I'm thinking of going to welding school

[toolaholic]

Nights, to learn tig. Was a union cert. welder for years. stick and wire feed.
Weld a little now and again. My question: Any Idea how long it might take an old fart [ 65 ] to do decent welds with Tig :D

[Sberry]

If you want to entertain yourself go for it, you have the knowledge to get started and the means to buy the tools, I wouldn't waste my time with school, take a couple spins with the torch and see where you are at. I rarely tig but it wouldn't take long to come to speed if it was something I needed. As for how long, could be a matter of minutes or years depending on how good you want to get, for home brew stuff turn it on, strike an arc. I am a total tig amateur but I can do what I gotta do.

[Craig in Denver]

Nights, to learn tig. Was a union cert. welder for years. stick and wire feed.
Weld a little now and again. My question: Any Idea how long it might take an old fart [ 65 ] to do decent welds with Tig :DI'm 60, and after 30 years, I took an O/A class. You already know about puddle control, DO IT!! Keep your tungsten outta the puddle and keep your filler outta the tungsten. :D :p

[Broccoli1]

Nights, to learn tig. Was a union cert. welder for years. stick and wire feed.
Weld a little now and again. My question: Any Idea how long it might take an old fart [ 65 ] to do decent welds with Tig :D

Tool,

Where ya Takin' the Class ? City or out in Marin?

[toolaholic]

Carey ,I have never had any exposure to Tig , so I feel I need help.
Craig,I also never did any gas welding,they may want Me to take a class in that first.
Broc. In the 80s,I went full time to Laney college in Oakland,
I'll probably go there nites. If You know about Oakland You'll understand why
I'll pack My 380 Sig . Should I go for the 250 syncrowave ? I have a MM 210
with spool gun. 1 tank C-25 1 tank Argon 1 tank try gas. Getting better on allum with Mig. But this will be fun . I expect Most of You to send at least $200
each for My miller fund. Oh and please no talk of this with My Bride :eek:

[moya034]

If you have the time, money, and inclination, it never hurts to learn under the supervision of an instructor. He can give you instant feedback and advice on an individual basis to what you are doing wrong.

Since I assume you're not looking to start a TIG welding career, tell the instructor the main things you want to accomplish with your machine and he'll probably be happy to do some individual course work with you.

Personally, I'm changing careers into welding at 26, and start school full time on Aug 25th.

[Broccoli1]

Carey ,I have never had any exposure to Tig , so I feel I need help.
Craig,I also never did any gas welding,they may want Me to take a class in that first.
Broc. In the 80s,I went full time to Laney college in Oakland,
I'll probably go there nites. If You know about Oakland You'll understand why
I'll pack My 380 Sig . Should I go for the 250 syncrowave ? I have a MM 210
with spool gun. 1 tank C-25 1 tank Argon 1 tank try gas. Getting better on allum with Mig. But this will be fun . I expect Most of You to send at least $200
each for My miller fund. Oh and please no talk of this with My Bride :eek:

Try here:

http://www.thecrucible.org/

bet they got better lookin' students:D

Looks like about the same commute for ya.

[Broccoli1]

Oh, and sorry bud- I already spent the $200.00 on MY Miller fund:D:D

[toolaholic]

Mucho Better:D Looks like a guy would need different protection there:D

Of course I mean the Young lads. thanks' soo much Broc.

[Craig in Denver]

Even though my instructor knew that I have a Syncro, he made me start with O/A. Since this is a hobby for me, I did. I had fun and learned a lot too, even though I've owned my O/A since 1975.

Since you already have a MM210, what do you want to do with TIG? I'm just a bracket, widget, gizmo guy so TIG works well for me. I've had an obsession with alum for almost 40 years and is why I own my TIG. My point is: the new inverters have many more arc control adjustments which give them more alum possibilities. The Sync will do much more than I can, but I'd like to have a Dynasty 200. You know how guys are with bells and whistles. That wasn't an option in '93. The Dynastys are about $900 more, ready to weld, than the Syncs. Then there is the TA185 inverter, $2400 (quessing), ready to weld. And the Syncro 250 needs a 50 amp breaker, which you may already have. I think the inverters are happy on 30 amps.

