Welding class for a hobbyist?

[DEXTERBBQ]

Besides what has already been suggested you might want to look and see if your community or nearby communities have a Makers Works or similar facility. The Makers Works in my area has woodworking equipment, metal working equipment, 3D printing equipment, etc. They offer monthly and yearly memberships to use the equipment but they also offer classes, one of them being welding. Mine offers 3 different classes on welding. The first level is pretty much just safety and introduction to different processes. The later two classes are more in depth and hands on. Each class is roughly 3 hours in length and you don't have to be a member to take the classes, just pay the per class rate. This is how I started welding. I have my own Mig set up and stick so there is no reason for me to be a member other than I could pay the monthly rate an use their TIG setup. These classes along with books and YouTube have provided me with a decent education but like others have said....practice, practice and more practice is the best way to continue to improve and learn.

I'm also lucky to have an Alro Steel nearby that sells off-cuts by the pound at a decent price along with many other shapes, types and sizes of steel. When I was starting out the off-cut bin was perfect for practice material. That and the scrap yard. The scrap yard being cheaper but the metal not exactly labeled like the steel store so you don't always know what your getting.

Alro is regional but there's also places like it around the country.

 

[MushCreek]

I've been 'sticking metal together' for most of my life, yet I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. I only have MIG at home, and it's easy compared to other methods. The problem is that although I can make an acceptable looking weld, I have no idea of the strength. I've built trailers, and even shortened a pick-up truck frame. Never had one come apart. The truck was in an accident, and the welds held just fine. I might consider taking a class just to see how far off I am, if at all.

 

[IRQVET]

My best welding education was via Chuckie2009 on Youtube. . .

 

[MarkG]

Amazing that anyone has managed to get proficient on their own...

A class will help, but this isn't rocket science. Tons of stuff can be learned through videos and forums

Yeah it is amazing, and it took them a lot longer to learn too. It can be done, obviously, but it will take a lot longer when you don't have a certified welding instructor telling you all the things you're doing wrong. An instructor won't give you a 'thumbs up' for every bad weld you finish! A 'pretty' weld is not always a good weld----even though it may get a lot of praise online. This is the difference!! You might make a cute little 'stack of dimes' that gets all the thumbs up on social media, but you won't have a clue that it's a bad weld, a cold weld, etc. because you don't have a qualified instructor pointing out your voltage is too low, travel speed is too fast, steps are too large, etc.

You can learn by trial and error---but you won't know what info online is good and which is bad. If you're serious about learning to weld and want to learn RIGHT, take a class, preferably a whole semester.

 

[555]

I took night classes at the local vocational school.

 

[Monza Harry]

As stated above [MarkG] instruction will cut learning time and add very valuable insight, I would add though that getting some qualified friend/neighbour/co-worker before you start classes and spend some time with the "Magic Wand" before starting a class will help the in class part. The hard part is knowing when it is time, three months in the garage can teach some hard to break bad habits, but the head start will help with getting up that curve faster with the instructor. As for the strength, break/cut some welds open, across the weld and along it, also grind through from both sides and inspect with a very critical eye, ego means nothing if the welds don't deliver. I look at the apprenticeship of tradesmen as learning enough [preliminary background] to actually learn the trade! Proficiency takes a lot of time, including success and failure, so don't be afraid to cut it apart and start over, much to be learned from our own and others failures, remember education is expensive, ask your Doctor. Have fun and stick 'em together! Harry

 

[jives]

Finally bought a welder last spring and began practicing for a project I've wanted to do for a long time (repurposing thread: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-repurposing-thread.209475/page-38). Forney EasyWeld 140 FCi (flux core). Did the project, but entirely unsure of the strength of the welds -- they are not pretty. Anyway, MarkG and Monza are spot on. I learned everything from vids and trial and error, but I am unsure how to correct the errors. In the development of motor skills (human movement, not engines) we call this the cognitive phase of learning and it can be incredibly useful to have knowledgeable guidance in the trial and error process.