What Is Welding?

Charles Dickens once quoted, “Life is made of ever so many partings welded together” ("Charles Dickens Quotes" ). Dickens is using welding as a metaphor but had a point behind what he said. There is no greater bond than a weld, if a weld can hold a life together then there is nothing a good weld can not hold. Without welding America would not be the strong country it is today. There would be no skyscrapers, cars, airplanes, boats, major plumbing, or even the chairs in a classroom. Welding even plays a big part in the making of the military from putting together the first tank to the first warship. One could say welding is what put the United States together and is holding it together with all the jobs it has created throughout history. Thus,

Some techniques of welding started a thousand years ago, it was not till 1800 modern welding started (“Welders”173). Welding had its major uproar in the start of World War I (“Welding and the Society”). In the beginning there was a very high demand for all metal ships, some of the first tanks, and planes. Col. Scott Ritchie said, “welding has done much to keep us above and ahead of the enemy” (“Welding and the Society”). Welding as played an important part in modern wars for America from from sea to air and the land between. On the other hand welding goes back to the year of 1877 resistance welding was first created (“Welders and Welding Technicians” 961). Followed by arc welding in 1889, which is the most used welding today, then came thermite welding in 1900 (“Welders and Welding Technicians” 961). As of today, there is twelve different types of welding used in everyday life ("AWS Revises Major Qualification Standard"). This includes oxyfuel gas welding, shielded metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, submerged arc welding, laser beam welding, gas metal arc welding, flux cored arc welding, plasma arc welding, electroslag welding, electrogas welding, electron beam welding and arc stud welding ("AWS Revises Major Qualification

To start in the trade of welding one must have a high school diploma, but some schools offer welding basics while students are still in high school (“Welders and Welding Technicians”964). After high school people find out welding is one of the few jobs where you do not need any kind of permit or a college education, one can start by passing a weld test (Frazier, Patrick). Though most people did not grow up welding, many do learn from a community college technical institutes, trade schools, or the armed forces (“Welders”175). Many jobs will require you to pass an on-site test if you were to work on any kind of aircraft bridges, boilers, or pipelines (“Welders”176). You will have to learn to weld in tight places and awkward angles, and be in extreme heat or cold (“Job Outlook for Welders”). From there, one can weld as long as they want until they desire their own shop. Though having a welding business, they should have a certification in their name even if it is just a small