Those of you who attended classes at Hobart Institute in the fall and winter of 1995-96 may remember Fritz Swanson, a welder from Vermont.  At that time, at age 31, Fritz was already well into a career in welding with interesting stories to share.  He had spent several years working at Killington ski area making repairs on everything from grooming tractors to the snow-making pipe system, where all the equipment for welding repairs needed to be transported up the mountain.

Fritz then said, “Working outdoors, you learn to “make do” with whatever equipment is available.  Welding conditions are seldom ideal and the work is challenging.”

Later, working in a fabrication shop provided Fritz with familiarity of a variety of welding processes, learning as he went from more experienced welders.  At this point, Fritz recognized that he could benefit from additional training to obtain the skills necessary for advancement.   

“You are not always taught the correct welding methods in on-the-job situations,” he said.  “Trade schools are very under-rated by many people, especially high school counselors.”

Fritz believes that if young people have an inclination toward the trades, they should definitely pursue their ambitions and not attend a two- or four-year college just to please others.  An investment at Hobart Institute is less than college and you can see a quicker return for your investment.  It allows you to become a productive part of society using the skills you were trained in vs. a job not related to your schooling. 

Fritz enrolled in courses at Hobart Institute and also obtained American Welding Society’s structural steel (D1.1) certification, which he terms “a very good confidence-builder.”  After completion of training, Fritz returned to Vermont and quickly found employment in a welding position at a company that performed structural steel fabrication and marine contracting.  They were fully equipped to travel “on-site” with their welding, fabrication, and diving expertise with employees who were cross-trained to work in all environmental conditions.  They also operated a spacious fabrication facility.

“A key issue in my interview was that, while I wasn’t perfect on some points, I am willing and able to learn other fabrication skills to go along with welding,” says Fritz.  “In a fab shop, the two skills go hand-in-hand with one another.” 

Fritz continues to directly relate his experiences:

After spending a year at Reliance steel, I worked for five months at a sheet-metal shop that did stainless steel round duct work. I used TIG, welding stainless steel angle iron rings to round duct for connection ends along with welding other fittings formed from sheet metal.

From there I was able to get into a small, general fabrication shop for three years. There I did stick, TIG, MIG, aluminum TIG and wire feed.  Since it was a small shop, I did layout, fabrication, welding, painting and installation. I repaired aluminum transmission cases and did a lot of stainless steel kitchen work for restaurants.  Handrails and fence work was a lot of the business too. My structural background was useful here too. While I loved what I did, it was a small business with not a lot of benefits. 

An opening came to join Local 693 Plumbers & Pipefitters.  While I had to start at the bottom again with a five year apprenticeship program, it paid off in the end.  I was able to get credit for my time at Hobart Institute.  I started with welding gas pipe for a building addition for a few months.  After a year and a half, work dried up.

I visited a friend in Houston, Texas, and while there, I found out I could transfer to their program, Local 211 Pipefitters.  There was definitely some adjustment time, going from rural Vermont to the fourth largest city in the USA!  While I didn’t weld very much at work during my apprenticeship, I took more pipe welding classes. I completed three years of classes taking 123 hours each semester, two 4-hour nights a week.   I  took  such  classes  as  advanced  drafting  with AutoCAD,  Templates,  and  Fabrication  1 & 2.   Learning miters and how to do branches like 3-inch on 4-inch or 3-inch in 4-inch was fun.

One thing my time at Hobart did was give me an education on the correct ways of welding (i.e. weld procedures, welding inspections, and weld processes).  At times these aren’t always used exactly like they should be in the field.  Mechanical contractor work isn’t as rigid on tolerances as a power plant or chemical plant. The welds still have to be good, but the essence is on productivity, welding so many inches a day.  6-inch pipe is 6-inches; 24-inch pipe is 24-inches. The goal is to weld 40 or more inches in the field each day. This is mainly dealing with chill water, condenser water, or hot water.  Yes, the welder is certified, but rarely is there a weld inspector required or on the job. A welder has to walk a fine line between working exactly by the book and doing what his foreman requires. However, anytime x-ray quality welds are required, things are done by the book.  I have seen customers require a failed x-ray weld to be cut out; now you have two welds to make, or more if it involves a fitting. 

