Thanks so much for writng back all the time..If I get on your nerves don't hesistate to tell me. The only thing is Im 30, and there is not really a rush, but no options of trade school and stuff like that. Everything I learned about trade work (which aint much) I just got here and there in pieces. My grades werent good enough to get into college everyone always told me I was stupid. I wanted to be an electrician. Finally a frfiend with connections got me into a University and surprisingly I did well. Now, 10 years later, I am diabled and still at a point where I dont know what I want to do when I recover. As I watch each of my friends make more and more money, get married and have children, I feel I have to learn more well Im sitting around and poor mother is supporting me. That school only teaches welding one and 2. I trust you guys 100%, but 379 for safety and (what the book says is SMAW) lays good ground work. I guess Im trying to pack a lot of training into a little time period. Id be determined if I went out and bought a welder to learn and practice, but I got to admit even when I look at little welders i dont know what switch does want. It does come with a video though lol... My new book says that gas welding is old but it still can and is used alot..But, are SMAW and gas completely diferent? They throw me off in the pamphlet because it says the class teaches oxy-acetyline and SMAW safety, making me think they are related. O/A packages sell at sears for 189 bucks
Even tho the question isn't to me I'll provide a little advice too.
Your ambition is refreshing, but now is the time to mix in a little bit of patience that will serve you well soon. If you have decided for sure to take the welding classes than put a hold on spending more money on big ticket equipment. In class you will be able to use many machines and most of the processes as well as spend lots of time talking to your instructor and the more experienced students, these folks will be able to help you decide what machine will serve you best. Also, you will most likely have to be putting some investment into personal equipment such as several pairs of gloves, leathers, steel toe boots, welding hood (some are pricey,) cutting goggles, hammers, measurement tools, welpers and more. So my suggestion is to treat your classes as test drives of various pieces of equipment while you decide which process you enjoy best or will make you more cash at work and on the side.
As to your class pamphlet, Oxy-fuel and SMAW are very different, the Oxy-Fuel uses flammable gas to make the heat and SMAW uses electricity. But, the two are taught together because most entery level welders will be using the Oxy-Fuel rig to cut and prepare the items they weld on with SMAW. Also in school you will be using Oxy-Fuel to prep the practice pieces you use in the shop with SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW so its important to get it down pat at the beginning.
As usual, excellent advice from Lawrence.
Mike Sherman
If you would like to get a jump on the classroom part, go to the ESAB website and complete the online welding technology course. They also have several outstanding handbooks that are accessible online at no cost. Here's the link:
http://www.esabna.com/html/eu.cfm
By tinker
Date 08-13-2004 06:13
Looks like the other responses should have addressed your question around O/A and SMAW. If not, just let us know.
Great advice about taking the classes before making the big equipment purchases. We had a great lab at school with all types of welding and metal working equipment. Everything from real old arc equipment to the latest inverter welders. They let us spend all the time we wanted in the lab and it was a great chance to test drive all the equipment and different processes for a reasonable cost. Since I'm welding as a hobby (along with too many other hobbies) I need to be careful about my spending and the classes, lab time and discussions with my fellow students really helped me figure out what equipment I really needed.
Before I started welding classes at the local CC I read everything I could about welding. Stuff off the internet, current and old books. As you'll learn there is no substitute for actual experience and lots (and lots and lots) of practice and feedback but there is also a lot of information to absorb that will keep you safe, shorten your learning curve and help you do better work. I found a bunch of these welding and metal working forums recently and as you're finding out they're an excellent source of information so keep reading and asking questions.
Good luck, have fun and keep us posted on how you're doing.
Gary
SMAW and oxy-acetylene welding are completely different. SMAW is shielded metal arc welding. It is frequently called "stick" welding or just "arc" welding. You use a coated metal electrode held in an electrode holder which is connected to the power source. The electrode carries electrical current and supplies the filler metal for the weld. An arc between the electrode and the base metal melts both the electrode and base metal, fusing them together. The electrode burns down during the process. And you have to stop and replace it periodically.
Oxy-acetylene welding uses the heat from an torch burning a mix of oxygen and acetylene to metal the base metal and a filler rod, fusing them together. You hold the torch with one hand and feed in the filler with the other.
MIG (called GMAW or gas metal arc welding by the AWS) is more like SMAW. The main difference is that the electrode is feed from a spool through a gun so you don't have to stop and change electrodes.
I think the class you referred to just teaches oxy-acetylene cutting, not oxy-acetylene welding. Oxy-acetylene (or more generally oxy-fuel) cutting is still in general use for preparing metal to be welded. It is used to cut metal to size, bevel joints prior to welding, cut weld access holes (rat holes) in girder webs, etc. Oxy-acetylene welding is a different beast and is indeed not used much anymore commercially. And I doubt it is taught in the class.
$379 is indeed a lot of money. You are going to have to be the judge on whether you should take the course or not. The oxy-acetylene cutting and saftey part of it is applicable to what you want to do. The SMAW is not directly applicable. But you might pick up something useful from it. It is possible to learn on your own. It will take longer that taking a class. But that does not sound like it is an issue for you. If you learn better by example than reading, it might pay to take the class if for nothing other than the safety aspect. Acetylene presents a significant fire and explosion hazard. You can certainly be electrocuted by a welder even though they are designed to minimize the possibility. And the arc presents significant dangers to eyes and skin unless you are properly protected.
FWIW the basic MIG machines are not very complicated. You have controls for volts, wire speed (which controls amps), and shielding gas flow rate. The instructions with the machine will give you a table or something similar to guide you. Then you can tweak the settings as you get used to the machine and process.
Sorry I haven't responded sooner,
I took a little vacation to get get away and spend some quality time with my family. Lots of hours here at work will make for a lousy husband and father to two wonderful kids, if I'm not careful. I hope from the other great replies you are getting your questions answered. I'm sure all will agree than no one person can know all there is to know about this great field we are in. If you have questions, ask, after all that is the whole purpose of this forum. Self esteem is earned by just what you are doing, learning, and educating yourself, and practicing what you are learning. Keep up the hard work, I know it will pay off someday for you. I went back to college after several years out of highschool and I find it harder (my brain isn't as porous now, more like concrete) to get those grades than when I was fresh out of highschool and my brain was more like a sponge and retained things better.
John Wright
