Well I've finally come round to the truth that my welding sucks.

Has anyone done at C+G MIG welding course?

I'm trying to decide whether to do one of those (it's local and on my day off!) or just get a load of scrap metal and practice, practice, practice.....

done one years ago.

thinnest stuff we worked on was 2 or 3mm when learning for the first few weeks. After that it was all 4 or 5mm and 200+amps. Quite scary to realise for the first time that you made 5mm steel glow red hot. Also quite painful when you forget how hot 5mm steel is when its not glowing.

I did learn a lot and its definately made me a better welder - i can spot when my welds are poo although recently i've been doing some damned good ones

worth it? dunno, if you've got someone who's good at welding who'll hang around for a few hours and then keep popping back probably not.

I went along to the local college (Bracknell) and they recommended I took their welding & sheet metal working class as it was more practically focussed than their C&G one.

Thoroughly enjoyed it and they provided full access to their car workshop, too.

Also met GaryM there....

A course is always a good thing as you are taught things you would not know about if you taught yourself , but practice does make perfect so they say , i was taught many years ago on gas and electric as part of an engineering apprentice ship with one of the top engineering companies and was really worth while as far as i am concerned .

Mike

I have a friend that works at Gatwick on the planes, he was sent on a weeks intensive TIG welding course.

They sat him in front of a machine and explained the controls then he spent the next 4 1/2 days practicing!

For myself there was a point at which suddenly everything seemed to make sense, and I found it hard to produce bad welds, it just becomes intuitive

Another mate went on a gas welding course at west kent college, he had a most enjoyable time and met like minded people so there are other benefits.

Just treat it as a social night out where you learn a skill. Unless you want a qualification a practical course would be more fun I suspect.

Regards Mark

[Edited on 22/5/08 by mark chandler]

many years ago I did a 6 week welding course at colledge. Taught you all the basics. Well worth doing, especially as it cost nought.

personally i would do one, you will learn alot, ive been a coded welder now for ten years or more (cant tell really though), done the city guilds etc too.
Get the course done mate, you will have more faith in your welding

Sounds like I'll do it then

My welds are admittidly slowly getting better but sometimes it's luck that I hit upon the right combination of variables....

... and I really must remember to push not pull. It seems so much more tempting to push the gun....

I did a couple of one-day courses at the local agricultural college - they were really intended to tempt people into signing up for a full course, but they were hugely useful. I did stick and MIG welding, and it was enough to show me what I was supposed to be doing. Practice over the next few weeks got me fairly close to right.

My welding has got a lot better since I got my TIG set.

For 40 years I have been a Solderer (work wise and at home), and used to solder in one hand and iron in the other.

The Mig I could only get right now and then, and couldnt work out what I was doing wrong.

The Tig is just Brill, and my welding went from crap to acceptable almost within a week of getting it.

For me its well worth the price of the Bottle rental.

Another vote in favour of doing a welding course whether for a full qualification or just a college attendance certificate as you will have the chance to practice, get expert feedback and techniques to improve your welding.

Unfortunately many colleges have to run full cost certificated courses as the government has removed most of the funding for recreational courses that benefitted the DIYer

Just a balancing post - I did a course at the local tech college, and it was rubbish! The guy could weld but couldn't teach at all... so I'd try and chat to someone who has been on the course before if possible.

Chris

My mate did a 10 year welding scholarship in the nuclear industry

And my tank leaked the first time he made it

I used to teach welding at Cornwall College in the early 90's (then called Camborne Tech). I don't think that C&G exist now.

If you want to learn enough to build your car, better to get some 1:1 tuition from someone qualified - should be able to pick up mig in a couple of hours, its the easiest form of welding.

The problem with doing a course is that you would be using expensive proffesional welding equipment and although the techniques are the same it is harder to get good welds with DIY welders.I would spend the money on a better quality welder and as suggested get some one to set it up and demonstrate the correct technique to you.
Paul.