Learning to Weld in Phoenix, AZ question

admin

I have another job during the day.  I have been making stuff with my plasma cutter for over a year and selling things on the side as a hobby.  I need to learn how to weld to do more. What I want to do is somehow get "certified" or take some classes and be able to say I have some certificate to prove to myself and anyone else, that I am not just some dude who lays down a bead having no clue what I'm doing and calls himself a welder.Does anyone know of a school in the Phoenix area that can do something like this?  Is there such a thing as being "certified?"  Can I do it for less than say $5000?I looked at the community colleges, most of them don't seem to have welding classes, and the ones that do, are booked until next year!
Reply:You can get certified in any different process in all different positions. I went to welding school at a community college about 15 years ago to unlearn how to "farm" repair stuff. I am pretty sure we never got certified to do anything. Of course we took the same tests that you would to certify different things, but I do not think we were officially certified to do anything by any third party. You got me wondering about that a little now actually. Point is, if you are not pursuing a welding job that you need to be certified to do, you may be better served to have a friend teach you. Another thing to consider is that there are a lot of guys welding done fancy important stuff who are not certified. It all depends on what you want to do. I am bu no means discouraging school here either. Had a lot fun there. Another good way to get certified us to stand around and look funny and act funny. I find that work almost every time.SA-250 TMDSquarewave 200Thunderbolt AC/DC1951 G.E. welder
Reply:I guess if I was buying a trailer or a metal building I would want a reasonable assurance that the person that welded it was as least formally trained or certified. Non-structural stuff like furniture, BBQ pits, metal art etc. It wouldn't matter to me if the person was certified.  If your work involves something that could fail and kill or injure, then get certified.  Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.Syncrowave 210HH140Victor O/A
Reply:Mesa community college has a great welding course. Make sure Dick Wright is teaching.From the desk of Kevin CaronTrying to be the best me I can!www.kevincaron.comAHP Alpha Tig 200x MillerMatic 251Miller Syncrowave 200
Reply:You might be able to get into a welding class that is full if someone drops the course.  Sign up and get on the waiting list."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Taking a college welding course is worthwhile, as far as learning how to weld goes, but you won't come out certified, unless you pass sanctioned welding tests.An NDT testing facility is usually a good place to get certified, if they offer that particular service. I got certified to weld steam pipe at one of those.Rich
Reply:Around here many of the technical high schools run evening classes for welding. Some are geared towards certification, others are more intro classes for guys looking to get a feel for things, learn enough to do some basic repairs at work, or the home hobbyist.  After that they can move on to a more structured class aimed at certs.Understand certs don't last forever. You have to maintain them to stay current. That's usually more than the average hobbyist or guy doing side work wants to be bothered with. You did have a cert at one time, and most just use that to prove they were capable of doing the work at a previous time. It simply looks good on a business card. Also understand that if you change anything, you have to get a new cert. You can get 2 certs for D1.1 using 7018 stick in vertical (3G) and overhead ( 4G), but that won't cover welding say pipe with 6010 in any position, or welding flat T joints with 6013. You'd need more certs for those. Then there's mig certs, tig certs... each time you change materials, position or from plate to pipe, there's another cert that covers that weld..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Wow, with all these different certs., you'd think it's a cash cow for somebody...Oh wait, it is.
Reply:What part of town are you in. PM me if you are interested in coming out to the North end of town, I can clue you in about certs, help you get one if you want it, and help you out learning.