Welding classes...Worth it or just get a Video?

I think the best thing to do is just get a welder and some plate and practice, practice, practice. Just go to town after reading on the subject first though...like the basics. I would pick up a book on how to weld though for pointers and tips that will be in print to look at any time.

Although they might have some good machines and you could see whether you like arc, mig, or tig the best... if you get a welder and start practicing, that's a good bet.

you might want to watch a vid or see somebody demonstrate it. I'm sure you could google it and find a good little vid or description

You can't ask the video questions.

If not mentioned, some community colleges offer classes. Seems to me like a good (and not too pricey) way to go.

Good luck with it.

i learned by just practicing. you cant learn welding any other way IMO, you can get the basic idea from vids, ect but the best way is just go out and burn some steel.

Im taking the classes at the community college, very well worth it, the guy teaching it is the head instructor at lincoln elec. I started with oxyfuel, then i took stick, then i learned TIG really fast (im very good at TIG), now mig and flux cored is this semester. It is very much worth the money. To do roll cages, you need to be certified. There are different certs for everything. I'm currently looking for a good TIG welding job, the pay for welders starts aorund $20 an hour.

You'd have to contact your local community college for prices because the costs range from each college and depending on some things. You need to take the classes first to learn the techniques, types of welds for that process, and after you do the classes, they have during the summer a community learning class in which you can practice whatever welding process you want and get certified in it. To weld on chromemoly steel for rollcages, you need the aerospace certification, i think its ~ $100 for the test.

I am in my last simester of welding i can "do" any type of welding now, but i wanna get certified in MIG, and especially TIG, thats were the money is at and you will use it the most if you want a welding job, my TIG welding job pays $23 an hour.

If you want to take the classes, start from the beginning with oxyfuel welding/cutting/brazing/soldering. That will set you up for TIG, it'll teach you torch control. Stick welding would be next, used mainly for industrial processes, but useful to know, it can be hard to do sometimes with the different rods and positions. After that is the MIG/TIG/Flux-cored classes, I started my TIG training early because my instructor felt i was that good, i was making perfect TIG welds on stainless steel (pretty difficult stuff to weld on when its 20 gauge) my first day all because of the oxyfuel class setting me up for it.

Its nice to have someone with 30+ years of experience in welding look over your welds and tell you what you can do to make it better, what you're not doing or doing incorrectly, etc. Like everyone else said too, the best way to learn is to do it, and you'll get plenty of arc time with the classes. The training from the school is in deed worth every penny, i highly recommend taking the classes.