Learn to weld (Wellington)

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mdf

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#196828 14-Jun-2016 14:08

I want to learn how to weld. No particular reason or project in mind, just seems like a good/cool skill to have in the toolbox. And it certainly will make a change from the day job.

However, the only course I've been able to find in Wellington is a part time evening Weltec course for a level 3 certificate in welding (it's not on their website for some reason but I've emailed and confirmed that they are offering this). But its in the order of 3 grand for the course and I don't need any kind of qualification out of it.

Anyone know of anything more informal out there? Needs to be a part time evening (or perhaps weekend) thing to fit around Real Life.

I seem to have a vague idea that the rules for adult education changed a while ago and this ended up in all the adult welding courses being canned. I may well be mis-remembering that though.

Disrespective

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#1571820 14-Jun-2016 16:53

Have a look at Menzshed

mdf

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#1571903 14-Jun-2016 19:39

Disrespective:

Have a look at Menzshed

Thanks. It's a cool idea, but the Wellington ones at least seem to be focussed on the middle of the weekday. I really need something more evenings and weekends.

Sidestep

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#1571910 14-Jun-2016 19:47

Buy yourself a small single phase inverter smaw (arc) welder - 2nd hand on trademe - and a bunch of GP rods, a decent auto dimming mask, safety gear (gloves, leather apron etc) and a grinder for prep.

Watch 'how to weld' youtube videos, get some scrap mild steel, burn some sticks - & teach yourself to weld!

It'll be frustrating and you'll make a mess at first, but soon you'll be able to create & move a puddle along.

Then find a way to watch an experienced welder work for a few minutes, or better yet ask one to critique your welding skills.. you'll pick it up.

Then spend some money on a decent gmaw (mig) setup..

Martynnz

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#1571986 14-Jun-2016 21:45

I went to a day long course at the NZ welding school which is local in Rotorua. Basically got to play around with stuff (similar to Sidestep's suggestion, but without the cost). Although they aren't in Welly, a similar industry training firm may do a day course as well.

CJC

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#1574860 16-Jun-2016 09:23

A couple of mates and I did one of the part time (one evening a week?) welding courses at Weltec a few years ago. It was in the range of $4-500 I think. Plus we had to bring our own overalls, steel toe boots, gloves and safety glasses. I think we found about it thru the Hutt News.

After a health and safety / intro session we jumped straight on to TIG welding for a couple of nights, followed by MIG, ARC, etc. The last few weeks we could practice on whatever we wanted or bring in our own projects and the tutor would give pointers.

I'd be really disappointed if they've got rid of it as I learnt a lot and found it pretty fun.

Hutt City Council (amongst other organisations) are looking at setting up a TechShop in the Hutt Valley. If that goes ahead they should be running courses as well.

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#1574869 16-Jun-2016 09:42

Find a friendly experienced welder and get them to teach you in exchange for beer or cash. Most experienced welders have taught a number of apprentices over the years.

I learned to arc weld with about 15 minutes instruction from a mate. Half the battle was getting used to the noise and light. Once you can ignore that and relax it's really just like using a big hot glue gun.

You have to have the right safety gear.

As well as the obvious dangers of bright light and molten metal, there is the added risk of fumes and UV light.

Mike

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#1612219 15-Aug-2016 21:41

I've been following @sidestep's advice and watching youtube welding videos (ChuckE2009 is awesome on so many levels...).

Showing my epic tote n00bness I know but a couple of probably really dumb/obvious queries:

- most of the youtube guys stick the ground cable to their (metal) workbench. Am I missing something obvious, or does the whole bench get livened up as a result?

- start with arc/stick welding and proceed to MIG?

- where do you source scrap steel from?

- where should I be looking for welding equipment - particularly the protective gear? Bunnings has some but not sure about the quality. Is there someplace obvious I should be going?

JamjarsNZ

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#1612271 16-Aug-2016 00:53

I'm a welder by trade, Ill try and answer what I can.

- most guys stick the earth to a table so they don't have to keep moving it around the job. Don't worry, you wont get a zap.

- ARC, MIG and TIG all take different skills to learn. MIG is easiest, just point, shoot and push the weld along. ARC is second, it takes a while to learn to move your hand in 3 dimensions to keep the ARC the right distance and speed as you drag the weld. TIG with filler wire requires 2 hands and can be the trickiest to learn coordinating both hands.

- Drop into a engineering workshop and see if they will take a box of beers for some scrap steel. Make sure it is clean, i.e no paint, galvanising, or rust. You need clean metal to learn on.

- I haven't had to buy my own gear in ages. We get our safety gear from NZ Safety and BOC. You will want Kevlar gloves for ARC and MIG, thinner/lighter TIG Gloves. Fire retardant overalls (Proban), the cheap nylon overalls burn and melt easy and the stitching wont last 5 minutes with splatter flying. Plastic zips not metal, if you get splatter on a metal zip you wont be able to use it any more. A leather apron will help if you don't want to fork out for Proban overalls. A good auto darkening helmet with the largest viewing lense you can afford. The good ones are not cheap though, mine is worth over $700.