While welding is a great skill, that alone won’t always keep you employed all the time.  It becomes an issue of marketability.  Some jobs don’t require welding eight hours a day, five days week.  There is rigging to be done, equipment to set, hangers to put up, lay-out to be done.  A welder/fitter is much more a marketable skill.  This is what I am now doing along with being a first level foreman or lead man.  I fit, tack, layout, or weld if needed and yes, I have done x-ray and visual inspection with a weld inspector.  Using 6010 downhill is a very common procedure in mechanical contracting.  I guess you could say my main area is building central plants for large commercial buildings, including the installation of chillers, chill water pumps, condenser pumps, heat exchangers, air handler units, cooling towers and all associated piping related to these systems- normally 150-300 lb. The motto of my general foreman is “LEVEL, PLUMB & SQUARE!”

I enjoy the daily challenge of what I do with all the different tasks I may have, from first getting on the job to the final punch list.  Not every day is fun or easy but it is good honest work that without, many professional buildings would not have conditioned air to enjoy.  The hours can to be odd or off-normal schedule at times.  When working shut-down, breaks, lunch, and quitting time all go out the window!  All that matters is getting the tasks completed for the customer while you are there.  There may be systems off-line that need to come back on-line before you can honestly say that you are done.  Some projects go very smoothly while others require 15-hour shifts. 

You work in ambient temperature mainly - if it is cold out, so are you, and the same goes for when it hot and very humid.  When working in occupied buildings, you have to be very aware of the customer who is always there and working too.  You have to accommodate whatever demands they put on you, no matter how unproductive it may seem. 

Work in occupied buildings is mainly done by a “tenant crew,” or branch separate from “new construction.”  Their work involves demolition, remodeling, expansion, and renovation.  It can range from a job lasting just a few hours to more extensive work, such as replacing cooling towers, keeping the building online as work is completed.  The work is fast-paced and flexibility is the key.  Additional time is consumed by loading and unloading tools and transporting them to your work location.  The work can involve overtime on short notice and include late nights and week-ends.  You also need to be aware of how you dress and act in public places, which may be different from working on a new construction site.

I currently have five UA certifications and have recently started teaching basic SMAW pipe welding in 5G.  We don’t have as much time as Hobart Institute does to teach the basics. I didn’t need to take basic welding at Local 211 since I was able to take the UA x-ray test for credit.  We just got away from teaching basic welding with a 6G x-ray test after one 123-hour semester with a high failure rate.  At Hobart you have 280 hours before you can even start pipe.  Recently they went to a 6G bend test for the class.   I was able to get it changed to 5G since that is the most common position in this field. If a student passes the 5G bend test before the end of the semester, I will have them start on 2G.  If they get too cocky, I will set up a position weld that will test just how well they really can weld; for example, I will have them weld a variable gap, close to the floor, a few inches from the wall, or in a high location.  Unless you are gifted, it will take you time in the field to really earn the title of WELDER.  I have seen good ones and bad ones, but you can still learn from them all.

I am teaching eleven students for my first class.  Skill level of the group ranges from those who have never welded at all to those who will soon be testing.  I only spend two nights in the classroom covering textbook information, such as the proper ways to weld and what welding is all about including safety. I want my students to at least have some exposure to the correct ways of welding in the real world and not only what they hear or see in the field.  While the students are practicing in the lab, I spend my time in class going from one booth to another, seeing what I can do to help them.  I have learned I need to divide my time between showing them how to weld (I haven’t lost my touch with 7018!) versus watching the student weld. They can pick up points watching me and I can see what mistakes the student is making as I observe them.  I remember the difficulties of learning to weld before I went to Hobart.

What I can suggest to Hobart Institute students is:

1. There is more to welding on the job than burning rod. 

2. Learn all other aspects that go with what you are welding and you will stay employed longer.

3. Understand  hot  work permits,  fire blankets, have your fire watch if needed,  your  fire  extinguisher  close  by,  and clean up after yourself in the field.

4. Keep an eye on what you use for consumables and let you foreman know what you need before you run out. 

5. Use what time you have at Hobart to learn the basics, as it will be the easiest welding you ever do in your career. You won’t always get good fit-ups in the field.  You may have to weld leaking pipes that have not drained yet.  Your machine will be seven floors below you and you may have to change the size or rod, verses changing your heat settings, or you may have hard time getting all the way around the pipe. It might be hot, nasty, or dirty but in the end, your skilled labor is highly in demand.

6. Take pride in your work because, as you move from job to job, all you can sell is your craftsmanship this day in age.

Fritz explains, “I have never forgotten what I learned at Hobart.  I guess you can say I have come full circle.”