Interview 6: Betsy, a Pipe Welder
Betsy is a pipe welder and runs her own welding business in Northern California
Women Who Weld, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that teaches women how to weld and find employment in the welding industry, has launched a new program - Arclight - in which we showcase women who create, ideate, and collaborate across specializations and trades.
Betsy Weisgerber is a pipe welder in Northern California. She started her welding business, BW Welding, in January 2020, and previously worked as a heavy equipment operator and welder at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for 8 years. She holds a small business entrepreneurship degree from Butte College. Below is an edited and condensed interview between Samantha Farrugia, the founder of Women Who Weld, and Betsy, a former Women Who Weld participant, in April 2021.
Where are you calling from?
I am currently in Alexander Valley, California, which is near Santa Rosa in Wine Country. It’s breathtaking here. I see rolling green hills and mountains and vineyards and blue sky and beautiful green trees.
Is that where you live?
No, I live in Vacaville. I actually just moved to Vacaville last week.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Chico about 90 miles west of Sacramento, and lived there my entire life until last week. It’s a smaller city. There are nut and rice harvests, and a lot of cows on the outskirts, it’s more of an agricultural area.
Where did you learn how to weld?
I learned to weld when I worked at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). I worked there for 8 years and started out as a heavy equipment operator. But we didn’t have any welders on our crew, so I decided I wanted to weld. And after a little bit of begging, coercing, and annoying my boss for a year, I was finally allowed to attend weld class. PG&E had their own private class and I am beyond lucky to say that I learned to weld from a very amazing individual who, at the time, had been welding for at least 35 years when he taught me. I'm very thankful; he was a good teacher and very patient, and he pushed me to do better and better.
I had three weeks to learn how to stick weld on a 6G 2” super coupon: the downhill root, uphill root, and uphill fill and cap, and pass a bend test and x-ray test. I had to be proficient in welding in three weeks. And the test was super intimidating. I failed it the first time. I was shaking in my boots, I couldn’t even breathe when I was welding at the time! Literally, I could not breathe and weld at the same time.
So, I learned how to weld about 7 years ago and I’ve been welding ever since!
That’s usually the problem for most people when they first learn to weld, they hold their breath! I have to remind Women Who Weld participants at first to “just breathe” because they are often nervous and holding their breath. And you can tell when someone is not breathing while welding! You can only hold your breath so long until you lose focus, and it shows in the weld.
And for those who don’t know, a coupon is a small piece of metal that beginners often learn to weld on. Welding on a coupon easily translates to welding on larger pieces of metal as the application is the same.
Additionally, there are several positions in which you can weld metal together, and each position is denoted by a number: 1 = flat position, 2 = horizontal position, 3 = vertical position (in which you can weld ‘downhill’ from top to bottom or ‘uphill’ from bottom to top), 4 = overhead position, and positions 5 and 6 are specific to pipe that is fixed in place. After each number, you will see either ‘G’ or ‘F.’ ‘G’ is short for groove, which means there is a gap to be welded between two pieces of metal, and ‘F’ is short for fillet; fillet welds involve two pieces of metal that are perpendicular or otherwise form an angle without a gap. 6G is considered the most challenging position as it involves a complete 360º weld of two pieces of pipe that are fixed in place at a 45º angle.
Why did you pursue a career as a heavy equipment operator?
When I was younger, my father worked at CAL FIRE, which is the state-level fire department for the forest in California. I was around his job here and there when I was a child, and I saw heavy equipment a lot and thought it was super cool. I approached him one day and said, “Hey, Dad, I want to be a bulldozer operator at CAL FIRE.” To get my foot in the door, I got a job at PG&E and, after seeing what it was actually about, I decided I didn't really want to do it because it was too slow-paced. All the equipment operators were fat – I can't be fat, I can't sit still very long. And welding is hands-on, it's fast-paced, it's right now, you see results. And you're like, “Oh, I can fix this immediately.” Whereas if you're building a bridge or a road, it takes like three weeks to see a result. That is way, way too slow-paced for me.
What did you do before PG&E?
