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Heard a foreman say stick welding is dead - got into it with a pipefitter on break last Tuesday
I was grabbing coffee at the gas station near the job site and overheard a foreman tell a young guy that stick welding is a waste of time, that TIG and MIG are the only way forward. Then a pipefitter jumped in and said you can't beat 7018 for heavy wall pipe in the field, especially when it's windy or you're out in the mud. I've been running stick for 8 years on boilers and pressure vessels, and I think the foreman forgot half the work still happens outdoors where gas shielding gets blown away. What do you guys think - is stick on its way out or is it still the backbone of the trade?
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smith.nancy4d ago
That pipefitter knows what he's talking about. Out in the field with a breeze blowing, MIG is useless unless you've got windbreaks set up all over the place. Stick is still the go to for stuff like pipe welding in the mud or on a bridge where you can't drag a gas bottle around. Your foreman might be used to a clean shop, but out here it's a whole different game.
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Honestly, I used to be one of those guys who thought MIG was the future and stick was just old school. But after watching a crew struggle to run wire on a bridge job last fall while the wind was ripping, I totally get it now. That pipefitter nailed it - you can't beat 7018 when you're in the mud or on heavy wall. Ngl, seeing a MIG gun spatter out because the gas got blown away changed my whole view. TIG and MIG have their place, but stick is far from dead for real field work.
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