Intro to welding course?

[TorontoBuilder]

Thanks for the info everyone. I looked at the Conestoga college course and will go with that or the Mohawk one depending on my schedule. Conestoga one is a bit more expensive, but you get more hours out if it if I'm reading correctly.

yeah Conestoga you get all the welding methods in that course rather than just MIG. They for some reason dont run a MIG only course. I just didn't know if you wanted to go to Hamilton

 

[Former Member]

I think it can be tough for someone to learn off YouTube because there is no feedback, I'm not saying it can't be done, the road is just longer, as a guy needs to try it, watch a video, and figure out what he/she is doing wrong

I have instructed and been instructed, I will often let someone go at it for a bit before I help, if they are having problems I will stand right beside and watch as they weld, and tell them WHILE welding...immediate feedback....normally that's "slower" or "push it in" or "more pedal", most guys/gals catch on real quick when someone can tell them exactly what they may be doing wrong while they are doing it...a few times is normally all it takes, then just practice

Thats where a course, or someone to instruct you personally helps, but welding is mostly just practice, it's a hand skill like painting, you can't think your way to it, you just have to practice and developed those motor skills and learn the visual cues

That pisses a lot of young guys off, they think there is some magic trick, some guys get real agitated when you tell them "you just need more practice"

Absolutely, this is best.

Also even it seems easy (at least I think so) torch time is the magic, the more you get the better get as long as you get the basic concept.

Personally I love a good one on one lesson or two, barring that YouTube it is.

 

[Brent H]

Once my shop is up and running in New Brunswick I am hoping to do a complete (as far as my talents can do) a training experience in welding, machining, painting etc to the boys and family (cousin’s kids etc) . If things go well……

 

[MustangGT]

I think it can be tough for someone to learn off YouTube because there is no feedback, I'm not saying it can't be done, the road is just longer, as a guy needs to try it, watch a video, and figure out what he/she is doing wrong

I have instructed and been instructed, I will often let someone go at it for a bit before I help, if they are having problems I will stand right beside and watch as they weld, and tell them WHILE welding...immediate feedback....normally that's "slower" or "push it in" or "more pedal", most guys/gals catch on real quick when someone can tell them exactly what they may be doing wrong while they are doing it...a few times is normally all it takes, then just practice

Thats where a course, or someone to instruct you personally helps, but welding is mostly just practice, it's a hand skill like painting, you can't think your way to it, you just have to practice and developed those motor skills and learn the visual cues

That pisses a lot of young guys off, they think there is some magic trick, some guys get real agitated when you tell them "you just need more practice"

When I was studying, I watched different lessons on YouTube to get different ideas and opinions. But when teaching, I need a dialogue with the teacher, I am not comfortable with any online learning model due to the fact that there is no such dialogue. I think a lot of students have this problem.

 

[Ironman]

Back in the 1970's when I lived in the Yukon, I took an 80hr welding course and passing it gave you a DPW 3 level ticket, meant you could work for the Dept of Public Works. I would starve before I worked for any gov't. Anyhow, I came in second and only one guy passed and got the ticket. The complete course was welding coupons in flat, overhead and vertical up with 6010. Uggh.

I did learn something, I learned that you must relax and be calm about welding, and be well braced, using one arm and hand to stabilize the rod hand. And be prepared to spend the time, at least 80 hrs. You will become calm and confident by the end of that time. You won't stick your rod, etc.
To me, everything about welding is understanding how molten metal acts. Like solder, it will run uphill to get to the heat. Pausing makes it hot, molten metal will run up to the heat. If you are welding on the flat and your bead is humpy at the center or edges, remember what molten metal does, so zig-zag your bead 1/8" and understand at the end of movement, that heating pulls the bead flat and you look like a pro.
I can hear..."oh, but I want to wire weld only" The same still applies, metal is metal.
But think on this: when was the last time you saw a high pressure gas line MIG welded? Ever seen a skyscraper built with MIG? It lacks the strength and penetration and x-ray fails it a lot.