I was a waitress for five years while I attended Butte College where I got a degree in small business entrepreneurship. I learned the basics of running a small business, and I decided I wanted to own my own small business, but I didn’t know what to do at that point. So as soon as I was done with college, I got a job at PG&E and I was there for about 8 years.
Is your interest in entrepreneurship what prompted you to leave PG&E and start BW Welding in early 2020?
At PG&E, I was one of the only women on the crew. I was working in a really old-school minded construction group. We were in-house contractors, we did general construction. We were either fixing something old or building something new. And I would travel around the entire company, wherever they needed me for one day at a time, one week at a time, one year at a time. I was on the road. I thoroughly loved the work we did. As time progressed, however, we had management changes, and I just didn't really like the way the company was changing. My last year there, I only made four full-penetration welds. And I decided I was wasting my time just sitting around and not welding as much as I wanted to, especially with all the hard work I had put in. I decided it was not for me and quit.
Meanwhile, I had made friends with people who were weld contractors. I was so fortunate to meet some people who were willing to help me; they could see my potential. One of my friends helped me buy my first weld machine, and I got my contractor's license on a Friday and he put me to work on a Tuesday. I've been working with him ever since. I've learned so much, I've made the greatest connections, I've made the best friends. I've had the best time working for myself.
What type of jobs do you take on?
I eventually want to take a lot of different jobs. However, I am going to stick with what I know, because I don't want to get in over my head. I have years of experience with high-pressure water pipe, oil lines, and air lines, either carbon steel or stainless steel; those are the things I'm more comfortable with.
What’s your schedule like, including start and end time, each day? Which days of the week do you work?
It’s completely unpredictable. Today I don't have a job, tomorrow I don't have a job, but it's only 9:30 a.m. Today, I can get called by three people and they could need me tomorrow. Basically, whoever calls me first, I commit to them and help them as long as I understand the work. A typical day will start anywhere between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. I am always at least 30 to 60 minutes early to a job site because I'm always traveling at least 20 to 90 miles away and I cannot be late. And things happen: there may be car accidents, or they might tell me the wrong site, but I’m on time.
I typically work eight hours, sometimes 12 or 14 hours, and then I'll just go back home or I'll get a hotel. Sometimes I show up to a job but they cancelled it and I didn’t know. Wintertime is pretty slow for me right now. In the spring and fall, it kind of depends on the weather – I could be slammed or I could be slow. Summertime is full-on, you better be ready to work 20 days in a row.
The unpredictable schedule is totally fine with me. My family doesn't get it. My friends don't get it. They're always asking me, “What's your schedule?” I'm like, “I literally don't know!”
Can you describe the last job you worked on?
The last job I was on was last week. I worked Tuesday and Wednesday. We had to do a 66” water main butt strap joint. So, basically, the two ends of the pipe line up to each other, but they're not touching, so what you do is you put a metal strap over the top of both sides of each pipe. You fit a top part and a bottom part, and then weld the seams. That's how you connect the two pipes. We had to work 14 hours on Tuesday. We got off work at 9 p.m. and had to start at 4 a.m. on Wednesday. So, at 4 a.m., I unloaded my leads – I had my tools in the hole already – and we welded until lunchtime, until the whole thing was complete. I was very fortunate the job site was clean and safe. We were 15 feet underground and there was lighting and no water I had to work around. The valves actually worked when we shut them off. It was awesome welding on a 66” pipe, it was a little bigger than I'm used to.
We had to do three full penetration welds and get a huge ultrasonic x-ray on it. We had to pass the visual inspection and then pass ultrasonic testing. I did actually mess up on my very first one, and I had to go back and grind it out and fix it. There was a crack in the weld, so I had to grind down a half inch into the material and fix the crack by reinforcing the weld. So, I failed the weld exam and then I fixed it.
Do you ever show up for a job and not know what to do?
No, I make sure I don't take on work like that. I will not put myself in that situation simply because I am one of the only women in my area doing this work. I cannot show up and look like an idiot. I refuse to be unprepared. That's why I show up to work early. I am professional, on time, and as soon as there's something to do, I am doing it. I don't need anyone to tell me, “Hey, we need to do this, we need to do that.” Everything that I do, I already know exactly what to do. I just get it done as fast as I can. And people are usually just so thankful.
