Future Pipeliner

[TorchHead]

Hey there, my name is Derek. I am new to this site, and just have a few questions. I really love welding, and I am wanting to leave the ship yard work from Northrop Grumman Ship Systems where I work now, and become a cross country pipeline welder. I am wanting to purchase from Miller, love the power of blue. Do any of you have any recommendation to what type of welder and plasma cutter to have for the pipeliner? Also as far as a plasma cutter goes, does it really matter what size air tank to get? I figured that I would not be cutting for no more then 2-3 minutes at a time. Any advice would really be helpful.

Thanks,

Derek

[ShieldArc]

http://www.millermotorsports.com/mbo...ics#post106307

[Goulet!]

I dont think you need that plasma cutter for pipeline work. The cutting is done with Oxy/Act. Get a good set of torches.

[J hall]

I have never done pipeline, but I do have yeas of portable work behind me and the last thing I would think of putting on my truck would be a plasma cutter.
If you like blue machines, you could put on a Vantage 300 and pretend it is a stainless Pro 300.

[cruizer]

Exactly what Coalsmoke said. Tough getting rig work right now, and you can pretty much forget about it with "0" experience with rig welding.

Best to keep your job, least wise till things pickup somewhat, added to the fact of taking quite a wage reduction being a helper,

[chris2626]

Hey there, my name is Derek. I am new to this site, and just have a few questions. I really love welding, and I am wanting to leave the ship yard work from Northrop Grumman Ship Systems where I work now, and become a cross country pipeline welder. I am wanting to purchase from Miller, love the power of blue. Do any of you have any recommendation to what type of welder and plasma cutter to have for the pipeliner? Also as far as a plasma cutter goes, does it really matter what size air tank to get? I figured that I would not be cutting for no more then 2-3 minutes at a time. Any advice would really be helpful.

Thanks,

Derek

Northrop Grumman sweet you're just across the lake from me. I was just checking there website out for pipe welders and was currious of how it was to work there? It's gotta have some great benefits?

Chris

[Finney]

TorchHead,
Listen to to what Coal said. Do you want to work in the most sever weather conditions? Cold, Mud and heat. Can you stand the stress of having everthing X-Rayed. Can you stand the stress of having to run wide open all the time, 7 days a week? What about dealing with jerks, butte holes and idiot inspectors? Can you stand the fact that there is always someone out there that can weld circles around you? What happens you you bust a test, will you have the guts to go to another spread and test again?
I am not trying to discourage you. I am tryin to advise you from a few years experince. You need to know how it is. Like Coal said get you a job as a helper for a while before you spend a lot of cash.
If you decide to go this route you will meet some of the best welders in the world.
The best thing to do after you start is keep your mouth shut and learn all the tricks you can from the old hands.

[Cornerstone]

Oh Wise One

Well said Finney! Happens the same way here north of the border.

[TorchHead]

welding at Northrop Grumman

Chris, yes Northrop Grumman is a real good place to work. I am a pipe welder there. They are hiring right now in all crafts.

[chris2626]

I'm in Covington Louisiana about 30 miles north of New Orleans I'm really hoping to stay on this side of the lake but i think I'm gonna be forced to cross the lake Northrop is reallly a pretty far drive for me but I don't know we'll see.

Chris

[ShieldArc]

TorchHead,
Listen to to what Coal said. Do you want to work in the most sever weather conditions? Cold, Mud and heat. Can you stand the stress of having everthing X-Rayed. Can you stand the stress of having to run wide open all the time, 7 days a week? What about dealing with jerks, butte holes and idiot inspectors? Can you stand the fact that there is always someone out there that can weld circles around you? What happens you you bust a test, will you have the guts to go to another spread and test again?
I am not trying to discourage you. I am tryin to advise you from a few years experince. You need to know how it is. Like Coal said get you a job as a helper for a while before you spend a lot of cash.
If you decide to go this route you will meet some of the best welders in the world.
The best thing to do after you start is keep your mouth shut and learn all the tricks you can from the old hands.

You will also tear up your truck, equipment, and your body,,,,,,,,all for what?????? To say your a pipeliner????? HA, 99.999% of people in the world could care less if your a pipeliner..

[JTMcC]

There's no plasma on the pipeline.
If you want a Miller machine on a P/L rig it will be a PipePro. An old Lincoln SA-200 can be bought in good working shape for about 1/4 or 1/3 the price of a new PipePro.
I make my living in this field, and the best advice I can give you is to not ask advice of people who don't make their living doing the work.

JTMcC.

[pipeline Dan]

well, I was going to post but..... I dont think I have to. Torchead listen to what these guys said.

[JTMcC]

Keep in mind that the people telling you there is no work, are not in the United States where we are in the midst of the largest pipeline boom yet.
Right now, anyone than can make the test, and hang in the firing line is working year round (if they want to).
It of course doesn't take $50 to $100,000 to be rigged up and on a pipeline either. It does take (as a minimum) a mostly reliable 3/4 ton pickup (4wd is a major plus but not a requirement), a mostly reliable welding machine (either a SA-200, SA-250, Classic I, II, or III, 200D or 300D or a Miller PipePro), some welding leads, a set of oxy/acy gages, a hand torch, oxy/acy hoses, some gloves and a hood.
And of course the ability to use those tools in a fast paced environment with very harsh inspection.

There ya go.

JTMcC.

[chris2626]

[QUOTE=JTMcC;108975]Keep in mind that the people telling you there is no work, are not in the United States where we are in the midst of the largest pipeline boom yet.
Right now, anyone than can make the test, and hang in the firing line is working year round (if they want to).
It of course doesn't take $50 to $100,000 to be rigged up and on a pipeline either. It does take (as a minimum) a mostly reliable 3/4 ton pickup (4wd is a major plus but not a requirement), a mostly reliable welding machine (either a SA-200, SA-250, Classic I, II, or III, 200D or 300D or a Miller PipePro), some welding leads, a set of oxy/acy gages, a hand torch, oxy/acy hoses, some gloves and a hood.
And of course the ability to use those tools in a fast paced environment with very harsh inspection.

There ya go.


Where do I sign up? LOL