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Hanging up the pen and the rod

A welder and instructor’s thoughts after 40 years in the trade

Editor’s Note: Marty Rice has been writing for thefabricator.com for many years. His articles on welding basics remain among the most popular on the site. For the last 15 years, I have been his editor. Working with him has been a unique experience. I have had the distinct pleasure of reading every article he’s written during that time and have reaped the benefits of his humorous writing style. I can only imagine what it must be like to be a student in his classroom. In my opinion, the world could use more people like Marty. Yes, welding rocks, and so do you, Marty. Vicki Bell


I could have retired six years ago, but I just wasn’t ready. I love passing on the great trade of welding and love watching my high schoolers when they “get it.” Three years ago I thought I had something in my eye, so I went to the ophthalmologist only to find out I had lost some sight in my eye. I was told I should retire, but I am in my fourth year of talking them into “one more year.” Last year the retina specialist said this year should be it, so we’ll see. I will have taught high school, college, and trade school 25 years at the end of 2017.

I started welding school 40 years ago; worked for an oilfield repair outfit a year; a black iron plant a couple of years; and then joined the Iron Workers union. I “went in the hole” (got knocked off the third floor of a building) and shattered my ankle. As I healed, I went back to college and got my degree on the 20-year plan. Although I never planned on teaching, I found that I could get credit for my union apprenticeship for a degree in occupational training. I took a job teaching welding at a trade school during my last semester to fulfill my student teaching obligation and ended up staying there the entire school year.

I made it through multiple interviews and got a job selling welding supplies—even though I had no sales experience—by using my gift of gab. I didn’t realize until the training that I would be cold calling companies all over the country trying to sell them welding supplies when they most likely already had a supply source. Then I found out I would be doing so with a giant, unorganized cataloge! I was under the impression I would be receiving calls, giving advice, and recommending products only to find that after four days of training I would be out on the floor in a cubicle on the telephone.

You ever meet someone and could tell right away that you really weren’t gonna like each other? Well, that was apparent the first few minutes with my new boss. The second day there, she glued a bolt to a square plate and told everyone in the room (about 15 people training for the job) to try and pull it off of the plate. As it went around the room with people trying to pull it off, she explained how great their new glue was. It got to me and I popped that sucker off that plate easy-peasy. “Oops!” I said, as everyone broke out in laughter … everyone, that is, except my new boss.

“That’s impossible! You must have done something to it.” she said, as I sheepishly handed it back to her.

After that demonstration we went into a room to begin “role playing” in which the boss was a customer who didn’t want to talk to the salesperson, didn’t want to buy from the salesperson, and didn’t want to pay the asking price. I watched anxiously as the exercise made it around the room and absolutely dreaded when it got to be my turn. I started to talk to her but was cut off: “Dial the phone number!” so I dialed the number on my imaginary little phone. I refrained from doing Lily Tomlin’s “One ringy dingy, Two ringy dingy,” and after she said hello I asked for the person in charge of purchasing.

She then told me to hold my little imaginary telephone up to my ear. At this point I had a life-changing experience: I floated out of my body and looked down upon myself in that suit and tie playing pretend on my little imaginary telephone. That’s when I realized I belonged behind the hood, not selling them. So off I went to find a teaching job.

After I had called all over the metroplex, a college instructor told me someone would pretty much have to retire or die for me to find a position. About to give up, I decided to call one last place. When I asked to speak with the vocational director, I was told he was busy but asked what I was calling about. When I said a welding instructor position, the vocational director was on the line five seconds later. Seemed his welding instructor had turned in his resignation that morning! I ended up getting hired and have been there 24 years.

The politics and paperwork about did me in the first year, but I loved the students from day one and have been blessed many times over all these years. Teaching high school has been the most challenging, fun, rewarding job I have ever held. I’ve taught everyone from gangbangers to honor students, and they have been amazing. Some have won district, state, and national contests, but more important, they are successful all over the country and world. Many have been in the armed forces doing multiple tours, with one of them spending more than 10 years in a combat zone. They call me, text me, email me, and come see me, which makes me richer than a millionaire.

So, with this being my last article for thefabricator.com and retirement on the horizon, I’m gonna leave you with some random thoughts and ideas about some of the things I’ve seen and am seeing.

Reflections

When I got out of the Army, I worked overseas a few years then came home to go to school. I had welding, HVAC, and diesel mechanics on my list of possible careers. Welding sounded good, so I enrolled in a community college and began a hell of an adventure.