What process of welding do you primarily engage in?
I love, love, love, love stick welding. I will stick weld every single day, all day long. At my last job I was primarily welding uphill, but since working for myself I have been doing mostly downhill welds. I was super terrible at downhill when I started, but I’ve been trying to get better every day. I TIG weld once in a while, but I’d like to do more of it.
So it’s safe to say stick welding is your favorite process?
Yes, it is my favorite. It's pretty quick and you can get a lot done with it. It's very, very versatile; you can take it to a lot of places. You literally just need a ground clamp, a stinger, electrodes, and something to weld – that's it, you don't have to have a shielding gas, you don't have to have all the little things that go with TIG welding, like all the parts of the torch. With stick welding, it’s just grab-and-go.
Do you also work indoors or only ever outdoors?
It’s about 50/50. There's a lot of pipe that needs to be welded in apartments, parking garages, hotels, schools, churches, underground. That's more the city aspect of my job sites. I prefer working outside, but you have to go where the pipe is.
What is it like to work outside when it’s very hot or very cold, raining or snowing?
Working in the snow is a little hard. I’ve actually done that for quite a few years. I just have to wear all the right protective equipment, starting from my socks and my boots. I make sure to stay warm because you're otherwise just standing there, welding outside, and not moving around; I’m 125 pounds, so I’d freeze. And when it's extremely hot, I'll drink as much water as I can, and use an umbrella so I can at least have the sun off of my neck. You have to keep your body healthy so you can continue to work. If you neglect that and get sick, you're going to have a lot of issues.
You had melanoma in 2019. How are you doing now?
Thank you for asking. I have no issues right now. I had two surgeries and everything's been great ever since then. The surgery was on my arm, so recovering was a little slow. I’ve been nothing but happy since I found out I was all clear and cancer-free. I'm just hoping and praying it doesn't come back.
I am so glad to hear you are cancer-free. How did you know there was a problem?
It was summertime and I was wearing a t-shirt – I was in between welding and cutting material on the bandsaw, and when I wasn’t welding, I would take my long-sleeve shirt off – and I noticed I had a small mole on my arm that looked weird. It was a scab and I was like, “Oh, this is not normal.” I have fair skin, freckles, and moles, and I know that if I have a scab and I never ran into anything, I have no reason to be bleeding and that's not okay. I saw a doctor and found out it was malignant melanoma. Luckily, it was stage 2 out of stage 4. Stage 2 is still fairly early, so they took care of it, and I obviously took the proper steps to mitigate any future issues.
How do you protect your skin from the sun, as well as the arc, which emits intense ultraviolet light similar to the sun, while welding and working outdoors?
Oh, goodness, it sure does. I always wear at least one to two long-sleeve shirts to work. If my neck is in the sun, I will wear a bandana, use my umbrella, or put sunblock on my neck. I also have to be careful and make sure the arc isn't going to bounce off of anything near me and burn the side of my face, because it's happened before. When I'm working with other people who are welding, I’m very aware of where their arc is bouncing off of, because it will bounce off of things and hurt you.
Do you primarily weld pipe? And what purpose does the pipe typically serve?
Yes, I primarily weld pipe. I do mostly commercial or infrastructure work. I've been doing a lot of water pipe, which I love. It's quick and it’s easy. Digging it up and putting in the ground is what takes the longest. But as soon as I know what they want done with the pipe, I can slam it together and I love it.
When you say water pipe, is this to carry fresh water?
Luckily, it’s for fresh water. All the water pipe I've been doing is for water that goes around cities and eventually to customers. I've been welding the transmission lines that go to the distribution lines that bring people water into their homes. I really love helping people get their water.
You’re considered a ‘rig welder’. Can you explain what a rig welder is?
