Complete Welding Course

Lesson 1 • Shop Layout and Housekeeping

Covers workstation organization, material storage, and aisle clearance standards. A clean, organized shop reduces accidents and improves workflow efficiency.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment

Covers selection and proper use of helmets, gloves, jackets, and respirators. Correct PPE use is the foundation of every subsequent hands-on activity.

Lesson 3 • Fume and Ventilation Control

Explains toxic fume composition and ventilation strategies to keep exposure below safe limits. Proper ventilation is required before any arc is struck indoors.

Lesson 1 • Metal Identification Techniques

Teaches spark testing, magnetic testing, and chemical spot tests to identify unknown metals. Correct identification prevents mismatched filler selection and weld failures.

Lesson 2 • Stainless Steel and Aluminum

Addresses sensitization in stainless steel and hot-cracking tendencies in aluminum alloys. These materials require process adjustments beyond standard carbon steel practice.

Lesson 3 • Carbon and Alloy Steels

Covers carbon equivalent, weldability ratings, and preheat requirements for common steels. Steel is the most frequently welded material in industry.

Lesson 4 • Metal Structure and Properties

Introduces atomic bonding, grain structure, and mechanical properties relevant to welding. These concepts explain why metals behave differently under heat.

Lesson 1 • Standard Weld Symbol Anatomy

Decodes the reference line, arrow, tail, and supplementary symbols per industry standards. Each symbol element communicates a specific fabrication instruction.

Lesson 2 • Blueprint Reading Basics

Introduces orthographic projection, views, and drawing conventions used in fabrication. Blueprint literacy is required before any symbol or specification can be applied.

Lesson 3 • Joint Types and Groove Designs

Covers butt, T, lap, corner, and edge joints along with groove geometry variations. Joint selection affects accessibility, strength, and required filler volume.

Lesson 1 • Flat and Horizontal Position Welding

Applies SMAW technique to 1F, 2F, 1G, and 2G positions on plate and pipe coupons. Gravity-assisted positions build muscle memory before progressing to overhead.

Lesson 2 • Vertical and Overhead Welding

Addresses molten pool control in 3G, 4G, 3F, and 4F positions where gravity works against the welder. These positions are required for most structural certification tests.

Lesson 3 • Electrode Classification and Storage

Decodes AWS electrode numbering and explains moisture control for low-hydrogen rods. Proper storage prevents porosity and hydrogen-induced cracking.

Lesson 4 • Arc Striking and Bead Techniques

Teaches scratch and tap arc-starting methods, travel angle, work angle, and travel speed. Consistent technique produces uniform bead width, height, and penetration.

Lesson 1 • GMAW on Carbon Steel

Applies GMAW technique to fillet and groove welds in all positions on mild steel plate. Carbon steel is the primary application base for GMAW skill development.

Lesson 2 • Transfer Modes and Parameter Setting

Explains short-circuit, globular, spray, and pulse transfer and when each is appropriate. Selecting the correct mode for joint position and material thickness is essential.

Lesson 3 • GMAW Equipment and Wire Feed Systems

Covers wire feeders, drive rolls, liners, contact tips, and shielding gas delivery. Equipment condition directly controls arc stability and wire feed consistency.

Lesson 4 • Shielding Gas Selection

Compares CO2, argon-CO2 blends, and pure argon for different metals and transfer modes. Gas composition affects spatter, penetration profile, and mechanical properties.

Lesson 1 • Filler Metal Addition Technique

Teaches dip technique, filler rod angle, and puddle manipulation without touching the tungsten. Consistent filler addition is the most skill-intensive aspect of GTAW.

Lesson 2 • Tungsten Electrode Preparation

Explains electrode types, grinding geometry, and balling for AC aluminum welding. Electrode geometry directly controls arc shape, penetration, and contamination risk.

Lesson 3 • GTAW on Stainless Steel

Applies DCEN technique, argon shielding, and low heat input to austenitic stainless steel. Controlling heat prevents sensitization and maintains corrosion resistance.

Lesson 4 • GTAW Equipment and Torch Setup

Covers power sources, high-frequency start, torch bodies, collets, and back-purge systems. Proper torch assembly prevents tungsten contamination and arc instability.

Lesson 1 • SAW Joint Design and Quality

Covers joint preparation, backing bar use, and single-pass vs. multi-pass SAW procedures. Joint design must account for SAW's deep penetration and wide bead profile.

Lesson 2 • FCAW Parameter Optimization

Covers wire feed speed, voltage, and contact-tip-to-work distance for consistent deposition. Optimized parameters reduce spatter, porosity, and lack-of-fusion defects.

Lesson 3 • Submerged Arc Welding Fundamentals

Introduces SAW equipment, flux types, and wire-flux combinations for high-deposition flat welding. SAW produces the highest deposition rates of any arc process in flat position.

Lesson 4 • FCAW Process Principles

Explains self-shielded and gas-shielded flux-cored wire operation and their application differences. FCAW bridges SMAW versatility with GMAW speed for structural and field work.

Lesson 1 • Liquid Penetrant and Magnetic Particle Testing

Teaches PT and MT procedures for detecting surface and near-surface discontinuities. These methods reveal defects invisible to the naked eye on critical weld surfaces.

Lesson 2 • Visual Inspection Techniques

Covers pre-weld, in-process, and post-weld visual examination using gauges and lighting. Visual inspection is the first and most cost-effective quality control method.

Lesson 3 • Weld Discontinuities and Defects

Classifies porosity, cracks, undercut, overlap, and incomplete fusion by cause and appearance. Distinguishing discontinuities from rejectable defects is central to quality decisions.

Lesson 4 • Destructive Testing Methods

Covers bend, tensile, macro-etch, and hardness tests used to qualify welding procedures and welders. Destructive tests provide definitive data on weld mechanical properties.