 

[phaxtris]

I agree with most of @Ironman 's post, with this exception

But think on this: when was the last time you saw a high pressure gas line MIG welded? Ever seen a skyscraper built with MIG? It lacks the strength and penetration and x-ray fails it a lot.

I believe this is referring to the general understanding of MIG, meaning wire welding.....in which case, both high pressure pipe and structural steel are commonly welded with wire.

Many pipe shops (all though not all, depends on which procedures they hold) weld root passes with MIG (Hardwire/70s-6) and fill/cap with Dual shield (Flux core wire). Also the majority of structural steel is welded with wire (metal core, flux core, and sometimes hardwire in spray transfer). Typically the only welding done with stick is field work, and it has nothing to do with strength, and everything to do with the wind and shielding. It is also much easier to pass an x-ray/ut with wire, no slag to create inclusions with, and normally done at a considerably higher amperage.

Its a weird and common misconception that MIG/Wire is somehow inferior to stick welding, most likely due to the many welds attempted by persons with to small of a wire machine, resulting in poor penetration and a broken weld later on. Properly executed the only difference between a 7018 weld and a 70s-6 wire weld is that the wire weld has slightly less as welded elongation/ductility than the 7018 weld, same tensile strength and similar other mechanical properties

 

[Former Member]

@phaxtris comments are right on, welding is welding, each has advantages and disadvantages, but in the right hands of an experienced welder no matter method will yield the desired results.

 

[Ironman]

Many pipe shops (all though not all, depends on which procedures they hold) weld root passes with MIG (Hardwire/70s-6) and fill/cap with Dual shield (Flux core wire). Also the majority of structural steel is welded with wire (metal core, flux core, and sometimes hardwire in spray transfer). Typically the only welding done with stick is field work, and it has nothing to do with strength, and everything to do with the wind and shielding. It is also much easier to pass an x-ray/ut with wire, no slag to create inclusions with, and normally done at a considerably higher amperage.

I should have specified that I referred to field work. Shop assembly of high rise and bridge beams it done in doors with mig. We put up hundreds of kilometers of pipe in Alberta by stick in the field every year, and because of adverse conditions some welds have to be redone if they fail the x-ray.
I don't trust my life to any mig, unless spray welded, because I can see a 1/4" deep crater when I spray weld. But that's just my 2 cents.
My main driver of the post was to get people to think of how to improve on what they are doing.

 

[MustangGT]

Back in the 1970's when I lived in the Yukon, I took an 80hr welding course and passing it gave you a DPW 3 level ticket, meant you could work for the Dept of Public Works. I would starve before I worked for any gov't. Anyhow, I came in second and only one guy passed and got the ticket. The complete course was welding coupons in flat, overhead and vertical up with 6010. Uggh.

I did learn something, I learned that you must relax and be calm about welding, and be well braced, using one arm and hand to stabilize the rod hand. And be prepared to spend the time, at least 80 hrs. You will become calm and confident by the end of that time. You won't stick your rod, etc.
To me, everything about welding is understanding how molten metal acts. Like solder, it will run uphill to get to the heat. Pausing makes it hot, molten metal will run up to the heat. If you are welding on the flat and your bead is humpy at the center or edges, remember what molten metal does, so zig-zag your bead 1/8" and understand at the end of movement, that heating pulls the bead flat and you look like a pro. If you are lucky with a good teacher on the course, you will understand this very quickly. But if the teacher is not interested in teaching students, then you will have to look for more experienced workers who can share their experience. Studying the research of the welding institute https://essaypapers.reviews/ I see how old technologies are applied in the modern metalworking industry. I hope that the stability of the application of technologies will eliminate most of the mistakes when teaching beginners.
I can hear..."oh, but I want to wire weld only" The same still applies, metal is metal.
But think on this: when was the last time you saw a high pressure gas line MIG welded? Ever seen a skyscraper built with MIG? It lacks the strength and penetration and x-ray fails it a lot.

Everything was described very accurately. It would be nice to study steel grades before studying the welding course, to understand what behavior of the metal during its processing. I've seen a few self-taught welders who make mistakes because they don't have the basics.