Okay, awesome. I'm glad you asked. If somebody says, “I need you to come over here and weld this water pipe, and I need you to get from this pump to this outlet,” I'm going to show up to the job site with all the tools necessary to get the material connected from point A to point B. I do not bring material, but I put material together and use all my own tools and rods; I have to have everything with me. Basically, I'm providing on-site mobile welding services. If they want all of these pipes joined together, I will show up, pipe fit, and weld; I will do all the things necessary to get it done.
What type of machines and tools do you have on your rig?
Hand tools like levels, squares, screwdrivers, and a few angle grinders. But the most special tool is my welding machine, and the second most special tool is my brain and my body. Because without my hands running the machine and without my knowledge, the machine would be worthless.
I have a 2019 Miller 400 PipePro, which is the most amazing welding machine I've ever used; I just can't say enough good things about it. It's a diesel-drive, and the reason I bring up it’s a diesel-drive is because in any type of welding, the power source is the most important thing you can have. It doesn't matter if I am the best welder on the planet, if I do not have a good power source, my welds would not turn out. I took it upon myself to buy one of the nicest machines I could to make sure I can turn out quality products.
What was the approximate start-up cost of your rig?
Oh, goodness, it was easily $50,000 to $80,000, I'd say.
I bought a reliable pickup that was used and a brand-new machine. Whereas someone could buy a brand-new pickup, which would cost $80,000 on its own, and a brand-new machine, which could be $10,000 to $30,000. Or they could buy an old pickup, old machine, and old tools and spend $20,000. It just depends on what your needs are. I got a big machine that can perform all processes. But there are all kinds of other machines that are far less expensive than mine.
Did you pay cash upfront to outfit your rig or did you get a loan?
I chose to pay cash upfront to make sure that whatever I needed for my business was mine and paid off. I’m just going to worry about owning it and taking care of it. And the advice I got was to buy only what I need to start out, which is what I did.
What was it like to start your own business? Was it harder, easier, or about what you expected?
I enjoy doing hard things, I always have. In terms of actually starting up, I didn't really know what to expect. There have certainly been things that came out of left field where I was like, “Oh no, I wasn’t expecting that.” So if you're okay with being surprised, and that surprise costing you 10 grand every once in a while, you should be okay.
How do you find work or how do your clients find you?
It's all word of mouth, and I got super lucky with a guy who wanted me to be a contractor and he introduced me to two other contractors. Between the three of them, they have more than enough work for themselves plus all of their employees. And they just call me up with whatever they need help on. One of them could call me tonight and need me for three weeks straight and I’ll go help them.
Who are your clients? And what type of work do you do for them?
I mostly do public works projects; so, the cities hire general contractors and the general contractors hire the weld contractor and then the weld contractor hires me. But I often work with the same companies and the same people I contract with, so I already know a bunch of the crews.
Has your income gone up or down now that you work for yourself?
My base income at my last job was what I made last year, however, I never just earned my base income at my last job because I was always working overtime. My goal last year was to make a certain amount and, luckily, I made a few grand over that. As a business owner, you have your revenue minus expenses and that's your income. So, technically, I made, like, nothing last year, so my income did go down, but I don't see it that way; I'm just really excited that I claimed over $0 last year.
“I love, love, love, love stick welding. I will stick weld every single day, all day long.”
How far have you traveled for a welding job?
I’ve traveled about 300 to 400 miles for a job for BW Welding that was seven weeks long, and also for another job with PG&E that was about three months long.
Do you stay in a hotel when you travel this far?
Oh, yeah. I was in a hotel for, like, 14 months straight.
You’re only 33 years old, what are your future career aspirations?
The industry is so big, there's so much I can do. As just a one-person business, I can only go so far, and if I want to grow more, I'm going to have to trust other people, which I have an issue with. So as of right now, my goal is just to make more money than I made last year, and that’s my same goal next year. I'm also working on getting my own clients. I have a lot to think about, so I just have to go year-by-year right now.
What are the things you like most about being a welder?
I’m so passionate about welding. People can tell that I love it. There are so many things I love about it. I love spreading the knowledge of the trade. I love going around to new job sites, working in the sunshine, doing stuff where people are like, “Wow, I can't believe you got that done!” I'm not trying to impress anybody. I'm just trying to get my job done. There are so many things.
