Where it all started?

[D.wilson94]

Just for fun and because im interested in how other people progressed ..how did you get into welding and how did you progress to where your at now ,for me i started at college,worked for a van body building company,then on to caterpillar ,i want to learn how to weld pipe but not sure if worth paying

 

[Woody.v8]

My great grandad was a farrier my grandad was a blacksmith my dad a welder and me a welder/Fabricator So kind of in the blood, I had my first stick welder for my 10th birthday and that was 28 years ago now and still at it.

 

[Ashley Burton]

Always wanted to learn how to weld, No one in my family previously welded. So went on City & Guilds TIG course & bought my first MIG welder a few years later when I got a place of my own.

Would like to do some more regular welding & improve my ability as I'm a DIY welder

 

[D.wilson94]

Always wanted to learn how to weld, No one in my family previously welded. So went on City & Guilds TIG course & bought my first MIG welder a few years later when I got a place of my own.

Would like to do some more regular welding & improve my ability as I'm a DIY welder

You any good at tig?

 

[stuvy]

I wanted a monster truck at the age of 8 started mig and arc ended up racing at 8 and going into open wheel, tin tops and grass track and being a gold top champ as well as racing bicycles and doing 10 miles in 24 mins. I raced off road and best time was 27 mins. Should have listened to my dad and ditched the engines as I would have been a GC now

 

[Ashley Burton]

You any good at tig?

Haven't TIG welded in years, I've got a scratch start inverter TIG setup, But haven't got any Argon to practice

Having a MIG welder is too convenient, But once I've got some gas I will have another go at TIG welding

 

[Hitch]

I started at a vocational college straight after school.
I did a tyre and exhaust course to kill a few spare weeks, then on to a welding course, prior to planning starting an automotive course- that I went there for.
To finish the welding qualification I had to do a work placement. I was offered a permanent position at the end, and stayed a while, never going back for the automotive apprenticeship.
Moved about a few places, then ended staying at the last one, where I gradually moved up from just a lad to the worshop supervisor.
The next rung on the ladder is blocked though, so taking a step back down in January, but a onto a different ladder.

 

[Rannsachair]

My dad was a mechanic/fitter so there was always oxy acetylene bottles at home doing car repairs, so started welding 40 odd years ago, then eventually got a cebora MIG.

I did an engineering HNC that included sessions on gas welding , MIG and I missed the TIG classes through illness. Spent most of my life working in factories (design and development) where there were real welders: so know my skills are very limited, though I still enjoy trying to weld.

 

[TechnicAl]

I used to catch the bus to work, at British Steel, outside a factory called Welding Rods Ltd. It was about 500 yards from my Mums house. I often stood there and wondered if they had a Metallurgist. I had just qualified when I saw an advert.I knew a bit about welding through a BSC subsidiary Redpath, Doman, Long who I was seconded to for a while. I thought lets have a go. I went for the interview and got the job. Welding Rods Ltd were bought by Norweld who were bought by The Lincoln Electric Co.

 

[Spark plug]

I bought a Land Rover

 

[Shedendman]

I bought a Land Rover

I'll raise you your LR,to,i bought a bedford cf in 84

 

[D.wilson94]

I bought a Land Rover

Welded these for a guy with land rover

 

[Shedendman]

Actually it all started way before then,my father was a hydrolic fitter/mechanic,working for the likes of atlas copco,JCB and sg oldings,use to take me to work when i was a kid,i was the fetch me this spanner gofor,he'd do gas weld back then
Use to watch him up to his neck in crap and mud fixing all sorts of excavators etc,i still to this day remember his words "son,never get into this **** type of work it'll kill ya"
What do i do now,yep,lay on me back looking up at a pile of rust and crap 50 yrs on,see,i didnt listen

 

[stuvy]

Actually it all started way before then,my father was a hydrolic fitter/mechanic,working for the likes of atlas copco,JCB and sg oldings,use to take me to work when i was a kid,i was the fetch me this spanner gofor,he'd do gas weld back then
Use to watch him up to his neck in crap and mud fixing all sorts of excavators etc,i still to this day remember his words "son,never get into this **** type of work it'll kill ya"
What do i do now,yep,lay on me back looking up at a pile of rust and crap 50 yrs on,see,i didnt listen

Tell me about it I should have been a plumber!!

 

[Wildefalcon]

Series Landrover. Nuf said.

 

[maz0]

Another Land Rover here. Rear cross member was an MOT failure so gave it a bash. Learned everything from this forum as well, which I'm eternally grateful for

 

[Parm]

My grandad was a tool maker. My dad was his apprentice and ended up running his own precision engineering business until he retired. He also had a welding fab side to the business.

He said welding was difficult. He’s partially correct. I can glue metal together, this welding malarkey is a whole different ball game

 

[Ruffian]

Was big into modified cars and friends always building exhausts and bits. So had a go with a hobby mig and was horrendous. Didn't even get both plates. Was shocking.

So got an apprenticeship doing panel beating. Did a full nvq level 3 qualification up to pas125 level including welding assessments.
Did a tiny bit of mug braize and alloy mig.

Left there to go to Swansea uni to do motorsport engineering and unfortunately was all computerised theory based rather than practical and after the tutors said, "wish my welding was that nice, if I need any doing I'll come ask you" Was enough to prompt this isn't for me.

Left that and got back into the motor trade but this time being a mechanical tech and not tester. Done that for 6 years, general stuff. Left that to join a specialist. Bought a tig to self learn for steel and stainless.
Really liked that job but after a while needed out of the motor trade.

Bought a ac/dc tig and self teaching (with guidance off here)

And recently started a new job as a dairy parlour technician. So now going to do alloy more stainless work and arc welding.
Haven't arc welded in 15 years so going to be a learning curve again.

 

[owas]

seemed like something fun to do so I bought a mig (which never worked properly!) And starting practicing in the garden ... I get paid for it now so I must be ok

 

[Hood]

Bought a crashed VF400 and wanted to make it look like a VF500 so bought a wee SIP 140 amp stick welder and made up a frame for the replica fairing.