Any welding experts?

[Outlaw]

Okay thinking aloud here all... ;)

Been looking at some welding courses on offer at Tafe... 10 nights over 10 weeks... but after mentioning to Camo and Xbox and finding they're also interested; any chance someone here has the skills, time and facilities to offer a good crash course? We can have our second GCLRO Workshop :D:D:D

This is the one i was looking at - Gold Coast Institute of TAFE (http://www.goldcoast.tafe.qld.gov.au/search/course_finder/coursedetails.php?courseid=1692)

Thinking if can get a full day course organised for a few guys... I can maybe buy one of those cheap **** Arc welders that keep popping up for $100 (yes know it's be **** but all i can afford at the moment) and throw some dollars towards whoever is teaching for their time and a nice tidy little profit :D Oh and have a good Mig welder that can be borrowed.

Thoughts please from those in the know :cool: (not on safety, public liability etc though as we already know all that stuff)... just on if someone around the area has the ability to teach and make a few dollars on the side ;)

PM me if you don't want to make it public ;)

[GuyG]

Hey Josh, think I did one of those courses years ago, don't think I've tried to weld since then so might be interested in a refresher type course:D

[DRanged]

Guys

You wont learn alot in 1 day. You are better off doing the Tafe course and talk to the teacher and tell him what you want to do and weld. This will also help determine the type of welder which will suit your needs.

When it comes to welding machines you get what you pay for as well.

Justin

[philco]

I'm interested too, good to find out what the bad habits are and remedy them.
would like to know a little about welding aluminium too.

[harry]

i have an arc welding set and gas stuff, but am only a novice at welding, and for all the years of welding bits here and there, i still think if you want to do it right then pay an experienced welder to do it.

[Stepho_62]

Outlaw

For your $140 the TAFE course would be your best bet. You will get to learn Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMAW) you get to burn as many rods as you can in the amount of time available and use as much steel as you need to.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW, MIG) is next from memory and again you get to burn as much wire as you can and steel as u can tack together using both gasless (fluxcore) and solid wire.

Might get to play with gas (Brazing etc) and possibly gouge.

Cheers,

[Outlaw]

$140??? :eek: try $670 :p

And figure if enough guys interested can try to get our own course going for cheaper... even if getting one of the instructors to do a private showing. BUt if all falls through and not enough interest then will just do the tafe course :D

[Stepho_62]

:eek::eek:

Blimey, they don't call it th gold coast for nuffin eh :D:wasntme:

[MickG]

:eek::eek::eek::eek:My advice is spend the $670 on a welder and some equipment and learn from there. Having done some welding years ago, IMO it is one of these skills that is "time served" so to speak i.e. best learnt over time.

Aye, Mick

[JohnE]

Josh
I did one of those 2 of those courses at menai before I moved up here, definately better to do over the time frame. Especially if you have a project, mine was to rebuild my rusted trailer, so i cut it down and took the bits in each night to weld, then borrowed a mig to finish it off.
i ended up buying a $99 gmc stick, which I think is a rebadged SIP ( its made in italy not china) ,without the cooling fan, it has performed flawlessly here, for general welding, ie gate hinges, gates, the caryall for the tractor and some trailer bits and the like, once you work out the best rods to use , in my opinion they are a good entry point welder. i have been using the lower priced ozito rods lately because i couldn't get the normal satincraft ones i use, and found they are akin to using a mig ( I was welding some plate)

its all good fun regardless.
anyway a workshop mig is next on my list, then maybe a tig or even a plasma cutter.


oops forgot to mention, my courses were done at a night school and were not in the $6oo price range, perhaps you can find some community college there that runs them


john

[foz.in.oz]

I learnt to weld back at the end of the eighties and even though its my own trumpet I'm blowing I do alright.
I went to the TAFE back in Mt Isa about 4 years ago and did a course in MMA (manual Metal Arc [stick welding]). The reason I did this was simple. They have all the cutting, bending, grinding and banging stuff you could ever want. I wanted to build something and the rented unit didn't have any of these. :D
The course cost me $90, lasted about 12 weeks I think and was very informative. You can burn as many rods as you care for and stick just about anything you want together. It saved me hundreds of dollars by using their gear and although I could already weld it was good fun too.
I don't know what course they are selling on the gold coast for $670 but I guess it's a bit too advanced for a beginner.
Go back and see what else they have, learn the basics and buy a $100 arc welder and then hone your skills on that.