You have a great energy and you exude a lot of positivity. That's why I wanted to interview you. You care about the work that you do and you aim to do it to the best of your ability, and I could feel that from you the moment I met you.
What are some challenges you’ve encountered as a welder, if any?
The main challenge is once I build something, actually picking it up and moving it; because if you have a bunch of parts that each weigh 40 pounds, and you put them all together, they now weigh 400 pounds. It’s not a big deal if I have a forklift, or a couple people to help me move stuff, but when it's just me, it’s a challenge.
And, a lot of guys have really great attitudes about women in the trades, but there are some guys who are very questionable about it. If somebody is willing to give me a chance, by the end of the day, I can prove to them, “I can do this.” But if they're so dogmatic that they can't give a woman a chance, that's one thing I have an issue with. It doesn’t happen very often, but I have been questioned and I handle it.
You have been a welder for 7 years. When was the first time you welded alongside other women?
I first welded with other women in 2019 at Women Who Weld’s single-day workshop in Hayward, California!
The only time I ever see another woman at a job site is if she's an equipment operator, a laborer, or an electrician. Because, trust me, whenever I see a woman on the jobsite, I'm like, “Hey, what are you doing?” I want to know everything!
What was your experience like as a participant in Women Who Weld’s workshop?
I had the best time. I definitely was so excited to see women who were so interested in welding. And when we were actually welding hands-on, side-by-side with the gals in the booth, everybody was laughing and smiling. And it was just so obvious that a lot of women like to do hands-on stuff. They just don't know how to get their foot in the door. They don't know how to find somebody with a welding machine. And I was so happy to see people trying to get past that.
Do you have advice for women who may be interested in pursuing a path in welding?
If you are serious about wanting to weld, make friends with welders, make friends with people who do what you want to do. Because 999 times out of 1000, the people who are doing what you want to do will be willing to help you. I've only talked to maybe a handful of people who were rude about sharing knowledge of the trade. And I've talked to thousands of people about every trade. I've been in construction for so long, I know tons and tons of people. Most people are super willing to share. If you ask, if you have a good positive attitude, they want to share their knowledge, they want to help. They're looking for someone to come up to them and be like, “Hey, can you help me with this?” It’s just so awesome when somebody wants to learn.
What are your hobbies outside of welding?
I love to be outside. In the summertime, I love to go to the lake, which I don't do much because I work too much. But I love to do anything involving building, or making my friends laugh, or seeing my family. I love so many things, it's hard for me to answer exactly. But just being outside and having a good positive experience. I just love everything!
If you weren’t a welder, which career path may you have chosen?
My secret dream job would be either racecar driver or helicopter pilot. Or cowboy – I’d probably be a cowboy, honestly. It's hard for me to decide because I love so many things. I'm super interested in mechanical things, which is why I said racecar driver or helicopter pilot.
Is there anything on your mind you would like to share? It doesn’t have to involve welding.
I just want to give some advice to people. It doesn't matter if you're a girl or a boy or a mom or a dad. If you have a dream, and it's been in your mind, and you've been thinking about it, go for it. I was scared to death to quit a job where I made solid money and had solid work and job security every day. And I jumped into something – I started a business – in which I had no clue what I was getting into and I haven't regretted it for one second. But when you're going to do something like that, be 150% committed and ready to fail. Because there's been a million times I've done a weld test, or made a weld and I was like, “Wow, that's really terrible. I need to try again.” So be ready to fail at something. But how you react to that failure is what's going to get you to the next place you want to be. I wasn't like, “Oh, I failed, I'm ruined.” I was like, “I have to try that again because I can do better.” So my advice is to just go for your dreams, go for your goals. I had to think about it for a while but once I decided to do it, I was all in and I have not regretted it.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
I've wanted to travel to Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Germany, France. I want to go and see everything. I just love seeing how other people act. I like to people watch. And I love to see beautiful countries. I love the history of culture – I love history! I love to learn, I want to know everything about everything. I would like to travel anywhere beautiful.