Welding, How did you learn? Options

[sgomes]

I've always wanted to learn how to weld -- even before I bought a 914 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I see a lot of you on here weld and I'm just wondering how you learned. Community college? work? Just bought a welder and went for it? I've searched the local community colleges and couldn't find any classes. I'm in the bay area so if any locals know of a particular place to go I'd love to hear it.

I'm thinking mostly towards MIG. I'd love to learn TIG (mainly to do aluminum) but I've heard over and over that it's pretty hard.

Shannon (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[TimT]

The idea being.... if you can't break it apart, it's a good weld?

Thats a part of being a good weld... just because you cant break it "now" has nothing to do with whether it will break "then" having full penetration and fusion are paramount when welding.. however, inclusions, porosity, undercut can affect the strength and durabilty of your weld..

Welding thin gauge metal is usually a one pass procedure.. so most of the worries are sort of cleanlliness is next to godliness..

have clean base metal, and fit up the parts better than they should be...thats means spend extra time fitting the pieces to be welded, when you think they fit right... take it apart and see if goes fits up the same the next go round..put yourself in a comfortable welding position....

The welding of the parts is the easy part... making them be ready to weld is the hard stuff...

BTW I learned to weld when I was a kid... then High School metal shop...Studied Engineering in college, received training and certification from the American Welding Society

just pratice practice.... and get an Auto dark helmet...