MIG-MAG, TIG and Stick Welding Course

Lesson 1 • Regulatory Compliance and Documentation

Introduces safety data sheets, inspection logs, and industry safety standards. Students understand documentation obligations before operating any machine.

Lesson 2 • Fume and Ventilation Management

Explains fume composition by base metal and filler, and ventilation strategies to control exposure. Prepares students to assess air quality before welding.

Lesson 3 • Personal Protective Equipment Selection

Covers correct PPE for each welding process, including helmets, gloves, and respiratory protection. Grounds all subsequent hands-on work in injury prevention.

Lesson 4 • Electrical and Fire Hazard Awareness

Identifies shock, arc flash, and fire risks inherent to welding environments. Connects hazard recognition to safe equipment setup practices.

Lesson 1 • Common Base Metals in Welding

Surveys carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminium properties relevant to weldability. Establishes material literacy needed for process and filler selection.

Lesson 2 • Welding Positions and Symbols

Covers flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead positions plus standard weld symbols. Students can read a basic welding drawing before practical exercises begin.

Lesson 3 • Heat Effects on Metal Structure

Explains heat-affected zones, grain growth, and distortion caused by welding heat input. Connects thermal concepts to quality control decisions made later.

Lesson 1 • Voltage, Wire Feed Speed, and Polarity

Explains how voltage, wire feed speed, and polarity interact to control arc characteristics. Students set parameters for short-circuit, spray, and pulse transfer modes.

Lesson 2 • Equipment Components and Assembly

Identifies wire feeder, gun, power source, and gas delivery components and their interconnections. Students assemble and disassemble a complete GMAW station safely.

Lesson 3 • Travel Speed, Angle, and Stick-Out

Defines gun travel speed, work angle, travel angle, and contact-tip-to-work distance effects. Students adjust these variables to achieve consistent bead geometry.

Lesson 4 • Wire and Shielding Gas Selection

Matches wire alloy and diameter to base metal and application, and selects appropriate gas blends. Builds material selection skills applied in every MIG-MAG project.

Lesson 1 • Horizontal and Vertical Position Welding

Adapts MIG-MAG technique to horizontal fillet and vertical uphill and downhill welds. Students manage gravity effects on the weld pool through parameter and angle adjustments.

Lesson 2 • Butt Welds and Groove Preparation

Covers open-root and backed butt welds in flat position with proper fit-up and tacking. Connects joint preparation skills from metallurgy chapter to live welding.

Lesson 3 • Flat Position Bead and Fillet Welds

Introduces stringer and weave beads on flat plate, then progresses to T-joint fillet welds. Builds muscle memory for gun control before adding positional difficulty.

Lesson 4 • Overhead Position Welding

Addresses the unique challenges of overhead fillet and butt welds with reduced heat input. Students apply safety precautions specific to overhead work.

Lesson 1 • Amperage, Balance, and Frequency Controls

Explains amperage setting, AC balance for oxide cleaning vs. penetration, and AC frequency effects. Students configure AC settings for aluminium and DC settings for steel.

Lesson 2 • TIG Equipment Components and Assembly

Identifies power source, torch body, collet, gas lens, and foot pedal components. Students assemble a complete GTAW torch and verify gas flow before use.

Lesson 3 • GTAW Process Theory and Arc Physics

Explains non-consumable tungsten electrode function, shielding gas role, and arc column behaviour. Provides the theoretical foundation for TIG's precision and versatility.

Lesson 4 • Tungsten Electrode Selection and Preparation

Covers tungsten alloy types, diameter selection, and grinding or balling techniques by application. Correct electrode preparation directly determines arc stability and weld quality.

Lesson 1 • Two-Hand Coordination and Arc Starting

Develops simultaneous torch and filler rod manipulation with consistent arc length control. This foundational coordination skill underpins all subsequent TIG practice.

Lesson 2 • TIG Welding Stainless Steel

Addresses heat input control, back purging, and colour-based oxidation assessment for stainless. Students weld thin stainless without sugaring or distortion.

Lesson 3 • TIG Welding Aluminium with AC

Covers AC arc starting, oxide layer removal, and filler rod addition on aluminium plate and pipe. Students manage the wider arc cone and higher heat input of AC welding.

Lesson 4 • TIG Pipe and Tube Welding Basics

Introduces root pass technique on small-diameter pipe in fixed and rolled positions. Students apply fit-up, tacking, and multi-pass sequencing to pipe joints.

Lesson 1 • Vertical and Overhead Stick Welding

Applies uphill and downhill vertical technique and overhead fillet welding with appropriate electrodes. Students manage gravity-driven pool behaviour through angle and amperage control.

Lesson 2 • SMAW Process Theory

Explains consumable coated electrode function, flux shielding, and slag formation in SMAW. Establishes the process model students use to diagnose problems throughout the chapter.

Lesson 3 • Machine Setup and Arc Striking

Covers transformer and inverter power source setup, polarity selection, and arc striking methods. Students set amperage correctly and strike a stable arc without sticking.

Lesson 4 • Electrode Classification and Selection

Decodes electrode classification systems for low-hydrogen and cellulosic types by strength and position. Students select the correct electrode for a given base metal and joint.

Lesson 5 • Flat and Horizontal Stick Welding

Develops stringer and weave bead technique for flat fillet and butt welds, then horizontal fillet. Students control arc length, travel speed, and electrode angle consistently.

Lesson 1 • Quality Documentation and Traceability

Covers weld maps, traveller documents, and material traceability records used in fabrication. Students complete a mock quality package for a multi-joint assembly.

Lesson 2 • Non-Destructive Evaluation Overview

Surveys dye penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, and radiographic testing principles. Students identify which NDE method suits a given material and defect type.

Lesson 3 • Visual Inspection Methods and Tools

Covers systematic visual examination using gauges, magnifiers, and lighting to detect surface discontinuities. Establishes the primary quality gate applied after every weld in practice.

Lesson 4 • Welding Procedure Specifications

Explains the structure and purpose of welding procedure specifications and procedure qualification records. Students read and apply a WPS to a practice weld assignment.