Will retire as a CPA in 18 months - always interested in welding

[tcorrigan004]

What is the view, enroll in a VOTEC type program at a local community college type situation? I had the chance many moons ago as a teenager to try stick welding a few times and was terrible at it. I have always admired folks who can do this well. I will have plenty of time on my hands, and while I doubt I will have a commercial need for the skill, I always thought that it was a really interesting thing to be able to do. Thoughts?

 

[bigdan65x]

I am a CPA too. I always wanted to learn how to weld growing up. At 45 years old I bought a welder and watched lots of youtube videos. I am getting better after 4 years of projects and repairs. I saw this class advertised but did not have time.

https://www.arclabs.edu/specialty-seminars/

 

[lancem]

I think if you start off with a MIG and some scrap to practice on you could be doing really well in just a couple of hours. It would really help if you could find someone local that could look at your work and tip you on what you might be doing wrong and right. I can take a new, never welded guy on the crew and have him making good welds in no time. Once you know how to make a good weld it is just practice then. Start with flat horizontal welds, the vertical welds, then for the most fun overhead welds Each has a method, and some of the methods transfer between the different welds.

 

[CA_Bgrwldr]

If you have a local community college, taking a beginners class there would be your best bet, that way you get he basics and have someone to inspect your welds. Otherwise as lancem mentioned starting with a mig would likely be the easiest.

It is a skill set that has plenty of non-commercial uses, while I got started due to being in the off-road hobby and looking to save money on one off items, I found the welder paying for itself just making small repairs to items I would have had to replace without the welder.

 

[harleyron74]

I agree that a structured class is a capital idea for any new welder ( or any other discipline one takes up!). It will help prevent you from picking up bad habits that will be tough to break.
You will also have an instructor that will critique your work honestly and lead you down the proper path.
In addition you will meet people that are interested in the same subject as yourself and perhaps friendships will be forged.
I had my first welding lessons from my father and uncles. My father was a welder during WW2 in the old Kaiser Ship yard in Richmond California. My uncle Ernest was a welder in a landing craft plant also in California. My uncle Reino was an iron worker and I learned some from him.
I had shop classes in Jr. High and High school that included welding instruction. After high school I attended vocational college for steam engineering/building and equipment maintenance. We also had welding instruction in vo-tech. I spent over 30 year's in the building maintenance trade and have several welding machines in my shop as well as O/A equipment and plasma cutters. At one time I had an acetylene generator that my uncle rescued and rebuilt off an old farm he was renting. It was on the scrap pile when he found it. Unfortunately I had to scrap it as it was quite large and it just didn't fit in my shop at my first house and no one wanted it. No Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace back then.
I still have about 30# of carbide that was used in the generator. The only use for it is making lots of noise with my carbide cannon! The neighbors love me!!