Underwater Welding

[The Jester Race]

I was talking with my teacher(CWI) tonight about career paths as a welder and he mentioned underwater welding. He didn't have alot of info about it, except that it is one of the best paying welding professions and that it also has the shortest life expectancy for a welder too. He said if he was 30 years younger he would definitely pursue it as a profession.

So is anyone here an underwater welder? Lets hear some stories.

-Jester

 

[smallfarm123@aol.com]

im not but one of old buddies are and he loves it. he says that he would not change it for the world. it is a very well payed job

 

[thegoat4]

I knew a guy who did it for a couple of years. He didn't like having to pressurize and de-pressurize. The chamber was boring.

 

[rjppunk]

I hear the pressurization and depressurization messes your bones up after a few years. I hear its similar to how being in space takes the calcium out of astronaughts bones. Don't quote me on it though.

 

[97ranger4x4]

what good is money if your dead? at least thats what I am assuming you meant by shortest life expectancy. in less you meant they quit after a few years...

 

[The Jester Race]

what good is money if your dead? at least thats what I am assuming you meant by shortest life expectancy. in less you meant they quit after a few years...

I have always heard it as "life" expectancy of about 10 years, so I assume they mean life and not career. But I could be wrong.

-Jester

 

[rjppunk]

career expectancy is low, it puts a lot of strain on your body so after 10 years you probably just cant do it anymore. Might also give you some fun things like aurthritus (sp?)

 

[MrE_Powers]

you only die if you are stupid dont be stupid...... it involves stick (Smaw) process so get a stick welder and practice. also i would practice all positions but i would assume that you would be welding 2g, 3g, 4g , and pipe positions 5g and 6 g

 

[The Jester Race]

I'm 6G certified in TIG and Stick, so I think I'm good there. And I'm going to school right now for an A.S. degree in Welding Technology.

-Jester

 

[wahlstrom1]

Depending where you are there's a limit to how long you can work the trade, hr's wise. From what I've been told (I'm a HD mech, not a welder) it averages out to about a 8-10 yr career before your time limit is up.

-andrew

 

[Dishtowel]

Depending where you are there's a limit to how long you can work the trade, hr's wise. From what I've been told (I'm a HD mech, not a welder) it averages out to about a 8-10 yr career before your time limit is up.

-andrew

bingo, you can only do the work for a finite amount of hrs. then your done, it's hard on the body.

 

[phatdaddy]

how many rednecks drown before someone suggested a breathing apparatus ?

 

[The Jester Race]

bump

 

[RangerMan9389]

well, from what i have herd the life exspectancy ranges from 2 to 10 years, it tears your body up pretty bad from the all the compression chambers and time spent in them.

now the way it was demonstrated to me was the number one rule for underwater welding is Never turn your back on your ground. by that i mean you have your stinger in your hands infont of your body and your ground must be faceing you in the same matter in front of you. the reason for this is because water conducts current (obviously) so there for the current is constantly flowing between the two, hence if you turn your back then the current will flow from the ground through your body to your stinger(DCEP). not good. now because of this hazzerd there is someone above water with a big blade switch turning the weld current on only when the welder is ready to strike up an arc. as far as electrodes used i'm sure there is somthing unique about the ones they use but from what i could see they looked just like a lincoln excalibur 7018. the only difference was they have to run a 1/8" rod at about 450 amps because the the water surrounding the arc cools the puddle so rapidly.


so what ever you choose becarful please, it is very dangerouse. i won't lie i would like to try it atleast once. hopefully i'll get back to the ship yard where i seen it and get a chance on it. though if your going to be a CWI i think you will make great money if not just as much or more, or atleast you will be able to work longer and not have a tore up body you know what i mean?


Jeremy

 

[Danger-Ranger96]

I was talking with my teacher(CWI) tonight about career paths as a welder and he mentioned underwater welding. He didn't have alot of info about it, except that it is one of the best paying welding professions and that it also has the shortest life expectancy for a welder too. He said if he was 30 years younger he would definitely pursue it as a profession.

So is anyone here an underwater welder? Lets hear some stories.

-Jester

my friends buddy does underwater welding up here in the oilsands. definately a high paying job, he gets 300/hr and a whole bunch of extra bonuses. he's only expected to work for 6 years and hes in his 4th year already.

thats pretty much all i know about him haha