kaser100 Tulsa Welding School Class of 1993 Master welding grad Sand Springs Oklahoma

This report is only to give the new welder some insight in the welding industry, and what you can exspect. TWS is a place to go to get the basics of welding. You will not be a master welder untill you put in the time. In that sense it is just like anything else you become good at over time. I went to the old location over on the other side of the river, and have never been to the new location of TWS. After I finished, I had the same luck as they do now, look in the paper and see what is available.

As a new student working in a local shop is a very good idea. This will give you time to get a hand on what welding actually is. I did not do this. I went out driving from state to state taking test, that more often than not I busted. I did manage to get some work, and found information from other welders invaluable when it came to finding jobs that paid good.  I traveled from one end of the US to the other doing shut dows/ new constructions/ boat building/ oil tank construction, and pipe.

I would guess it took me a good 8 years working long hours to get where I was fairly good welder. This is a very heavy labor job, lots of lifting heavy parts, learning to read prints, and getting to the point that you can pass a test more than you bust takes time. Learn from the people you work with, the information you get from them can open doors you could not find otherwise. Better pay, better conditions, and not having to work under a person that thinks a 3 day job should be done in 20 minutes. The best job I worked was for a union doing a shut down.

It was not the pay which was average, but the way the workers were treated. From working the union as a permit worker I still managed to contunue working with them for another 4 months after the original job was finished. Coworkers are a very good way to find your next job ! Now for the bad part of welding. Working hours that are from 60-80 hours a week the norm, and can go as high as 120 hours a week, will wear your body out in time. As of 2008 I was unable to stand, and it took 5 different doctors 3 years to discover I needed fusions in my lower back, and neck. The one on my neck was caused from flipping my welding hood down all them years. The lower back was just from years of welding and all it included.

If you ever find youself in my position of injury, know this, workers comp is a joke ! over the last 10 years I was paid for only 3 years at 20% of my previous years income. So everything I worked all them years for was lost, and I am just now starting to feel better after the 3 surgeries I had in 2012, and 2014. So do you want to be a welder? From what I see for shop pay, I would look at other options than a weld shop. If you cannot make at least $20-$25 an hour, it is not worth it in this economy. As for Tulsa Welding School, I enjoyed going, and that is all I will say about that. You must decide for yourself if it is right for you.