I have come to a cross road in my education. I am going to schol with people of different trades, and stuff. One of the trades that sounds really interesting is Non Distructive testing or NDT for short.
The guys tell me that the pay is great, the demand is high, and the job is pretty relaxed.
He also said that you DO spend a lot of time on the road, and in hotels.

Just looking for input.

Like computer simulated testing.............?

No, its the people wh go to construction sites, labs, fab shops, etc. and test welds non destructively.
They use flash photo and radiology technology or something like that.
The way I understand it, is it works like an x-ray for welds. After taking the test or picture or whatever, you can see imperfections in the welds, or if the welds were perfect. If they arent then the welder has to redo the job.

Heres the scoop:
You drive out to a construction site. You are basicly waiting for a jobber to come to you and he advises that his specific job is doen and needs certificate. You test, post results and go back to the truck while you wait for the next guy. Or if you are at a lab or if your hotel is close by you wait there. It can be a lot of waitingat time, but you are on the clock regardless.

ok I get it. Talk to Chuck, I think he does something along those lines

Yea watching those Oil Rig Rebuilding things on Discovery, they showed those guys checking the welds, and he found some that were bad they had to redo. Held up the rig for a whole day while they rewelded the stuff.

They make bank because screwing up is not an option. If a welder makes a mistake, you catch it. If you make a mistake, mother nature catches it when the rig comes crashing down due to bad welds.

Dealt with ALOT if those guys when I worked for Ingersoll-Rand. (We did custom piping jobs on HUGE compressors that went on oil rigs). Definitely ALOT of travel, but the excitement factor is next to nothing. Pay is good, liability is extreme!

I'd say look into it if you can handle the travel. Personally, the Diesel thing you are doing sounds more exciting, even if the pay isn't much.

Best of luck...

Pay is good, liability is extreme!...


My uncle did that at the end of his welding career when they were building the San Onofre Nuclear power plant in So Cal. I do remember him saying that it was the most stressfull job he ever had. At that time though the inspectors had to have every welding cert/classification available.

liability is extreme!


thats what I figured




I do remember him saying that it was the most stressfull job he ever had.
I also thought that would be the case. If it were me I would pass on it and leave it to the guys that like the stress.

I also thought that would be the case. If it were me I would pass on it and leave it to the guys that like the stress.

I know a lot of that had to do with the fact that they were building a nuclear power plant.

My uncle did that at the end of his welding career when they were building the San Onofre Nuclear power plant in So Cal. I do remember him saying that it was the most stressfull job he ever had. At that time though the inspectors had to have every welding cert/classification available.

That's just cool. That had to be decades ago, wasn't the San Onofre reactor shipped to Camp Pendlton around the tip of South America? Talk about a helluva trip!

Sounds like a cool job. I don't like alot of travel so it wouldn't be for me though.

That's just cool. That had to be decades ago, wasn't the San Onofre reactor shipped to Camp Pendlton around the tip of South America? Talk about a helluva trip!

Sounds like a cool job. I don't like alot of travel so it wouldn't be for me though.

Yes it was. My parents moved to So Cal in 1974 which was when I met him for the first time and he was retired then. I remember him saying that the only places he was not certified to weld were the arctic, antarctic and space only because he had never been there and the only metal he wasn't certified to weld together had not been found yet.

Not sure about the trip around SA. I know there are two though.

Well, travel is the case but a lot of employers will let you set bounderies.
I can see myself traveling to any state around me, but no further.
The other nice thing is that we have Kennecott, Hercules, Union 33 Ironworkers, and a few others that are local and do enough work local that you wouldnt have to travel that much.

Todays NDT testers dont have "as much" stress as they did years ago. The technology behind the radiographs dont leave much to failure.
Most of the NDT is cut and dry, you see pin holes, to much millscale, oxy contamination, etc. it shows up pretty clear.

