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Hi Paul, Pipe welders are probably the best over all welders there are. To compete your beads could be drawn on with a pencil lead without breaking the lead. That's a smooth bead! Most jobs require "on-site" welder certification because of AWS code. The pre-cert papers will allow you to get your foot in the door but you will still need to take a test for most jobs. So with that info, I would only get 1 type of certification then practice a bunch on my own. Some schools will allow you to attend until you certifiy so it may be to your benefit, depending on how good of welder you are, NOT to make that perfect weld until you feel "your" ready to leave. I've seen some guys stay for three or four class before they could ceritfiy and in the mean time they learned to Tig, Mig and stick weld very well. Most pipe tests are 5G. 6" sch.40 pipe at a 45 degree angle. A pipe fitter would have an open root weld test and a Sheetmetal worker would have a backing plate test. A ironworker would have a 1" plate test in 2F, 3F and 4F. The Sheetmetal worker welds both plate and pipe so thats why he's given a pipe test as the qualifiys him for pipe and plate with just taking one test. Your first inspected on the root pass. This is usually called the look-out bead as most inspectors can look at the root bead and tell if your a good welder or not. So if there's many problems on the root pass, you just failed and will asked to leave. If you pass the root "look-out" part then the inspector will leave you alone until the cover pass is put on. You again get the look-out test on the cover bead. Doesn't matter if the weld can certifiy or not, if it doesn't look pretty your shot down the drain again. Now if you pass the cover look-out test then a weld will be certified with a bend test. You will cut three 1-1/2" test strips accross your welds at an area the inspector tells you to. You then polish the "coupons" and there given the bend test. This is a common test for plate or pipe. Some jobs require X-rays after the certification weld. Most of these are Gov't jobs but high pressure pipe, steam pipe, gas and oil pipe welds are all x-rayed. This all depends on the job spec's on how a weld is tested. This is a small insight to the welding trade. If you would like more info just ask. T_Bone
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