Pipeline welders

[aametalmaster]

Where i work in the refinery its a 6G 6" pipe 1/8" 7018 no downhill all uphill, 1/8" gap, no noticeable undercut on the inside and no grapes, x ray when done. Saw about 25 guys drop like flies when they took it...Bob

[Rutterbush]

I've always heard welders who worked the natural gas and oil lines were pipeliners, because of how many miles can be put in the ground per day. The Alaska pipe line comes to mind.

Welders who worked process piping, water, steam, chemicals, etc, were pipe welders. That's how they're distinguished in this area of the world, or at least used to be. There are so many people moving here from around the world that I've heard all sorts of names.

Thomas Dean,
No HYPpie rods?

[Speeddy]

I been welding sence I was 12 my dad started me out welding.4 years later I when to a tec school to get my certs 1 year later I was a teacher.I worked at the school for 3 years.We had 60 students each quarter.We got a new dean over the school she down sized our class to 20.She needed the room for medical class lol.After that I started welding pipe on construction jobs.After about 10 years.I started working fot Fluor Daniels.I do all the x-ray welding on our Stainless,Carbon,Hastalloy,Alum. I get sent to plants with in 2 states to do x-ray welds. Last job there was 3 welders we made over 1000 welds none came back bad.I was happy that none came back.Pipe welding is easy.The main rules on pipe welding .Feather each tac to a razer edge. Start in the middle of each tac on the root when you come across a tac go back to the middle again a grinder will take out the little hump where you stop.DO NOT pull stight out it will make a pin hole in th milddle of you puddle call a FISH EYE. 2 rule clean each pass remove all slag.Never run a 6010 Down hill if it's -x-ray. If you have to make a test weld. Tig and stick on the same cupon put 1st tac with 6010 then tig the other 3 tacs and weld the tig root side first and a hot pass over the root before switching back to stick 6010. The reason for this if clean a 6010 root and try to tig over it you will get pin hole ( porosity ) in your root.I done this on my very first test.Live and learn.meant to tell you to make your root burn in easyer cut the tig wire on 45 degree cut and start weld on the tip.this a way to make you caps even with out a hump.Cap shouldn't be over 1/8" higher than the pipe. It dose take a MONSTER weld lol.TO much weld will fail you also on a x-ray weld.I got my R stamp and U stamp for high Pressure welding. On tanks.Now that's a differant ball game. But the same welding. I made 4 tacs and hade to wait 5 hrs one time to have insurance inspector to look at it. Cost the company $3000.00 just for him.I made the weld. They called in x-ray crew the shot it then they called in a welding inspector,after he passed it. He called the insurance man back to look at the weld then film.It taken over 14 hrs just for 3 hr weld.Money in my pocket lol.I know it sounds like a joke but this really happens on the jobs.

[j@j metal works]

I'm a union pipe welder and most pipeliner I know use 1/8in 6010. They downhill it all the way out. If your wanting to learn to weld, I would try a welding school or a local union hall apprenticeship program.

[Thomas Dean]

If possible I would opt for an apprentice program, especially if you can learn the whys and why nots of welding. I have known several "welding instructors" at the local tech school and Jr. college and I wouldn't hire them! let alone their students. Just as j@j metal works signature states "You can spend all the money in world but a tool is only as good as the person using it!" , the same will go for learning a trade. I am not union either. On-the-job training is probably the best as far as learning to weld beads, but anything you can do to learn metals and metalargy will by far better serve you in the long run. Two men in the crew I work in (a Fortune 500 chemical co.) went to a 'tech school' to learn to weld, 25+yrs ago, and they still don't know much more than how to burn a rod. It's a shame as they have been exposed to some very exotic materials and know very little about them. I also believe PRIDE in your work plays a MAJOR part in how well you will do. My oppinions, yours may vary...