Pile Drivers Apprentice Training Program, Carpenters Training Committee for Northern California

Organized Labor

Welding instructor Steve Tilton inspecting a weld by apprentice Daniel Slocumb
In learning construction, students tend to work as fast as they can so they can show they are ready to learn the next task, but welding takes a lot of patience to learn. That's why, in the beginning, women often do better than men. Later on it all evens out, and they both do as well.

You can't rush it. Welding is about waiting on the puddle (of molten metal) and keeping it moving at the same pace. You can't start your weld at one rate, and then when you get half-way through start racing. That won't allow enough welding metal to be deposited in the right position, and you can have a lack of fusion. That's not how you get a quality weld, and it's not how you pass the certification test. And when it comes to employment, they call for certified welders first, as opposed to someone who just knows how to weld.

What's the trick to welding over water? Don't fall in. As long as you take all the safety precautions, it's like welding in the rain. You have to have the right personal protective equipment, the right type of gloves and the right type of rubber boots, and a rain suit to insulate your body from the electricity.