Metal Fabricator

Overview

Metal Fabricators mark off and fabricate structural steel and other metal stock to make or repair metal products and structures such as boilers and pressure vessels.

Day-to-day

• studies blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
• selects, cleans and prepares metal stock
• cuts marked out metal sections and shapes using hand tools, flame cutting torches and metal cutting machines
• shapes and bends metal sections and pipes using hand and machine tools, and by heating and hammering
• aligns parts to be joined using hand tools and measuring instrument
• joins metal sections using various welding techniques, bolting and riveting
• examines welds for width of bead, penetration and precision
• cleans and smoothes welds by filing, chiselling and grinding.

Considerations

• physically demanding.