First, a bit of background. I got caught up in one of the all-too-familiar panic button layoffs at the end of last April and have been casting resumes into the abyss since.
One of the local welding supply shops offers classes for a very reasonable $50 each. I'm thinking of signing-up for the basic and advanced MIG classes to get started. I was employed as a welder some 15 years ago, but have never been properly trained. It started as more or less a "Hey. Gusset these corners while I go run down some parts." kind of thing that worked out well. I'd eventually figured it out well enough to screw around doing useless crap like welding 1/4" round stock to the sides of Mountain Dew cans without turning the can into a series of loosely-connected holes.
In any case, I figure the benefits easily justify the expense: 1) Acquire documentation for one of many things I can just do; 2) Get me out of the house for a bit so I don't start throwing annoying neighbors into a wood chipper; 3) Possibly capitalize on gigs that someone there may know of. Beyond the MIG classes, I've always wanted to learn TIG.
Is anyone here engaging in similar low-cost, high-yield activities?
One of the local welding supply shops offers classes for a very reasonable $50 each. I'm thinking of signing-up for the basic and advanced MIG classes to get started. I was employed as a welder some 15 years ago, but have never been properly trained. It started as more or less a "Hey. Gusset these corners while I go run down some parts." kind of thing that worked out well. I'd eventually figured it out well enough to screw around doing useless crap like welding 1/4" round stock to the sides of Mountain Dew cans without turning the can into a series of loosely-connected holes.
In any case, I figure the benefits easily justify the expense: 1) Acquire documentation for one of many things I can just do; 2) Get me out of the house for a bit so I don't start throwing annoying neighbors into a wood chipper; 3) Possibly capitalize on gigs that someone there may know of. Beyond the MIG classes, I've always wanted to learn TIG.
Is anyone here engaging in similar low-cost, high-yield activities?
