Pipeline welders

[Pipeliner32]

anyone on the list is a welder on pipelines? I current job and boss wants me to learn to weld pipelines. Any good comments

[welder19]

Best to find a mentor or a school, pipe line welding is something that you need to be certified for and there are various cert's for what type of pipe line it is, fuel, steam, etc.

welder19

[HWooldridge]

I used to be certified on low pressure (<15 lbs of steam). We welded vertical up with 3/32 6011 for root and 1/8 7018 for the cover pass.

I'd say get the book and study for the test.

[yesteryearforge]

Some of the best welders that I have ever had work for me were two ex-pipe welders
Both could weld chewing gum wrappers together with tig.
Both came from entirely different lines of work though.

Mike
Tanner

[jimmy seale]

you will have to x-ray, so good pen. beads ,cleanup and cap.may have to go 3 passes, which id mild. lo-hi tie in and 1 not tied in but used to temper the outher welds-i for one can weld but doubt i can x-ray. you may have to bevel yourself so practice that too. good luck, jimmy

[Hillbillysmith]

I agree with Welder19 on this one. Get a mentor who will teach you the proper way to do things, or take a class that will do the same. I have done pipe welding before, but am not a pipe welder. Take it from me, it is not and easy task to do. learning to read the puddle from where you are standing and tell whats going on inside the pipe is not a skill that comes overnight nor is it one that can be self-taught. Get someone to teach you, and get some pipe. LOTS OF PIPE!!! And remember, practice is the key.

Good luck to you in your future endeavors,
-Hillbilly

P.S.
Practice welding pipe with the process you are going to use. If you are going to weld pipe at the job with stick, don't bother waisting your time TIG welding the pipe or visa versa. If you are going to use both, then by all means, DO both. But it does come in handy to know all that you can. Just another little tip.

[Tom Poole]

I am a Pipefitter/welder and I have worked with lots of Pipeliners. Most pipeline welding is 6010 downhill.
I would take the advice of Hillbillysmith and find out the process they want you to use. If possable find someone to teach you so you don't practice mistakes.
Hope this helps

[Thomas Dean]

Practice make perfect is a misnomer....PERFECT practice makes perfect. So yes, get a GOOD welder to teach you. (Not all schools have good welders, find out if they have taught others to weld pipe.) X-RAY welding is the EASY part of welding, just keep it clean, don't put in bad metal and it will shoot good. Bending can be your problem. I have seen good looking welds beat X-RAY but when they cut their straps and got them bent is when the tears started to flow. Usually in the root bend or a side bend. A lot of pipe now (and for the past 20 something yrs) is welded with E7010. Welds much like the 6010 or 5P as it is called. With the 7010 you can run the entire weld with this and all downhill. But as mentioned above, check what the job requires and work on that. Good luck.

[KYBOY]

You really should learn the proper techniques and practice quite a bit. Then study befor you take the test. Most of what I have done has been 6010 root welds with 7018 cap welds. Its not really that hard after you have learned the proper way of doing it. Dont over look the little things like good dry rods and cleaning your root pass really well.

[Pipeliner32]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I need the mentor to help me in welding on pipelines. My boss has welded on pipelines while under flow, he should help.

Bill