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Summary: Indeed, covers the benefits of a career in welding. These include multiple ways to enter the field, as well as the job stability provided from it. Welding has a wide variety of opportunity's, including being able to start your own business once you have experience. There are some factors to the job that may be a downside. The job is physically challenging, including long hours. The conditions on jobs have many hazards and safety concerns if proper protocols are not followed.

Reflection: This article did a good job picking out the main positives and negatives to a career in welding. The major downside of welding is the toll it takes on your body, however it is a great career in other aspects. Even with a lot of jobs getting laid off or taken over by computers, welding remains as in demand and needed.

Citation: Indeed Editorial Team. "Pros and Cons of a Career in the Welding Industry." Indeed, 3 March, 2025. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/pros-vs-cons-of-being-welder

Accessed: 28 March, 2025

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Your Ray ID for this request is 92788094fc5e72b3

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Summary: In this article Katie Flannery discusses the first steps to becoming a welder. She says to consider the straining physicals conditions that will be required before making a decision. She recommends beginners attend a community college or vocational school depending on your learning style and goal. After schooling should come an internship or entry level position to build more on the job practical skills. Then to enhance employability to get certified by the AWS, American Welding Society. From here special actions can be taken such as getting certified by state standards or enhancing your skills in a specific area.

Reflection: These are accurate steps someone can take to get into the welding field. This is the path I am on as I attend a trade school and start my first entry level job. But there is the alternative of skipping the school altogether and going right into an apprenticeship, with a union for example. There is not a one size fits all way to start this career.

Citation: Flannery, Katie. "How to Become a Welder and Build Your Career in 6 Steps." Bob Vila, 31 May, 2024.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-become-a-welder/

Accessed: 28 March, 2025

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How to Become a Welder and Build Your Career in 6 Steps

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Learning how to become a welder includes obtaining the necessary training, certifications, and on-the-job experience to achieve a rewarding career.

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Summary: This covers the top five important things to focus on to be a great welder. Great welders are always learning and open to new ways. They should also be able to see the big picture of blueprints while also focusing on the small details of every weld. Because of hazardous conditions safety should always stay a priority. Both for safety and other aspects of the job, welders should have good communication and interpersonal skills.

Reflection: These are great factors to work on to grow your skills and employment chances as a welder. While these skills apply to other jobs, they have their own specific applications in welding that differs from other fields.

Citation: Ronald, "Top Five Qualities of a Good Welder." West Arc, 5 Dec., 2015.

https://westarcwelding.com/top-five-qualities-great-welder/

Accessed: 28 March, 2025

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Great Welders - Top Qualities - West Arc

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Top-quality welding services for Burnaby, Surrey, Vancouver, and more. Contact us for mobile, structural, pipe welding, and custom fabrication needs!

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Summary: This article covers how there is no strict career path for welders. There are many different ways to learn, and the skill comes from experience. Depending on where you decide to get this experience, you could specialize in something or learn a bit of everything. Despite the indirect path, they find that commonly one is considered experienced after 7-15 years. They list different industries where welders are needed and highlight how each has different skills. They also specify suggestions on how to start a successful business as many do after they become experienced in their field.

Reflection: I like the way this article talks about the progression of a career in welding. There is more knowledge to be learned about the field than any one person could know. The option comes down to picking experiences that will teach you.

Citation: "The Ultimate Welding Career Guide." Welding Watch.

https://weldingwatch.com/welding-career-guide/

Accessed: 28 March, 2025

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Are you good with your hands, interested in engineering and have a fascination for metal? Then maybe a career as a welder is a path for you.

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Summary: This article outlines the findings of health studies conducted on welding fumes effects. There is a very wide variety of metals and other substances that you can be exposed to while welding. From these most body parts could be affected including the heart, lungs, kidneys or central nervous system. There are short term effects such as welders fever and many long-term effects. These dangers can be reduced or eliminated by wearing proper PPE and taking precautions like proper ventilation.

Reflection: When considering the field of welding, health risks should be taken into account. However, as the article includes, there are preventative measures to limit risks. This is why safety is a priority in construction-based work.

