Had my first Welding class tonight

[wasfuzz]

Local school had a Community Ed class offered 4 night $30 bucks. I have always wanted to have some one show me how to mig weld. Was a great class - even got to help set up a new welder a Miller 5125 and be the first to weld with it. Was a blast, instructor is a great guy, knows we are just hobbyists and doesn't spend a lot of time of theory. Just here is how to set up your welder and here is how you weld. Then we got right into laying beads. Next week I will get my "coupon" and I will throw up a pic of my first welds.

 

[dogdog]

great price. School here is expensive in my area, not to mention finding one is a challenge..... I just watched some videos, (other than some oxy/acetylene welding class eons ago). and dive into it...

Well at least now you are a welder, all you needed are some more grinders.

 

[unslow1]

That's how a couple of my friends leaned how to weld when we were back-halving cars and doing restos.

 

[pgray007]

That is awesome. I’d love to find something like that in my area. The local community/technical colleges all seem to have “pro” welding classes that are multiple weeks and train you to do it professionally (as they should) without offing a “weekend warrior” version.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[customh]

wasfuzz Where did you go? Anoka Tech? Been looking for something down that alley.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I took a welding class at MCTC in downtown Minneapolis some years ago through adult education, it was one night/week for 8 or 12 weeks I think. The tuition was really reasonable and the teacher's day job was welding at the Xcel nuclear plant in Becker so he really knew his stuff.

Check their class catalog online to see if they still offer something similar.

 

[royce]

How exciting
Congratulations

Royce

 

[Richard Cranium]

I would like to take a class in welding, I have checked with maker space and has been told that they will be offering classes but have not gotten started. I did sign up, but have not heard any thing back from them. I guess I need to go see them again.
Good luck and I hope your classes goes well.

 

[aka Larry]

I took a class at my local CC about 8 years ago for about $85. Best $85 I've ever spent. 48 hours of hands-on experience with quality instruction and all the consumables. The same class is $180 now, but still more than worth it IMO.

I'm actually looking into taking another class in January to gets some hands-on with TIG.

 

[michaelwolson]

I think I paid $150 for a 3 or 4 hour mig welding class at the local Techshop. It wasn't bad. It did make me realize was that I just needed to buy a welder and start welding.

 

[Nayrskcus]

Wait you got 4 nights worth of classes for $30?? That's incredible

Was it mainly mig? Did you go over different techniques for welding in different places or mainly bench welding? I'm interested in taking a class near me soon but never knew what to expect

 

[Tractorsellr]

One of life's greatest skills knowing how to weld. I learned to weld in Ag class back many years ago. I have saved thousands and made hundreds with my welding skills. Post up your first project and have fun in class.

 

[michaelwolson]

Wait you got 4 nights worth of classes for $30?? That's incredible

Was it mainly mig? Did you go over different techniques for welding in different places or mainly bench welding? I'm interested in taking a class near me soon but never knew what to expect

I'm guessing $30/night? Either way a killer deal you guys are all getting. My class we welded a 1/4" sheet of steel together with a corner joint and called it a night...

 

[wasfuzz]

wasfuzz Where did you go? Anoka Tech? Been looking for something down that alley.

Was at a High School near New Ulm.

 

[wasfuzz]

Wait you got 4 nights worth of classes for $30?? That's incredible

Was it mainly mig? YES Did you go over different techniques for welding in different places or mainly bench welding? BENCH I'm interested in taking a class near me soon but never knew what to expect

I'm guessing $30/night? Either way a killer deal you guys are all getting. My class we welded a 1/4" sheet of steel together with a corner joint and called it a night...

NO $30 total, I did get a deal - class is normally $80, but I had a discount for filling out a survey before hand.

 

[customh]

I think I paid $150 for a 3 or 4 hour mig welding class at the local Techshop. It wasn't bad. It did make me realize was that I just needed to buy a welder and start welding.

This is the truth. Nothing like experience and some research when you run into something weird. There are so many great welding channels on youtube now with a lot of information to take away from them.

Guess I need to do some calling around. I can make decent welds, but more knowledge is better and youtube can't beat the hands on eyes on experience with an instructor right there.

 

[Engine]

Local school had a Community Ed class offered 4 night $30 bucks. I have always wanted to have some one show me how to mig weld. Was a great class - even got to help set up a new welder a Miller 5125 and be the first to weld with it. Was a blast, instructor is a great guy, knows we are just hobbyists and doesn't spend a lot of time of theory. Just here is how to set up your welder and here is how you weld. Then we got right into laying beads. Next week I will get my "coupon" and I will throw up a pic of my first welds.

