Welding school

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So I've got an interest in learning how to weld which started because I want to do body work and frame work on cars as a hobby. And the more I dig into learning as much as I can on here I realize that welding school would be a great thing for me to do. It would also be a good career and something I'd be capable of doing. I've already been to traditional college for my associate's degree and to say it simply I'm not much of a text book person. I've always been a hands on learner. So let's talk about being a professional welder and what I'll need to be successful PS: I've already been looking for classes and found one that's a half an hour away from my house. I live in Portsmouth New Hampshire if anyone's curious.This is what I'm looking at and need to call next week--- http://greatbay.edu/courses/certific...g-technologies
Reply:Looks like a pretty good course but keep in mind there's still a lot of theory involved in welding. It's not just picking up the stinger and burning rods.
Reply:"So let's talk about being a professional welder and what I'll need to be successful" Ok, let's do that. What is your ultimate goal with your welding career? Do you have any experience? What type of welding do you think you want to do? Are there any of those types of jobs in your area? Do they pay enough for you to be happy? Are you willing to work / live on the road? We need some information in order to help you. You really didn't tell us about your proposed goal, and without a plan to succeed you should plan on failing.While I am a big fan of education I am not a fan of wasting time and money. If you have never welded before I would recommend a night school course if you don't have some one who can let you try it out, and I don't mean 2 minuets on a preset mig gun. If there is no work in your area of the type you're interested in are you willing to relocate? If you've never done it and you think that you want to work on the road we need to talk.Ok. This is the part where you fill us in on your life plan for your welding career.What ever you decide good luck with it.I forgot to mention that welding school does not guarantee welding job, although it may guarantee school debt.Last edited by gundog77; 05-26-2015 at 01:50 AM.
Reply:Some welding schools have employers looking for graduates, like Hobart. If you already have the experience you may not need to take a course but having took the course gives you a better chance at a job than someone that didn't take the course. Sometimes it's really simple things that give you edge or impress the employer. Say you apply to job and they ask if you've ever used a plasma torch? You used one at the course but the other guy applying has only used O/A or they ask you the difference between 6010 and 7018. Knowing the answer because you took the course is a big advantage over someone just saying the 7018 is stronger.
Reply:A few tips that have helped me loadsSome practical tips for you.- Preparation is key, tight gaps can save hours of work aka blowing through on thin steel or buttering up on heavy.- Listen to what you're told and take it in.- Many different welders have many different ways from getting from A to B.- At weld school you'll more or less start doing basic welds on plates (butts, fillets, lap, corner, single V full pen, double v blah blah blah) if you're not seeing improvement between your first weld and your last weld, stop and think about why and ask someone experienced. No point in doing 10 plates if the last is no different from the first. 1. Its a waste of time and 2. a waste of material.- Always ask questions
Reply:If you can get in do so. Looks like a great opportunity for you. And just because you don't like text book work, enthusiam for the subject goes a long way. Honestly the only thing in college I hated other than oceanography was the iron-carbon-diagram, of which both I could have cared less for at the time. And keep your technical books and reread. After a while a pattern develops and you go from reading gibberish to reading welding gospel. And don't think you won't need to understand "True Position Tolerancing", or basic geometry. My brain exploded when I was told I needed to understand introductory trigonometry, of which I was scared to death of but laugh at my ignorance today. It was fun learning with my knucklehead classmates at the time.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Oh, and share  your experiences with us and we can learn together.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.