#WhyWeWeld: Robert Carpenter

Robert Carpenter is a welder who has been passionate about the trades since his high school days. As a welder who specializes in TIG welding, Robert is the ideal person to tell us where some beginners make mistakes.

Here's our interview with Robert:

How did you become interested in welding? Did you always want to work in the trades or did you discover this passion later on?

As a kid, I always knew that I wanted to do something related to the trades. During my sophomore year of high school, I tried welding in a shop class and instantly fell in love.

Tell us a bit about your journey of qualifying as a welder. (For example, did you go to a college/academy, are you self-taught, etc?)

Fast forward to senior year, I managed to become really skilled as a welder, by being self-taught and watching tons of videos. After senior year, I enrolled into American Welding Academy as pipe welding student.

You occasionally share more artistic welds on your TikTok page, including some featuring brand logos and images, including a lion. We'd love to hear about where you get the ideas for the artwork you create.

I've always loved making things that are cool, and that grab people's attention -- most of the ideas for my weld art came from my followers, actually.

Which welding process do you specialize in? Can you tell us about why you enjoy this process in particular?

I specialize in TIG welding, because that's where it's most peaceful for me.

What is a common mistake made by beginners when learning to TIG weld?

Common mistakes for a beginner TIG welder is getting frustrated at what's going wrong. It's super important to understand what you're doing wrong so that you can correct it.

Finally, we like to ask experienced welders about their advice for beginners. What tips would you offer to someone who wants to work as a welder, but doesn't know where to start?

You have to have patience and believe in yourself -- nothing you do will be easy at first.

For someone who's not sure where to start in as a welder, find a local community college and take a beginner's course. If you know someone with a welder, try to use that to gain some experience. Welding is a great career and you can make tons of money; you just have to be patient and determined to get better.