Citation: Bell, Vicki. "Welding Fumes, Their Health Risks and Hazards." The Fabricator, 11 March, 2023.

https://www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/safety/welding-fumes-their-health-risks-and-hazards

Accessed: 4 April, 2025

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Welding fumes, their health risks and hazards

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For more than 400,000 U.S. welders, there are many health risks associated with inhaling welding fumes. Learn more about the hazards of welding fumes here.

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Summary: Lowes gives an in-depth guide to deciding what beginner materials to buy. The article goes over the different welders you need depending on what process you are looking to do. This also goes over considering budget as welders can range largely in price. It also recommends the basic personal protective gear need. There are different types of helmets, some that auto darken, some that are fixed shade.

Reflection: Due to the abundance of types of welders, this article helps break down the search. It can be overwhelming to decide between machines, especially if you don't know what all of the setting are for. This is an essential part to starting to weld if you decide to start yourself.

Citation: Lowes Editorial Team, "A Beginners Guide to Welding: Tools and Tips." Lowes, 11 October, 2022.

https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/welding-for-beginners?msockid=14e81128f4946a4c12af02def5f66b61

Accessed: 4 April, 2025

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By Lowe's Editorial Team
Updated October 11, 2022

From exploring essential tools - including the best types of welders for a beginner - to tips on planning, our guide to welding for beginners will help you get started in this immersive craft.

Types of Welders

To create the heat necessary to melt various compounds together to create a seam, a welding machine is necessary. The most common types of welders are stick, MIG/flux-cored and TIG. Although you may also find plasma arc, gas tungsten arc, atomic hydrogen and energy beam units, these are typically reserved for highly skilled professionals. The core models are more than sufficient for the novice welder.

Understanding Equipment Types

Take a look at these standard types of equipment and learn about different types of welding to see which would be the best welder for your projects.

Matching the Welder to the Project

Different welding machines are suited to different metals and different thicknesses of material.

Both steel and stainless steel readily accept welding by three standard types of welders:

However, the thickness of the metal determines which machine is best. TIG welding works best on thin metals, as it offers more precise temperature control through the use of a foot pedal. This prevents unintentionally cutting through the metal as a plasma cutter would. For thicker metals like structural steel or when fusing to a dissimilar metal, MIG welding is preferred, as it produces strong and reliable bonds quickly.

Welding aluminum alloys can be tricky, so it's best to use a welder that offers more control, like a TIG welder. The temperature regulation of TIG welding helps prevent overheating and burn-through. You'll need to clean the surface before welding. Aluminum has a layer of oxidation that can be challenging to deal with. Try using a clean stainless steel brush on the surface.

It's also possible to weld aluminum alloys with a MIG welder. This works well with thin gauges and aluminum sheets. Simply use a similar-strength welding wire or rod to produce a strong and reliable weld.

While cast iron is a difficult metal to weld, it's not impossible. Many do-it-yourselfers experience great success by using a stick welder with nickel rods. Because of cast iron's tendency to crack and flake, temperature control is essential regardless of the welding method you choose.

Lightweight and exceptionally strong, chromoly shows up often in automotive projects. Because it's a bit different from other alloys, metal preparation and cleaning are essential for welding success with your TIG welder. When welding chromoly, move slowly so as to not shock the metal.

While all of this may seem to push a do-it-yourself welder toward a TIG or MIG welding machine, you should consider all the options and how you want to use the welding machine. A stick welder works on steel, stainless steel, nickel-based alloys, chrome, regular steel and aluminum. However, another type of welding machine may produce more professional results. It's up to you to weigh the importance of certain aesthetics with basic function.

Buying Your First Welder

There's no welder that's perfect for every craftsperson. That's why it's important to understand your task, goals and budget.

Research your workload and determine the types of metal you'll most often work with, as well as their thickness. For example, are you primarily working to fix cars? Create metal sculptures? Build backyard furniture? Or are you performing maintenance on heavy-duty farm equipment?

