Thread: 2nd class welder

Originally Posted by steve000

Hi all, I was wondering if anybody could tell me what a 2nd class welder is? to my understanding a 1st class is certified? so is a apprentiship needed to become a 2nd class welder or do you just need a certian amount of experiene. Thankyou Steve.

2ND class welders generally weld flat steel or aluminum or some other type of alloy.

1st class welders weld steel or some other alloy that is under high pressure such as boiler pipes, LP gas tanks or any hazardous materiel tank. Or it could even be milk truck containers. Or tanks that are going to be put in the ground. There weld is tested by a sophisticated machine and will find the most Minuit mistake or pin hole not even seen by the naked eye and then pressure tested beyond it's holding limits.

But most of these types of welders are being replaced by welding robots so the first class welders classificatiions are always changing as time goes on.

Sincerely yours,
Fred M. Hunter

2nd class welders run a bead on anything depending on the workshop there working in.............quality of the welds they lay is variable from xpert to rough as guts

2nd class welders are non trade qualified may have had 20yrs experience BUT havent completed their trade qualifications at TAFE.

2nd class welders dont interpret read or fabricate plans or drawings

N hears the biggie 2nd class welders dont get paid as much as 1st class welders..................to become certified as a pressure vessle welder you need to have completed your 3rd year at TAFE..................(In NSW)

So 1st Class welders have better qualifications and are certified to produce high end weld deposits on pressure vessels and the like...............

If ticketed ie: for example a 1st class welder that has completed their Mig ticket can weld pressure vessles with a MIG or a 1st class welder that has completed their tig ticket can run root welds on pipe etc for pressure welding jobs................

These days almost all high end paying jobs for welders 2K+ per week requires that you produce the relevant tickets and submit test welds before considered 4 employment

So in a nutshell 1st class welders with the relevent qualifications are certified to produce high end welding for various purposes eg pressure vessel welding. They earn the Big Bucks!

Regards Lou )

I have been welding for 11 years but only completed a 2 year informal apprenticeship, so I have no qualifications. My job only requires the use of MIG Steel welding, i've only done abit of TIG.

I am looking to have my skills assessed by TAFE on the Gold Coast to see if I can gain my Certificate III. I was advised that this will enable me to class myself as a 1st Class Welder - if I fill in any skills gaps and pass the assessments.

Has anyone done this process before through TAFE? How long should I expect to have this completed for my Cert III?

The company I work for at the moment on the Gold Coast are closing by June because of the economy, i'm finding it impossible to find another welding job as all require Qualifications aswell as experience. Hopefully the assessment process won't take too long so I can apply for the jobs as a qualified welder.

In the old days where the term came from, a first class welder was either trade qualified as a boilermaker/welder or held a pressure welding ticket or both. A 2nd class welder was not officially qualified as mentioned and is generally used for non critical stuff like fences, bins, shelving, etc, so that the welding can be done for cheaper.

These days with all the pen pushers in charge of things that have no idea how jobs actually get done, qualifications are very important. I've known welders with 30 years experience and are superb in what they do but have never been to tech a day in their life. Then you can get a guy with little work experience goes and does a pressure ticket in laboratory conditions but wouldn't have a clue how to do a weld out in the field. The ticketed guy will get the job because the project engineer doesn't know how to assess welders (cause he is fresh out of school too) and won't take the risk with the un ticketed guy.

I can tell you that 10 or 15 years ago when going for a job or a project I never had to show anything. The guy you spoke to could tell if you knew what you were doing in 2 minutes of talking to you. Now I get asked to show my tickets and insurances, and the jobs mine, though the guy asking wouldn't know what a tig is if he was being belted by one.

I am still a bird class welder...My welds look like bird poo..LOL

Hi, I'm not sure how it works there in austrailia, but here in Canada you start out as a 1st period welder, work for 1650 hours in the trade then go to school for 6 weeks, write an exam and do a welding test to become a 2nd period welder, do another 1650 hours more school and another test etc to become a 3rd period welder....another 1650 more school and tests then finally become a Journeyman.

Here in Qld, a Cert III at TAFE will get you onto a building site but you are limited to what you are allowed to do 'cos it is not the same as a Certified Welder.

That is interesting Cliff, many years ago (late 90's) I got a job on a construction job working on a new crusher plant, My job was modifying various parts of it that were poorly designed and would not work, it involved quite a bit of welding...I was never asked for any sort of certification for my welding skills (which I don't have), just told to weld this and that....

Yup, I suspect that it was all just legislation to create employment.
I have been a computer tech running cable for 30 years & about 10 years ago I had to do a $700 TAFE course to get a bit of paper that said I was qualified to run computer cables.