[Jake Matthew]

I have a buddy who owns a mechanical company in the trades industry. He had some threaded three inch gas pipe and found it had to be welded by local code. I told him to hire a pipefitter (one that can weld pipe, not just thread like he has) but like most mechanical companies I know, they think they can do it themselves with what they have and save a buck. I know this because I personally am a sheet metal worker and see it all the time.

So he has his fitter clean up the threads on this pipe and actually try welding it with a little mig welder. I'm laughing as he's telling me this. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't pass code anyways, let alone the cutting oil and pipe dope ended up heating up and running out into the weld. So he cuts out all the fittings, bevels all the edges, grinds off all the mill scale, and goes to weld in the welded style fittings. At this point, he's hours into this thing. I tell him once again to call the hall and hire a fitter that welds pipe or a company that can do it. Nope, he has the same guy use a 115 volt mig welder (with no duty cycle) and weld all these fittings. Hours more on the job. Goes to pressure test it and they all leak. Forgive me laughing but some people don't learn. I do a lot of welding in my industry. Mostly tig and mig, so I go take a look at this because now he's panicking. I can see they all leak at his start and stops. I'm no pipe welder but I've seen it done through my whole career. The only time I've ever seen gas pipe welded with a mig was inside a factory/production shop and they were using flux core I believe. Its always done by way of stick as far as I know.

So now that he knows he's majorly screwed up and is completely embarrassed he is rushing to fix it yet again. I told him he's just going to have to bite the bullet and hire someone competent enough to do the job, but I guess his fitter is going to grind down all the welds and some out of work fitter is going to try and cap them using a stick welder now. He really is a good guy and generally knows his stuff but this is ridiculous. I always say stick to what you know. It was shown threaded on the print, but even in my industry I always check with local code if I'm skeptical before bidding. I'm sure he would have lost money after having to hire a fitter to come in and cut everything out and weld in the proper stuff, but at least it would have been done correctly. Now he's thousands in and about to be thousands more.

Anywho, I figured some pipe welders would get a good laugh. We will be harassing my buddy about this one for a long time to come. Especially if the third go round doesn't fix it, which I don't think it will. Its like I told him, there's a reason they do it the way they do it.

[AKweldshop]

You know, I cringe every time I see a crappy weld, I see it all over, Guys putting hitches on truck with there little mig.
Here's a videohttp http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... s7VDZT-NcQ

[Jake Matthew]

Lmao, I sure hope that video was meant to be a joke! I've worked for shops that never do welding jobs, and then they get one and hire on some guys to do the work. Its always a drag to try and explain to them how it needs to be done and why. Everybody is a welder till it comes time to light up that arc.

[Superiorwelding]

It has been a while since I have seen that one....Scary

[Antorcha]

Jake. Your buddy is an idiot.
In that situation you call the LWS and they'll refer you to one of their customers with a portable rig.
$100-300 and that repair would have been right, insured and guaranteed.The low end would be the guy around the corner.
Travel time hurts if you're in the boonies.

[Jake Matthew]

Jake. Your buddy is an idiot.
In that situation you call the LWS and they'll refer you to one of their customers with a portable rig.
$100-300 and that repair would have been right, insured and guaranteed.The low end would be the guy around the corner.
Travel time hurts if you're in the boonies.

Yeah he knows he screwed this one up big time. You can only tell someone so much though, then they have to learn on their own.

[noddybrian]

Well I heard this one before somewhere - it's only a bit of welding - how hard can it be ? - " hold my beer & watch this boy " - looking on the bright side - it's unlikely to be a nuclear power plant piece - they're quite fussy about this stuff for some reason !

[Otto Nobedder]

It always stuns me, when someone gambles on "I think I can" without the experience to make that judgement.

I've made a LOT of money hacking out and replacing welds like that.

Steve S

[Jake Matthew]

Well it looks like a fitter got his money out of this one too. Had to completely replace a couple of fittings and gouge all the others. Spent 3-1/2 times the hours he had bid on it. Sucks for him, but pretty sure he learned a good lesson the hard way.

[Otto Nobedder]

At least he stood up and made it right!

Like you said, a lesson learned the hard way, but learned none the less.

Steve S

[Arizona SA200]

Where I'm at anything over 2" has to be welded I think. I do 100$ a joint for 2" to 4" schd 40 and a joint doesnt take long take but a few minutes to weld most of the time is in prep. By the way @AK that vid should be posted under the funnies thread. LOL

[AKweldshop]

By the way @AK that vid should be posted under the funnies thread. LOL

Done!

[DSM]

First time commenting. Ive cut welds out that would scare even a novice. I always tell guys like the one who welded this; When there is a problem and the insurance man comes out to investigate do you know what the first thing he asks for? Lets see the certs on the company / mechanic who welded this. I am a UA pipe welder who mostly works the mechanical shops on water and steam heating and gas piping. It only pays if you do it right the first time.

[AKweldshop]

DSM,
I am a firm believer in the saying, "do it once, do it right.
Know matter what job you do, big or little, its your name on that job.
My 2cents.
~John.

ps, welcome to the forum.

[ejpoter]

That video has to be a joke. Very funny find!!

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