Don't just stop with your first project. You may need to repair a metal fence this weekend, but try to also see what's down the road. Have you wanted to add a spare-tire mount to your trailer and didn't know where to start? This helps to give you an idea of the type of machine and amount of training you'll need to be successful.

Next, consider your budget. Whether you're a weekend warrior or you'll use your welder as part of your professional services offering, you'll find a host of welding machines to fit a variety of needs and budgets. You'll also need to consider the cost of protective equipment and materials to go with your welder. This means that the best welder for you isn't necessarily the most expensive machine. You want to plan for equipment that'll do the job you need to tackle now, plus your future tasks and growth, while leaving you a little money left over for safety gear and supplies.

Take your time as you go through this process. Research, study the craft, look into the products and services offered by welding equipment manufacturers, and talk to a few people about their machines, keeping a bit of objectivity as everyone will have their preferred brands. Ultimately, though, the best choice for you is the one you'll work with regularly to perfect your craft.

Maintaining a Healthy Respect for Your Welder

A welding hood or welding helmet with the appropriate lens for your machine protects your eyes from damaging UV and IR flashes from welding arcs. Though there are a variety of options available, you'll want to choose one that's well suited to the work you'll be doing. Some of the best-rated welding helmets offer features such as variable lens shades to allow you to tackle different kinds of projects, a combination solar and battery power supply, a large viewing area, and a lightweight design to help reduce neck strain and fatigue when working for long periods of time.

Another feature to consider is automatic darkening. An auto-darkening welding helmet is equipped with sensors that allow the lens to automatically adjust once you start welding, protecting your eyes from dangerous flashes. One of the biggest benefits to this type of helmet is that you can leave it in place whether you're working or not since the shade adjusts on its own, as opposed to a helmet with a fixed lens. Helmets with fixed lenses require you to manually lift and lower the mask. If you use different welding techniques and work on different materials, consider auto-darkening options.

Also look for:

Reliable fume extraction solutions should also be part of your safety gear shopping list and budget.

Learning a new skill can be both exciting and overwhelming. Remember to take your time, learn as much as possible about your equipment and practice your new craft often. You're well on your way to adding a skill with a great payoff - whether you're working at home or on the jobsite.

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Learn about the best welders for beginners and get tips to get you started welding.

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Summary: The article details the advantages of earning a degree in welding over going straight into the field. While an apprenticeship can get you experience in welding, a degree provides more theory. Through a degree you get the teaching end as well as the hands-on aspect. Additionally, a degree helps your credibility in the profession. It shows commitment and can give you a strong edge over other candidates.

Reflection: From experience, a degree does give a boost in getting a job in the field. Some companies especially like to hire straight out of tech colleges such as Thaddeus Stevens. Having knowledge before looking for a job provides more confidence and provides an easier way into the industry.

Citation: Griffin, Jason. "Is It Worth Getting A Degree In Welding?" Rickys Welding.

https://rickyswelding.com/is-it-worth-getting-a-degree-in-welding/

Accessed: 4 April, 2025

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Rickys Welding Equipment and Tools | Best Tools For Welders

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Is It Worth Getting A Degree In Welding? | Ricky’s Welding Equipment

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Is getting a degree in welding worth it? Explore the benefits of a welding degree and discover why it’s a worthwhile investment for your future.

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Summary: This article covers the specific types of welders who make the most money. Some of the highest paying welding jobs are pipeline welders, underwater welders, iron workers and welding inspectors. To enter most of these jobs, you have to pass specialized tests and be in harsher conditions. Many of these place heightened risks on your safety in addition to requiring extreme skill.

Reflection: Many people are under the assumption being a welder in general makes you three figures. However, this is a misconception and jobs that do pay this well are very specialized. You still make decent money as a baseline welder, but not what most people think. So, if you're in it just for the money, you have to be ready to put in the work in.

Citation: "What Welders Make The Most Money?" Welding Troop.

https://weldingtroop.com/highest-paying-welding-jobs/

Accessed: 4 April, 2025

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Have you ever wondered what are the highest paying welding jobs in us or which welders make the most money? Maybe you first got into welding as a hobby, and