Anyone out there certified? What does one have to do to get certified and are there certain levels? :usa: :D

my metal shop teacher told me that it involves welding metal i think it was a gap in the metal and u had to fill it or something. I might be wrong and probably am so 6take it for what its worth.

It depends on what type of cert you are after. You have to gain a cert for all positions and types. I have a flat position arc weld cert and the test was to weld a V grooved "test plate"together, and then they inspected and tested the weld to certain tollerances. That cert only allows me to weld flat posittion for code work, you have to pass vertical, flat and overhead if you really want to do any welding where you would make some money.
When someone says that they are a certified welder, you have to ask what they are certified as(you can't just be a general certified welder). Technically you could be a certified tack welder.
To find out were and how to take a test for a specific cert that you want to obtain go to your local welding shop and ask where and when they are holding a test day. I took mine in my welding class at a local junior college. If you have not taken a welding class i do recomend looking into it.

yup thats about right. i'm certified in a few different ones, flat arc, T arc, flat mig, Tmig, vertical mig, Flat Tig aluminum, and a couple others i cant remember. those certs dont mean crap tho, its been so long i gotta go refresh myself on them skills.

Dallas

check with your local junior college or v-tech school.

our local jc had a welding certificate program that required
one full year of classes, and involved metalurgy, brazing, mig, tig, stick welding, plasma cutters, torch cutting, and basic machining processes. lots of the guys got some high paying jobs in the oil/gas industry upon completion. they also offered a complete AS degree in industrial welding applications, unfortunately it required all the rest of the liberal arts crap, english etc. and took two years to complete.

you might also make some enquiries at your local welding shops.

later-

Their are different levels depending on what you are welding(pipeline vs aircraft vs general fab) and material ( stainless vs chromoly vs carbonsteel) not sure what all the testing consist of but you do have to weld different materials together which then have to pass both a visual and X-Ray inspection

thats what i thought.. I can do just about every process, and weld on chromoly and mild steel.. any links to related sites off the top of your head?

Originally posted by fullreversal
thats what i thought.. I can do just about every process, and weld on chromoly and mild steel.. any links to related sites off the top of your head?

http://www.asme.org/

http://www.weldingcertification.com/accredit.htm

here are a few of mine.. Visual and x-ray quals

1" pipe,PN-1A - consumable insert-GTAW -all position-12x12 restriction

CRMO
NICU
CFE
CRES(stainless 316L)
CMO
CUNI
NICRFE(inconel)

B1.V1-3/8" -SMAW- all position
7018
11018

B1.V1-3/8" GMAW- all position

2" CRMO pipe-All position- 12x12 restriction.
8018

Those are just a few. The whole certification thing is kinda gay! You can spend some money and get certified by the AWS(american welding society). Most times you get certified to whom you work for under the governing standards of the work you are doing(AWS, ASME, MIL-STD). Quals are cool, but most people including myself could care less about them. It gets you in the door, but they are going to want to see you weld... Quals or no quals! Don't worry about certs, learn your shit and the quals will come.


:)

when i got ot of the navy i found out that my certs were worthless in the outside world. every welding job i got after that i had to go in and do a test coupon and they would call me back and i would run 3 to 7 test coupon to cert for the job. the first one was just to see if you could pass. the rest were for that job. i have worked in nuc plants, food processing plants, and every tpye of factory in the world and had to get new certs for every job. because it was the requirement for that certian job. this has been my experiance working for brown&root and various millwrite shops. o yea pressure vessel shop had 20 different certs they wanted me to have. mike

I agree with nearly everything said, other that the statement about your certs being worthless. I'm an ASME code pressure vessel and pipe welder, and my paper work will get me thru the door to take a welded coupon test. I sugest that you go for training at Hobart Institute of Welding Tech., Troy, Ohio. After first completing something at home, nite school or high school vocational class. Another option is an apprenticeship as a pipefitter or boilermaker, contact your local union hall, this way you are paid to learn. Good luck.:emb:

choke u out is right, in our shop you gotta weld before you get a job and if your welding is good we will get you certified for what we are doing