The only thing that is keeping me away from signing up tomorrow is fear of heights. Some of the work you are 250+ feet in the air, like when you have to certify joint posts on a bridge or something.
But on the other hand, the guys at school say that you would have to be a level 3 NDT before ever being concidered to do that type of job because of the liability. I am still doing some homework on it

The fear of heights is easy to get over quickly. Just relax (but not too much) and concentrate on what your doing, not whats below you. I had that problem at first when I went to work for the power company, then one of the guys told me just what I said and within a few days it was not as big of a deal. After a few months its nothing to worry about. Working 90 feet off the ground was no different than working standing on the ground. You just always have to remember to not get too comfortable, because thans when you usually end up falling.


Sounds like it might be a fun job, and now that you mention the thing about the technology and radiographs I guess it would take a lot of teh stress off the guy doing it since its basically the machine telling you whats inside the weld. The travel would be a big plus for me. I'd love going all over the country, or even the world, but I don't have a family and don't plan to any time in the future either.

Families are overrated anyway. I DO love my wife and you know how I feel about having kids....But being a bachelor has its advantages.
If I didnt have my wife I would LOVE to travel for my work. I love traveling.
I probably would have ended up as a truck driver. SOme of those assholes make awesome money too!

Rant on!
It makes me sick that these truck drivers sit in their fancy trucks with the AC on all trip, without a care in the world. Their truck breaks, we bust our asses off in a hot shop, while they sit in the truckers lounge sipping on espresso's and watching satelite tv. Our services arent cheap either, $97.00 an hour, but these drivers pay it like its chump change.

"Oh $20,000 for an engine, sure but I have to have 3 oil filters, 4 fuel filters, an il bypass system, two air dryers, an auto lube system. GET TO WORK"!

Rant off.

Just focking around, I am sure they have to deal with sh!t too.

HEY!

I was a driver, it wasn't eating twinkies and smoking a carton of cigarettes while driving through some of the areas most beautiful scenery, and most hideous rush hour.

Worst ever. Down Town Manhattan with a peterbuilt supersleeper and a 53' wagon.

I know bro, I was just playin.

Just focking around, I am sure they have to deal with sh!t too

so was i.

No you werent, you called my mom a slut!

























Damn I am so bored

No you werent, you called my mom a slut!

Yea, but she told me she liked to be called dirty names........















i am bored to!

I used to have a room mate that did this type of work in the Air Force, the Air Force calls it NDI. He did things like check out aircraft engine mounting hardware or anything else with suspected cracks. They also burned and analyzed engine oil samples to see if certain parts were failing. He thought the job was pretty boring.

Welcome to the air force! Everyone joins to fly plains, most discharge cutting potato skins.

HEY!

I was a driver, it wasn't eating twinkies and smoking a carton of cigarettes while driving through some of the areas most beautiful scenery, and most hideous rush hour.

You ever driven oversize loads 14 feet wide on very busy windy 2 lane highways? thats stressful. Aint no time to enjoy the scenrey there. Only Time I was relaxed enoufgh to enjoy the trip was when I was not in a hurry and still ahead of schedual


And beerman, those assholes are paying your salary so cut em a brake:goodfinge

Welcome to the air force! Everyone joins to fly plains, most discharge cutting potato skins.


I have never in my life seen a "plain" fly........:toothless

Plane, sorry I was tired. The funny thing is, I am usually the one who is anal about spelling too.

you're luck Gack wasnt here to correct you Beerman. he's a ruthless person that Gack.

He's a ruthless person, and my best student!

I dont do NDI (Air Force version) but I know several that due. Not a bad little job. Not the hardest work in the world, they are always laid back. Im sure in the Civilian world that kind of knoweladge will make some bucks

EDIT: guess i should read everything before posting :brownbag

I didnt join up to fly...i joined up to work on them with maybe flying one day.

we got some civilians that do NDI here, mostly Marines that do it.

does the airscouts...err air force have NALCOMIS? or something to the effect of?

My comment on the air force was a joke, my father was in the air force.
I hope I didnt step on anyones hemmeroid.

Take most of what I say light heartedly. I tend to kid around a great deal.