Coding advice

[elmo1717]

I've been mig welding for a good ten years an pretty confident at most tasks.
spoke to a local college and they suggested I go for bs4872 , would this be any use to me for £380 I think he quoted me ?

My plans are I want to get involved with more fabrication work and hopefully go get the experience in a fab shop. At the moment im a mechanic and always do the chassis welding on land rovers along with making bumpers, I can also TIG and I'm wanting to get a lot better at that so a course that helped me with that would be good. Any suggestions on what to do ?
Do I go do that course and then onto further ones or just go straight up to the advanced codings ?

 

[Bigjoe]

Some of the codings are I believe job/contract specific but I could be wrong, plenty more qualified people will be along to best advise you.

 

[elmo1717]

Some of the codings are I believe job/contract specific but I could be wrong, plenty more qualified people will be along to best advise you.

Thanks a lot I'm just looking for certificate which I can walk into a fab shop with which would give me the best chance of a job

 

[BrokenBiker]

a coding will only really get you a job in a fab shop if that shop works to that coding...your best bet is probably going to be an nvq type course or to find a fab shop willing to take you on and let you learn with them

 

[steve t]

worked in plenty of general fab shops with no codes, get knocking on doors.

 

[elmo1717]

Ok so when fob shops think of hiring you there not even that bothered about what pieces of paper you have or haven't got , they'd rather you just did a weld test then go from there ?

 

[sardine]

Am I right that a coding test refers to one specific weld in one position and one process ?

 

[elmo1717]

Am I right that a coding test refers to one specific weld in one position and one process ?

Think it's something like that maybe 2 test pieces

 

[HMB]

Am I right that a coding test refers to one specific weld in one position and one process ?

Yep

 

[HMB]

Ok so when fob shops think of hiring you there not even that bothered about what pieces of paper you have or haven't got , they'd rather you just did a weld test then go from there ?

I had a guy in the summer that had certificates galore but couldn't pass the coding required for our work. His welding was questionable too. However, I got a new starter on Monday that's self taught, had him in weekend and he seems to know his stuff. For me, I'm more interested knowing you can produce the work than what certs you have

 

[BrokenBiker]

I had a guy in the summer that had certificates galore but couldn't pass the coding required for our work. His welding was questionable too. However, I got a new starter on Monday that's self taught, had him in weekend and he seems to know his stuff. For me, I'm more interested knowing you can produce the work than what certs you have

this is what a lot of fab shobs are going to want i think...if they work to a specific coding and you have that code then even better, but being able to show you can do their work to their standard is going to get you far further i think...

 

[Kent]

Most fabrication bosses don't give a monkeys. If a code is required most will assess you with a weld test before any job offer
Don't be surprised if you go into interview with lots of paperwork and certs and they don't take any great notice
There is a growing need for more guys who can deal with mma out in the field positional and burn decent
There is a growing demand for repairs rather than replacement. It's here you should maybe look for a start car guys are used to adapt and overcome

 

[elmo1717]

So you guys think I'm wasting my time getting any certificate or codes ?

Just better off asking for a job and saying that I'm happy to do a weld test.


Thanks for the info too , very helpful people on this forum

 

[Daneishwelder]

I done a code for 3mm -12mm mild steel mig any fillet. Didn't really help me get a new job to be honest. It was more the quality of the weld more then a certificate. Also the certificate on helps get the job of you not a good welder they won't want you there. So the code is irrelevant in just fabbing in my opinion mate. Why don't you attempt a tug code if your a dab hand? More jobs better skill and more satisfying I think.

 

[elmo1717]

Well yeah I would really like to be good at TIG, I'm still only learning it at the moment and only have a murex transtig so don't have many setting to play about with, wouldn't mind building aluminium fuel tanks etc


Here's a picture of one TIG weld it's not very consistent but like I say I mebbies TIG once every 2 month

 

[Daneishwelder]

Ode keep practicing your tig and go from there

 

[Daneishwelder]

Here's my first tig and my last. I'm a heavy mig welder but I like trying tig practice and practice as I'm a young welder and I want to get in to aerospace welding

 

[elmo1717]

That's a nice weld I want to be able to get my TIG consistent like that but I suppose all it is is practice just need to get under the helmet more haha

 

[Daneishwelder]

That's true mate. I weld for a living although all the tig I do is out of hours as we solely mig at my place but I'm looking to get further in the game and at 25 my mig game is bang on so I need more to interest and challenge me. So I've pick a tig welder up and practiced.

 

[elmo1717]

I don't weld for a living unfortunately I fix land rovers, but it's a future I would like been a full time welder I can mig to with what I'm happy with its not the best out there but I don't think it's bad as I'm only welding once a week.