Welder Repair shop seeking qualified factory service techs.

[pipeline]

I am wondering if anybody out there is looking for a good paying job with benefits repairing welding units. Miller and Lincoln training would be beneficial. Central Alberta, Canada is where we are located. Reply to the thread if you or someone you know may be interested. Engine drive experience would be great as well. Cruiser where are you? Any electricians who love electronics may like this field of work.

[HAWK]

I wish you were south, but oh well.

Good Luck,

HAWK

[GTA/SPEC]

Any electricians who love electronics may like this field of work

Really? I wouldnt let an electrician wire a plug on the end of a welder, let alone work on one.

[HAWK]

Really? I wouldnt let an electrician wire a plug on the end of a welder, let alone work on one.

Ha!

[FusionKing]

Really? I wouldnt let an electrician wire a plug on the end of a welder, let alone work on one.

I pretty much feel the same. Or at least see your point.

[cruizer]

Pretty tough getting techs, from anywhere. the only reason several exist here is that I run them untill they can locate a suitable technician. Tough getting into the trade anyways. as warranty doesn't pay well, Lincoln pays in Credits, and Miller doesn't come close to posted labour rates, even with passing the CST exam.

If you don't have acess to the distributors like Praxair, Linde, ect, for sales of remotes and cables, then your kinda hooped as well.

And honestly I would not trust a Electrician to do Electronics. there is a big diffence as Electronics you really have to think about what your doing. I've hired them before, and found that a monkey with a hammer would have been a better choice.

[acx780]

Now, wait a minute. I work on security electronics everyday, that I must be able to repair cause they call me back to work on other stuff. I have a masters card, but then again I only got it so I could pull permits. there are some pretty worthless masters. So really Cruiser, If a guy wanted to get into repairing welders for a career where would you tell him to start and where would be a good situation after that? If you dont mind what was the path that you followed. I have some high schoolers looking for careers.....

[emlupi]

Why are we so down on electricians?

While I will admit that electronics repair and electrical installation work are two completely different animals, why the animosity towards electricians? I was a Marine Corps avionics tech and have been an electrician for 23 years. The people that I work with are professionals, although they may not be factory welder techs, to suggest that we cannot put a plug on a welding machine is a little extreme. You must work with some real shoemakers in your area if that is the case.

By the way, after reading some of the posts made here regarding the wiring of machines and electrical theories in general, well, people in glass houses........

[HAWK]

Sad but true...

While I will admit that electronics repair and electrical installation work are two completely different animals, why the animosity towards electricians? I was a Marine Corps avionics tech and have been an electrician for 23 years. The people that I work with are professionals, although they may not be factory welder techs, to suggest that we cannot put a plug on a welding machine is a little extreme. You must work with some real shoemakers in your area if that is the case.

By the way, after reading some of the posts made here regarding the wiring of machines and electrical theories in general, well, people in glass houses........

I think it is a stereotypical situation we are talking about. In my experience most electricians have problems with reading schematics. It's hard to work with a guy that can't differentiate a 100k pot from a 100uf cap. If you can't do that, how are you going to trace a board? I know card carrying pedigreed electricians that really don't understand the basics of neutrals and grounds. If they did, they couldn't vocalize it.

Please understand I have worked with a few electricians that have my utmost respect for their knowledge and abilities. Then there are the rest. I guess it's true in all fields today, blue and white collar, welders included. Sad but true...

My thoughts,

HAWK

[acx780]

I was just kidding

My experience with electricians is about the same as Hawks. Good, bad indifferent. I was just kidding anyway. Luckily the ones I deal with daily are outstandingly good but just like anything else, trust but verify. Although I have done what they do, and am licensed to do it, I prefer not to. I would rather stick to my weenie wires.

[cruizer]

I came out of a Aircraft mechanics/avionics background, and was given a choice between repairing avionics (which I should have taken, but I had to move to do it), or happenend on a higher paying welder repair facility which due to a down turn in the aircraft fixit business.

OK, most electricians (the 300 or so around here) can't read a schematic if thier life depended on it. Last week I got called out for a service call just to find the machine in question has been stripped apart by an electrician who couldn't find the problems where in this case a toggle was in the wrong position.

Yes being a welder tech is a specialized trade, you really have to be able to logicaly think the problem out, then you have to logically find the route cause of the failure in the first place so that it does not occour again. So just because a board failed, why did that board fail. Stuff like that keeps me up a night.

We have to understand the theorys behind all brands of machines, know how they work, and hopefully know how to repair them once they fail. We also have to know how to weld in all processes. We have to converse directly with customers, and operators so must be pleasant dealing with thier (in most cases) stupidity. We pay to get updated and are tested constantly on the new technologys

If not, we might as well apprentice to be a low payed Electrician

[emlupi]

It's all good

Gentlemen,

I understand your position as it pertains to the skill level of individual tradesmen. There are good and bad (and downright incompetent) people in all walks of life.

Cruizer, you are right about electricians and reading electromic schematics. Most do not have the requisite knowledge or experience to interperet what they see. But you must know that this is not their area of expertise. Electrical construction,power distribution and conrtrols are a different world than troubleshooting to component level on electronics circuitry at the test bench and machine repair. No better or worse, just different.

P.S.-- I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods but suggesting that electricians are low-paid is probably one of the funnier statements I've read in this forum. I'm not here to brag, but since you've made it an issue, I have had weeks on nuclear power plant outages where I have made over 5K in one week. I know you're just trying to get under my skin but it's still a ridiculous statement.

[cruizer]

Average starting wage for a welder tech, with a few basic factory courses is around $20-25/hr. with 3yrs in this field $38 to $40+. As a subcontractor I get $96/hr + travel. Then of course there are parts used, cable, remote and machines sales.

Sooo making $5K a week every week is quite easy now that its booming again.

I didn't have to apprentice anywhere, though have pulled & wired entire industrial buildings with the supervision of a journeyman electrician. Pretty easy stuff compared with my exsisting trade.

[emlupi]

Interesting

I find it very curious that even though I have said nothing negative about your job or your profession, ( I have respect for anyone who does their job in a professional manner) you take every opportunity to make disparaging remarks about me and mine. Even though you don't know me and have no idea what I am capable of, or not. Also, you threw the money aspect into the conversation and now have come to take a defensive position on that, as well.

You act as if pulling wire in buildings is all there is to the easy electrical trade, which is another in a series of derogatory and ignorant remarks on your part. I could trivialize your job as well and equate you with the Maytag repairman but I know better. As I stated earlier, I have respect for anyone who takes their trade seriously and gives it their best at all times, which you seem to do.

Yes, we all get the point that you are a substantial human being with a true purpose and place in this life. We are very happy for you. You might try extending some basic human courtesy to others, if you are able.

[cruizer]

I am just playing around, in actually I watch online movies and on the internet half the day on
my shops big screen, going to be tossing this 42" LCD in favour of a 60" LCD as soon as my landlord takes out a wall fo me.