We do agree on something, I admire tradespeople too. I don't care if it's boilermakers, pipefitters, operators, laborers, electricians.....any of the crafts. I'm an amateur machinist and welder and I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned from craft labor who were willing to share their knowledge. Once I got past the "you are bird-dogging me" mentality and they realized that I just wanted to learn, most are proud of their abilities and are willing to share. I sense that pride in you and commend you for it.
When you suck at a trade, yes, it's definitely possible that you didn't dedicate yourself enough and learn to become proficient. It's also definitely possible that you have no talent for that trade. That's my point, you seem to be saying that anyone can be a proficient welder with enough effort, practice, and training and that is just not the case. I saw it all the time. The pipefitter that can't weld gets stuck greasing studs. The boilermaker who can't weld gets stuck in the tool crib. I met few that were good at everything. Best example is boilermakers, there were plate welders that were good for not much else but casing and there were tube welders who were good at surface AND casing.
As to me I'm a bastard electrical engineer that learned early in my career that most equipment that breaks in a power plant is mechanical and if I wanted to keep my job I'd have to step up my game. I did a LOT of power piping and some minor power boiler work. I'm rusty now and probably can't do it but I used to be able to quote requirements from B31.1 by heart. As to the BPVC, I routinely had to have a working knowledge of Section II, Section V, and Section VIII, Div 1.
But back to welding. The biggest single project I ever built was my car trailer. All welded, in position, 7018 stick. I know just from your comments if you looked at my trailer you could tell where I started and where I finished just from the weld bead quality. I must have done something right as that was 1987 and after thousands of miles, nothing has broken yet.
At this point let's agree on what we can and agree to disagree on what we can't. Life is too short.
