Underwater welding, has anyone here ever done it?

[Wirecutter]

Matt -
I don't think you gave excessive info - I for one would read more if you posted it. This is exactly the kind of thing I count on here - I figured eventually an underwater welder such as yourself would chime in.

You'd be amazed at the range of knowledge behind the eyes of this board's readers.

-M

[Mcgyver]

Matt, thanks for all the info, likewise always wondered about it

[andy_b]

Matt,

i'll also chime in. i found your post very informative. feel free to post more on the subject.

andy b.

[Cecil Walker]

I too enjoy the wealth of knowledge from the members of this board. keep it up.

[charlie coghill]

Matkra, thanks that was very interesting. I have about as much interest in diving as I do in skydiving but I do find thangs like that interesting. Thanks.

[Mcostello]

Some of you guys make my job so darn BORING I should scream!

[matkra]

There are other welding process that can be done underwater but they are usually done around a cofferdam, A cofferdam is a housing that is put in place and made dry but under pressure and the work is all done in the dry with the diver moving between the work and the surface using a pressurized diving bell. once the divers reach the surface the bell mates up with a recompression chamber in which the diver live until the project is completed. The whole time they are kept at the same pressure equal to the depth they are working at. This is known as saturation diving. The reason this is done is because the gases that are absorbed into the body/bloodstream reach a point to where the decompression takes the same amount of time weather the diver is under pressure for a day or a month. for example Decompression can take days for a single dive of less than a day depending on the depth. The breathing gases are not the same as one would breath on the surface, it could be helium/oxygen mixed at a ratio that may not support human life on the surface, This area of diving becomes very tricky because may things come into plan, I.e. helium removes body heat very fast just through breathing alone. so the diver body is kept warm by pumping hot water to the suit and a heat exchanger the the breathing gas passes through. The have been many deaths in this type of diving. that is why the divers get paid so well. However if you think you can get certified welding underwater, you can but that does not big money make. since the 70s-80s divers were in great demand so all kind of schools sprung up. I got my training via the Navy/Army/NOAA So diver have become a dime a dozen and often work as a tender for years at min wage on a Gulf oil rig. before they even get wet. By the way is is easier to teach a good welder to dive, than it is a good diver to weld. Many new people to commercial do not realize the diving is just a mode of transportation to get you to your work. One need to know something when he get there. I had my own business up here in Seattle and had 5 employees. it a rough living at best. I work on dams, had a couple of mini two man subs and remote control vehicle and a whole bunch of really expensive stuff. I no longer dive anymore, I sold my business about 7 years ago. while I was ahead it;s a young man;s line of work for sure. Here is a photo when I was testing out the newly build hull.
http://machinebuilders.net/absolutei...ubmarine02.jpg and this is one of my diving boat. http://machinebuilders.net/wwforum/u...ieverSmall.jpgBo th of these were built in my shop.

[This message has been edited by matkra (edited 07-28-2005).]