Introduction
I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently as a result of trying to learn welding on my own.
This is an in progress post, but I have to start adding to it so that someday I can stop adding to it.
My learning style (finding resources that work for u)
I like to work back from high-level concepts to lower-level concepts. This is always challenging because usually the low-level concepts are necessary to understand the higher-level ones.
- Learning each of the basic principles of something hurts my head, because I don’t know what these basics are useful for.
- Learning the more detailed problems and concepts of something hurts the head of others, because they don’t what’s going on without learning the more basic principles.
The method I’ve found that works for me is to engage with more sophisticated topics related to the object of my interest, not understand them, and then know what I need to understand.
Things that have been useful to me
The first thing really useful to me was a video showing how to practice welding with no access to equipment.
From this, I got an idea of a basic idea in welding: you move your hands really steadily.
I found a lot of help watching 2 different Youtube channels. The first taught me a ton about all different types of welding processes and situations:
The second showed a lot of fieldwork and explained some real world constraints and practices that help you imagine why you are learning specific techniques:
I also read a bit of a few technical materials focusing on welding. From that I got a good idea of a whole lot of things I didn’t understand, mainly because I didn’t take any Materials Sciences courses. Mostly, I got a slightly clearer understanding of “what is going on” when you weld something.
I also read (skimmed) a few books
- A Quick Guide to welding and weld inspection by Steven Hughes
- This book has a lot of info about welding drawings, the symbols, etc. It gives good background terminology and concepts.
- Welding Metallurgy by Sindo Kou
- This book goes into the gruesome details of common welding processes, and some less common ones as well. If you want to know exactly what is happening when you join metal together, this is a great place to start that doesn’t start talking about crystal lattices until a bit later.
Welding Testing and Accreditation (what is it and do u need it?)
(This section will be much more developed)
The simplest answer is that welding testing is designed to get you a welding accreditation.
Standards organizations put out paperwork that defines the criteria for being an “accredited” welder, in the form of a test that you pass or fail.
Other firms develop teaching methods that will teach you general welding and also how to become an “accredited” welder by passing the test.
Often, welders are accredited through their employer.
If you are learning welding on your own, it will mostly be through practice. You still may want someone to teach you exactly how to pass the right type of welding test.
But, from my understanding of commercial welding, you are most likely qualified by an on-the-spot weld test administered by your employer to check your skills in their specific context. Focus on your skill level is probably more important than getting the accreditation card before you have a job.
If you’re intersted, take a look at this pirated copy of