In 1978 I was making $5.50 an hour in a black iron shop. Columns, beams, and other components were shipped in by rail to a warehouse and brought to the fabrication shop, where they were tacked up and fitted with gusset plates; fabrications, such as stairs, were taken to the welding stations to be welded as the blueprints called for and finally delivered to the paint shop. $5.50 wasn’t much, but the economy was different then, ‘cause I bought a new Chevy pickup for $5,500 in those days.

My buddy had joined the Iron Workers union and was making more than double what I was so I applied and was accepted into their apprenticeship program. I had some great years and some really hard years, including one with only four or five months of work the entire year. The recession in the ‘80s hit hard, and many a welder had to pack a suitcase to follow the work.

Back then jobs weren’t anything like now as far as pay, conditions, and safety. I literally shudder when I think about some of the dangerous things I did. I could write another article on the unsafe things I was told to do. Some I did because being a newcomer, I didn’t realize how unsafe they were. If you are new to the trade and something doesn’t feel safe, don’t do it. If you are asked to do something unsafe, you have the right to refuse to do so under OSHA’s “Workers’ Right to Refuse Dangerous Work.”

Nowadays things have changed big-time. I’m sure there are still some unsafe and dangerous jobs and conditions, but most employers have realized that it is better to keep their employees safe. Job conditions, safety, and pay all are unbelievably better than back in the day.

In the past year I’ve traveled quite a bit to different areas around the country, and in some areas work is so abundant they can’t fill the jobs. Pay and per diem (money for driving to work, hotel expenses, etc.) are phenomenal, and there are a lot of chances to make some big bucks with overtime. I have a student who made $99,600 his first year in the trade after two years of technical college; another made $86,000, tax-free, working overseas with just a one-year certificate from that same school.

Although welding is a male-dominated trade, my female students have kicked butt in my classes. Many have gone into the trade. Some became artists and others, engineers. My late dad was a World War II and Korean War Army Infantry combat vet, but he always paid tribute to the women who worked in the factories while the guys were overseas fighting. When I was growing up, dad and my uncle—also a World War II combat vet—would sing “Rosie the Riveter” at every family gathering we had. They loved those women who worked so long and hard, especially at the end of the war, building weapon systems, ships, submarines, tanks, and planes.

Welding is a very diverse trade; there are more than 80 processes with all kinds of conditions, from working in an air-conditioned shop with carpet to working thousands of feet in the air, or even on the ocean floor. I am very happy to see the welding industry doing so well, because if welding is good, our economy is good. Welding factors into everything we do, from the pipes that bring us oil, water, and gas to the bridges we drive over, the vehicles we drive, industry, buildings, power houses, and dams. Some estimate that welding accounts for more than 50 percent of the gross national product. Welding ROCKS!



"Thank Yous" From Marty

I would like to thank so many people who have supported my crazy writing career for the last 15 years at thefabricator.com; forgive me if I leave anyone out:

Marty Baker from Hobart’s World of Welding for getting me started writing articles for them and then referring me to fab.com.

Stephanie Vaughan, past editor of Practical Welding Today, for my time writing for her, although I’m still disappointed she wouldn’t get a crossed torches tattoo with me when she came to Dallas!

Amanda Carlson for putting me on the editorial board of Practical Welding Today. (Boy howdy would that be a surprise to some of my old English teachers!)

My engineer buddies and Army brothers David Hass out of Oklahoma and Leonard Anderson out of New York City (who I call my “walking welding encyclopedias”) who never hesitated to give me information no matter how busy they were.

Former American Welding Society president and pal o’ mine Ernest Levert, who returned my inquiring emails right away even when he was in the middle of meetings in China!

The freakin’ awesome readers who voted me a reader-favorite a couple of times and have written so many neat emails to me. And, yeah, even those who got on my case when I got something wrong!

All the crazy and colorful characters I worked with in the field that gave me the experience and stories to write about.

And most of all my editor Vicki Bell, who has fine-tuned my crazy articles all these years, put up with my missing deadlines, and been an absolute joy to write for through thick and thin. Although we’ve never met face to face, I think of her as a dear friend, the type of friend who always has your back and is there for you. Doesn’t get any better than that!

Adios and burn baby BURN!

About the Author
High School Career Center in Texas

Marty Rice

Contributing Writer

High School Career Center in Texas

Marty Rice is a welding instructor at a high school career center in Texas. He is an honorary member of the Ironworkers Local 263.

 

Questions for the author can be e-mailed to vickib@thefabricator.com