50nb shed 160 pipe to cover me for a big range of diameters and thicknesses a few months ago on the advice and assistance of a welding inspector so was able to replace the ruptured rusty pipes with new on the spot. NDT & hydro, all good. After when it was back up & running they told me they first called in a hydraulic company who would not even attempt the repair because they had no WPS for that thickness of pipe and pressure involved, they wanted to hose the job which would have been 5000psi hose and cat2 flanges at over $6000. I did the job in under 5 hours for less than $1000 and they are really happy and so am I for the gravy.

By the way I am from God's own country.
Cheers (xxxx not vb)

[weldin mike 27]

Hey,

Welding saves the day again. I do find that people love a welding favour , but its part of the fun.

I dont really drink beer, and definitely not vb. I do like the lunatic soup from up bundaberg way quite a bit.

Mick