signed off

[BrokenBiker]

well, i have been signed off in work as a competent welder for non structural jobs using arc

as such i have now been commisioned to make 15 tool box trolleys from 20 x 20mm box and add a handle of some description

only problem is none of the boxes are the same, as theyve all been hand made at some point, so i cant even make a jig to help lol

anyway, pics to follow probably friday afternoon when the first (mine) is finished

if anyone is interested i will be using a kennedy eaw160 ac transformer arc welder with 2.5mm 6013 rods

 

[stuvy]

well done buddy onwards to mig next

 

[BrokenBiker]

not allowed to mig in work unless im coded something to do with health and safety about the pressurised gas bottles. only allowed to do a max of 200amp arc welding

 

[Simon-]

Congratulations
you will be coded before long if you keep up your enthusism

 

[BrokenBiker]

im looking into it now. i'd like to be coded in arc mig and tig. but first i would just like arc.

how do i go about that? are there like weekend courses for people like me that have had experience with welding and have done it well enough to be recognised as a stand in welder in work? or do i have to do a full year long college course?

i dont mind paying for it and doing it in the evenings if its a shortish course, but as im an apprentice leccie, i may be able to get my company on board and pay fpr 1 course out of the three

 

[decepticon]

well done for passing the test
at 2 or 2.5mm thick the box section is pretty thin so good fit up is going to help
you say that you cant make a jig but i find that with a metal work bench i can weld stops etc so that you can get things nice and square
have fun and post pics of the good bits and bad bits-if you dare
the arc course i done was 4days and about 7-800 pounds and lasts for 2 years. internet search your area
cheers

 

[BrokenBiker]

i think i'll wait till ive saved a bit of money and got a decent arc weder then lol

i had a go on similar thickness material earlier on today and didnt blow any holes, and have plenty of scrap to get my settings right on, so it should be a good days welding

i have a square edge welded onto the bench im working from, so squareness is not an issue. i plan on welding opposing corners first, to make 2 'L' shapes, then joining them to make the rectangle then a brace from one corner to t'other and some corner plates to hold the box still

 

[Norm]

Nice one I thought you were pullin a sickie when I saw the thread title
Norm

 

[BrokenBiker]

haha, cant afford to be ill as an apprentice. too much tea to make for the fitters, and of course, now i have all of their welding to do

i am quite happy though, a out of the 4 of us that started last year, i ma the only one that passed. 2 didnt finish in time, and the 3rd didnt have any penetration and his welds failed fairly easily. i suppose the practiceing at home helped quite a bit, even though it was mig lol

 

[backpurge]

im looking into it now. i'd like to be coded in arc mig and tig. but first i would just like arc.

how do i go about that? are there like weekend courses for people like me that have had experience with welding and have done it well enough to be recognised as a stand in welder in work? or do i have to do a full year long college course?

i dont mind paying for it and doing it in the evenings if its a shortish course, but as im an apprentice leccie, i may be able to get my company on board and pay fpr 1 course out of the three

To get coded decide what you want to be coded in ie process, material type and thickness, joint type and position etc etc then get in touch with a local test house and they'll sort you out, another route is to weld up a butt joint and take it into a test house and ask them to x ray it to either ASME 1X or EN 287, shouldn't cost you much more than £20

 

[MonsterLandrover]

I have the same buzzbox! Some one found it in their shed and just gave it to me! Nice little machine with a quite high ocv .

 

[clutha]

Congratulations, nothing beats the satisfaction of gaining certificated recognition.

 

[BrokenBiker]

To get coded decide what you want to be coded in ie process, material type and thickness, joint type and position etc etc then get in touch with a local test house and they'll sort you out, another route is to weld up a butt joint and take it into a test house and ask them to x ray it to either ASME 1X or EN 287, shouldn't cost you much more than £20

if i weld a but joint up and take it for xray, will that get me coded if my welds are sufficient? say if i butt'd some 8mm plate together? but of a v groove and a root gap to ensure penetration and weld both sides?

or does having it checked just help me on my way to getting coded?

 

[BrokenBiker]

I have the same buzzbox! Some one found it in their shed and just gave it to me! Nice little machine with a quite high ocv .

they are lovely machines for their size. nice and easy to start the arc and nice and robust

 

[StickNtig]

if i weld a but joint up and take it for xray, will that get me coded if my welds are sufficient? say if i butt'd some 8mm plate together? but of a v groove and a root gap to ensure penetration and weld both sides?

or does having it checked just help me on my way to getting coded?

No it wont, if you want to be coded to ASME9 or BSEN287 you need to do the test under the supervision of a surveyor/inspector who will witness that it is you taking the test, it will then be sent for x-ray, expect to pay anywhere between £400 to £700 upwards depending on what test you do.
Im coded asme 9 and 287 in many materials both pipe and plate and have had to pay thousands for the privelidge, but they're essential to earn my living. (I own the company i work for before anyone questions why im paying for my own coding BTW)

And whether you pass or fail, you still pay the full test fee.

Allow me to be frank with you, all youve been allowed to do is weld some tool boxes up, your no where near being coded to asme or bs standards yet.

Asme9 and bsen287 are pressure vessel & high integrity codes which you have no experience with, if your serious about being a coded pipe and plate welder then you probably need to look at an apprenticeship in this instead of a sparky.

Im not trying to discourage you, far from it, but theres alot more to it than welding tool boxes up one week to being multi coded the next.

 

[fenman]

great reply and makes the point that you cant know everything about everything

 

[BrokenBiker]

im looking to get coded straight away. i am happy to wait a few years, and try and get on a welding course linked with my current apprenticeship, as i am a maintenance leccie, any my company is abolishing fitters, so i will have that role aswell when qualified, but without the full qualification, if that makes sense. i will be qualified leccie, but only an experienced fitter, so with that i am hoping they will send me on atleast an nvq welding course.

i would only want to be coded in mig, using mild steel plate up to around 10mm thick, and realise that i am nowhere near experiened enough yet, as ive only been welding 5 months with a 100amp gasless mig, and made a toold box trolley with a stick welder, its just something i am thinking about for the future to allow me a wider range of skills inase the worst happens and i am laid off, as british manufacturing doesnt seem to be going too well at the moment

 

[backpurge]

As StickNtig says you are trying to run before you can walk, as I'd suggested, getting a test plate x rayed will act as an indication as to your skill level but you really need a lot more experience before you put yourself up for a "coding"
I witness in excess of around 200 weld test a year and it never ceases to amaze me the amount of companies that put lads in for codings that are totally out of there depth, it is totally unfair on the guys

 

[Engineer1964]

not allowed to mig in work unless im coded something to do with health and safety about the pressurised gas bottles. only allowed to do a max of 200amp arc welding

Being coded has nothing to do with health and safety, and working with presurised gas bottles would only require a simply 5 minute induction. most compaies don't even bother as its mainly common sense.

In the 30 years i've been welding i've never heard of this reason to stop someone using mig

 

[penfold]

Being coded has nothing to do with health and safety, and working with presurised gas bottles would only require a simply 5 minute induction. most compaies don't even bother as its mainly common sense.

In the 30 years i've been welding i've never heard of this reason to stop someone using mig

Indeed; that's just H&S, nowt to do with coding. All that's required is an induction and(more importantly) a bit of paper saying you've been assimilated.