Welding, Done Right.
Hello, I’m Chris M. Hayes, and I’ve been working as a professional welder for more than 20 years.
Most of my career has been spent in manufacturing and production environments, working on different types of welding and fabrication jobs. Over that time, I’ve worked with MIG, TIG and stick welding, along with all the other work that comes with fabrication: measuring, cutting, fitting, grinding, tacking, assembly, repairs and modifications.
The work has changed quite a bit from one job to another. Some jobs have been production work where consistency and getting things right repeatedly are important. Other jobs have involved more fabrication and problem-solving, where you have to work out the best way to build or repair something before you even start welding it.
That’s given me a pretty broad view of the trade.
The Work I Do
My professional work includes a mix of welding and fabrication, depending on what the job requires. That includes MIG, TIG and stick welding, general fabrication, production welding, structural work, repairs, custom metalwork, modifications and assembly. You can see examples of some of this work on my Projects page.
I’ve worked on new fabrication where everything starts with raw material, as well as repairs where you’re dealing with something that has already been built, used and possibly damaged. The approach is completely different in those situations.
With new fabrication, you have much more control over the process. You can plan the cuts, work out the order of assembly, decide how you’re going to hold everything and think about how the finished piece is likely to move as it heats up.
With repairs, you’re usually starting with whatever condition the existing part happens to be in. You may have limited access, worn or damaged material, old welds that need to be removed, or components that can’t easily be taken apart. Sometimes the repair is straightforward, while other times most of the job is figuring out what will actually work before putting the torch to it.
I’ve spent a lot of time doing both.
Need Welding or Fabrication Work?
The type of work I take on varies considerably, from straightforward fabrication and repairs to more involved custom projects. The process, equipment and approach always depend on the job in front of me.
You can find more information about the welding and fabrication services I offer on the Services page.
My Garage Workshop
Welding is also something I continue to do outside of my professional work.
I have a garage workshop where I work on my own fabrication and repair projects. It’s where I get to do things that don’t necessarily have anything to do with production or deadlines.
Sometimes I’m making something I need for the workshop. Sometimes I’m repairing something that would be easier to replace but more interesting to fix. I also enjoy building things simply because I have an idea and want to see whether I can make it work.
That’s probably the most enjoyable part of having a welding setup at home.
I can take my time with a project, try a different approach or make something that would never make sense as a production job. There have been plenty of projects that started as a fairly simple idea and became considerably more involved once I started cutting the material.
Not everything turns out the way I expect.
I’ve had to cut apart work that I wasn’t happy with, redo measurements and change the design halfway through a project. I don’t mind that part. You learn a lot when you’re the one who has to figure out how to fix your own mistake.
The garage is also where I get to do more creative fabrication. There isn’t necessarily a practical reason for everything I make, and that’s fine. Sometimes working with metal is just something I enjoy doing.
What Experience Has Taught Me
After more than 20 years in welding, I don’t think experience means knowing the answer to every problem. It means being able to look at a job and have a better idea of what might go wrong before you start.
You learn to pay attention to the things that aren’t obvious at first. How the material is going to move when it heats up, whether you have enough access to make the weld comfortably, where the tacks should go, whether the finished piece can actually be assembled in the order you’ve planned and whether the process you’re considering makes sense for the job.
You also learn that there are usually several ways to solve a fabrication problem.
Different welders have different methods, and that doesn’t necessarily mean one of them is wrong. People develop techniques based on the equipment they use, the type of work they do and the environments they’ve worked in. I’ve picked up plenty of ideas from other welders over the years, and I’ve changed some of my own methods as I’ve gained more experience.
That’s one of the good things about working in a trade like this. You’re never really finished learning.
Why I Started CMH Welding
CMH stands for Chris M. Hayes, and I wanted the site to have my name on it because welding is something I’ve actually spent my working life doing.
The idea behind CMH Welding is fairly simple. There is a lot of welding information available online, but much of it is either very basic or written in a way that makes straightforward things seem unnecessarily complicated.
I wanted to create something more practical.
I’ll cover welding processes, fabrication, equipment, tools, protective equipment, materials, techniques and the everyday questions that come up when you’re working with metal. Some of the information will be useful to people who are relatively new to welding, while other subjects will be more relevant to people who have already spent time in a shop.
I’m not trying to present myself as the person who has the final answer on every welding question. After 20 years, I know better than that. There are plenty of experienced welders out there who approach the same job differently, and there is usually a reason for it.
What I can do is explain things from the perspective I’ve developed through my own work and experience.
Safety Is Part of the Job
There is no getting around the fact that welding can be dangerous. You’re working with high temperatures, electricity, fumes, radiation, sparks, hot metal and, in many situations, pressurized gases.
I’ve always treated safety as part of doing the job properly rather than something separate from it. The right protective equipment, ventilation, equipment maintenance and working practices all matter.
The information on this site is based on my experience, but it shouldn’t replace proper welding training, manufacturer instructions, workplace procedures or applicable safety requirements. If a job requires specialist knowledge or qualifications that you don’t have, it’s better to bring in someone who does.
Something I’m Working On
I’ve been working on another project that I’m hoping to have live soon.
Over the years, I’ve gone through a lot of welding gear myself. Helmets, gloves, jackets, respirators, welding machines, grinders, clamps and all the other bits and pieces that seem to accumulate around a welding shop. Some have stayed with me for years, while others didn’t last nearly as long as I expected.
I’ve always found it useful to hear what another welder thinks about a piece of equipment before buying it, particularly when the person giving the opinion has actually spent time using it.
That’s what I want to do with this project.
I’ll be looking at the essential gear and equipment that welders use, including welding helmets, gloves, protective apparel, respirators, welding machines, grinders, accessories and other shop equipment.
I’ll be interested in the practical things that don’t always come across from a product description – how something feels after you’ve used it for a while, what works well, where it falls short and whether it’s worth the money.
I’ve got quite a bit of equipment to work through, so it will take some time to put everything together properly.
I’m hoping to have it live soon.
A Little About Me
Outside of work and the garage, I’m a fairly ordinary person who happens to have spent a very long time around welding equipment and metal.
I still enjoy the work, which is probably why I haven’t stopped doing it after all these years. There is something satisfying about starting with a piece of material and ending up with something useful that wasn’t there before.
Sometimes it’s a proper fabrication job with measurements and a plan. Sometimes it’s a repair that should have taken an hour and ends up taking the afternoon. Sometimes it’s a completely unnecessary garage project that I decided to build because I thought it would be interesting.
I’ll probably keep doing all three. If you’d like to get in touch about a welding or fabrication project, you can contact me here.
– Chris M. Hayes
(CMH Welding)