Congrats. Welcome to the WWW (wide world of welding) mig
It's a great skill to have. You'll enjoy it and maybe make some money with it too.
Were you doing any other type of welding before, or is this your first experience?

 

[PugetDude]

Congratulation on taking the class; that $30 will pay off with all the grinding discs you won't have to buy if you taught yourself how to weld....like most of us.

 

[PhantomEB]

One of the best things I did was take a welding course.

Ain't the best but always love to throw on my helmet.

 

[ratdoggy]

Heck for $30 or even $80 it might pay to fly in and take the class

 

[ratdoggy]

Congratulation on taking the class; that $30 will pay off with all the grinding discs you won't have to buy if you taught yourself how to weld....like most of us.

Lots of truth in that...
If you can't weld good weld a lot

 

[ford33]

Good idea to take that class. You will learn that a good looking weld is not always a safe weld. I took a semester welding class at my local community college. I enjoyed it and learned a lot from my instructor and by practicing.

Key take away for me was you need to melt both sides of the metal joint and add filler to fuse the work together. A nice bead does not make always make a good weld joint. I began by making nice weld beads and then the instructor would hit the joint with a sledge and the parts came flying apart. i worry less about appearance now and more about proper heat, speed and fill.

 

[stillsteamn]

I've been bitten by the urge to learn welding bug lately. I've started looking for some weekend warrior type of welding class but so far it's just the professional programs I've found.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Go to your community college; they are structured towards getting certified, but 99% of the time you can just take the classes without doing a degree or "program".

 

[wasfuzz]

I can Braze like a MoFo, learned that in Jr High back in the early 70's - but never learned anything else. Actual had someone give me a HF mig with Bottle of gas and all I needed. Just wanted someone to point me in the right direction. One class and I am already looking for a better welder!

 

[Furious Filipino]

I started welding classes last year, with no intention other than to fill a gap in my fabrication knowledge. Here I am 3 semesters and 324 hours of welding later, and signed up for another 18 weeks next semester with a focus on fine tuning prep and fitment.

I think that an intro to welding class or 3-6 hour day class would be a good introduction. But after all the time I've spent welding 6 hours a week, a class like that is just barely scratching the surface. The real value for me is having industry veterans right there ready to answer any fabrication question I have.

There is no replacement for practice, which is the reason why most people just get a machine and run beads right away, but PERFECT practice is the key. I can't recommend taking at least a semester class if you can.

 

[Toxictom]

Dang you guys have gotten some pretty good deals. I looked into a welding class at my local college. It was over $800. I'd still love to take the class but $800 is pretty expensive for a hobbyist.

 

[aka Larry]

Dang you guys have gotten some pretty good deals. I looked into a welding class at my local college. It was over $800. I'd still love to take the class but $800 is pretty expensive for a hobbyist.

$800 for a con-ed class at a local CC?

I'm looking into another class that starts in January 2018 that's only $125 for 80 hours.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Dang you guys have gotten some pretty good deals. I looked into a welding class at my local college. It was over $800. I'd still love to take the class but $800 is pretty expensive for a hobbyist.

$800 will pay for itself in no time once you have the process down. A few random examples: I reworked a friend's trailer this weekend that would've likely cost $250+, I welded a muzzle brake on a rifle that would've cost $60 (doing another one this weekend), welding an ATV frame back together for a friend that would likely cost $75 or more, rewelded a Harley frame that was quoted $500 by a shop, tig welded a mount for horns in my RZR, etc. This is all in the last few weeks. Once you have a welder you will wonder how you got by without one.

 

[G-ManBart]

That's a great price for four nights! I can't count how many times I've said to myself "what did I do before I learned how to weld?".....great skill to have.

 

[machine_punk]

If anyone is in the North Bay area and wants to learn to weld, I let folks come over to my shop once a week and learn whatever I know...welding seems to be popular request.

Kev

 

[dlwilson]

I took a night class at the vocational high school about 18 (!) years ago. They had good equipment and a good instructor, but the instructor was focused on the young students who were trying to get jobs in the field. I understood why, but the rest of us were also paying students who wanted to learn. It was a helpful class, but could have been a lot better with more instruction.