The most important thing about welding is to get yourself comfortable. Move your work if you can to suit you, don't try and angle yourself into funny directions to make a weld. Not to learn at least.

Good luck mate.

mdf:

I've been following @sidestep's advice and watching youtube welding videos (ChuckE2009 is awesome on so many levels...).

Showing my epic tote n00bness I know but a couple of probably really dumb/obvious queries:

- most of the youtube guys stick the ground cable to their (metal) workbench. Am I missing something obvious, or does the whole bench get livened up as a result?

- start with arc/stick welding and proceed to MIG?

- where do you source scrap steel from?

- where should I be looking for welding equipment - particularly the protective gear? Bunnings has some but not sure about the quality. Is there someplace obvious I should be going?

Sidestep

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#1613641 18-Aug-2016 10:12

mdf:

I've been following @sidestep's advice and watching youtube welding videos (ChuckE2009 is awesome on so many levels...).

Showing my epic tote n00bness I know but a couple of probably really dumb/obvious queries:

- most of the youtube guys stick the ground cable to their (metal) workbench. Am I missing something obvious, or does the whole bench get livened up as a result?

- start with arc/stick welding and proceed to MIG?

- where do you source scrap steel from?

- where should I be looking for welding equipment - particularly the protective gear? Bunnings has some but not sure about the quality. Is there someplace obvious I should be going?

I'm no professional. Taught myself to weld on an ancient transformer arc welder, using a mask with a flip down fixed shade lens, and some damp welding rods. Afterwards - in comparison - using a decent welder was like using a hot knife to cut butter.
With the low cost of small Migs now one of them's the obvious thing. You don't need to spend heaps on a Kempi, Lincoln or Miller machine to get started but don't buy complete junk.

I've bought a nicer (but still 2nd hand) welder for fabrication in my workshop – where I'm building myself a tipping trailer.
But day to day I use an old (90's vintage?) Transmig 130, which was mid range farm gear back then... bought it barely used on trademe for $100 several years ago, and it lives - permanently - in the back of the ute.
With less than 8 A draw it runs happily on an extension cord from a 10A outlet or the generator, and at 30-130 Amps it does most small jobs up to 4-5mm, welding gates, patching a mower deck or tractor bucket etc.
There's a 4.5kg spool of cheap trademe (chinese) 0.8 flux core wire in it – a spare 1kg in the glovebox, tips and extra lenses for my old Dominator helmet.. that I bought on trademe for $40. (see where I'm going with this)

I reckon don't get too much scrap for practice, instead sketch out a plan, go buy some cheap steel and start building a little project.
The first thing I ever built was a steel welding table – on wheels, which I still use -20 years later – though my welding looks terrible now...

Apart from Trademe my favourite place to get steel's scrap metal yards. Used to be they'd let me wander around looking for stuff with potential, but now Health & Safety rules prevent that.

If I'm going through Auckland with the truck I buy cheap fabrication steel for projects. There's a place called “Magellan Steel” in Avondale for chinese steel and “Steel cuts' in Onehunga where you can also get good deals on NZ stuff.
Both usually have bargain offcuts or bent/damaged bits. Maybe somewhere similar in Wellington.

Safety? From experience I don't recommend welding in nylon rugby shorts. Also try to prevent red hot slag dropping into your boots.
Apart from the mask I have a pair of wrap around safety sunglasses for grinding/chipping, a big old leather apron and one -right hand -glove.. from trademe.

Mattmannz

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#1613646 18-Aug-2016 10:26

I did the night course at Weltec a number of years ago, it didn't include any qualifications but I think was 10 weeks with three hours a week or something. Was very helpful to learn the basics then improve at home.

You probably need to work out what sort of material you want to weld. Doing anything thing or small is difficult with an Arc. Cheap MIG's that are gasless are difficult to create good welds with but can be useful for tacking things in place and then finish welding with another better unit.

Don't skimp on safety gear as mentioned. Buy the best helmet you can afford with a large viewing lense. This will make the biggest difference to your weld quality.

mdf

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#1704368 16-Jan-2017 20:48

For anyone interested, @CJC has pointed me at a revived Weltec welding course.

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#1751033 31-Mar-2017 09:55

+1 for a night course at a Poly Tech.

I did one at Ucol in Palmy years ago and was really good. No qualifications but they basically taught you the same as if you were going to go for a MIG ticket. And there was an option to simply pay for the exam if you wanted too.

Was cool though because we did everything... Arc, MIG/MAG, TIG and even some brazing with Oxy sets.

Get yourself a decent mask. I got a cheap one for the first lesson and it sucked, so went to BOC and got a flash one.

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#1751049 31-Mar-2017 10:37

NZ Welding School
82 Main Road, Tawa

No idea if they're any good, but I've been driving past for many years, so they have longevity at least

https://www.cylex.co.nz/company/nz+welding+school-18082212.html