[6gwelder]

Nights, to learn tig. Was a union cert. welder for years. stick and wire feed.
Weld a little now and again. My question: Any Idea how long it might take an old fart [ 65 ] to do decent welds with Tig :D

Old farts usually do quite well!

[Sberry]

My next machine is going to be a 200 Dyn too.

[moya034]

My next machine is going to be a 200 Dyn too.

Thanks guys for making me want to buy a $3700 machine... it's on the list now :D
It looks like it can do ANYTHING, ANYWHERE.

And I'm most interested in stick/TIG. :D

[hankj]

Tool,

School's fun at our age! Even thogh it seems futile, I'd really like to go to Yuba College's welding class, too. Think I might try to get in for the winter semester, but it is usually well attended, and I get lazy. Last time I tried, the class was full.

Pretty nearly all of my skills came from excellent coaching from members of this and the Miller board early on. The fact that my first melt-it tool was an O/A rig was very helpfull down the road, too.

Actually, my first real melt-it tool was a screwdriver in a 480-volt motor controller, but I'd refer to forget that experience.

If you get the TIG rig first, hook 'er up 'n take 'er for a drive on some mild steel. You may surprise yourself. I found I could run decent beads on MS almost immediately. Didn't get discuoraged 'till I tried it on aluminum!

If it hadn't been for hours on the phone with George Bright (may he RIP) I still couldn't get a bead on Al.

Hank

[usmcpop]

Hey, Hank. My Dad once had a screwdriver slip and hit a bus bar in an equipment cabinet. It was some broadcasting type company. It ended up kicking a station off line for a minute or so until the backup generator could come on. Those watching the college football game on TV at the time weren't happy. Nor was the top network guy who had to personally come in and check on things like this. :D Dad must have been over 65 at the time, and was installing some equipment for the customer. I hope I still have the screwdriver with the chunk out of it around here somewhere.

I once had a classmate in a surveying class at the University of Virginia. This old gal decided to become an engineer. Dean hemmed and hawed about admitting her, since she hadn't been to school in years. She basically asked him who was in charge around there. That did the trick :) She always wore jeans and high-topped sneakers, as I recall. Had a slide rule in her back pocket.

Incidentally, my son's first class was O/A. I think that helped a lot with the TIG class. The TIG class was in the daytime, and he was one of only two students in the community college class! He was darned lucky it wasn't canceled.

[Grumpy]

Had a slide rule in her back pocket.

Nothin' wrong with a slide rule. This great country was built with slide rules. I still have mine do you?

[usmcpop]

I was right at that transitional period... I had a circular slide rule (pretty slick - pocket size - still have it around somewhere) but before I knew how to use it, along came calculators. I can recall a Professor standing in front of an engineering class punching in numbers on a 5-function HP calculator, then holding it up to show the class. Everyone OOHed and AAHed. I paid $60, for my first calculator that had a square-root function. Unfortunately, I didn't get the calculator until after the final surveying exam. Went from an "A" to a "D" because of number-crunching. :(

Some of the best students I've ever seen were the retired folks who went back to college. They were serious about learning.

[oldtimer]

Toolaholic, if at 65 your hands haven't developed a shake yet I'd go do it. Mine started shaking a few years ago so it has put a crimp in my skill set.

I'd like to help with the Miller fund but all my money goes to the Coors fund. It doesn't do anything for shaky hands but after a few you really don't care if they shake or not. LOL

[John Stuckey]

Go for it. I did TIG as a hobby welder for 15 years. Then as a reward for getting thru grad school I took a TIG class at the local JVS. I had a lot of fun and learned several things. Since I was past the point of sticking the electrode in the puddle I was able to do more welding than the folks that had to spend time cleaning their stingers.
Enjoy!
John

[toolaholic]

Hand's are steady,I work everyday as a carpenter,Plumber,Elec, Backhoe,dump truck. Whatever We have going ,in a remodel. I work with My Son Brian,that also has His Gen. Cont. Lic.I love that Ca. allows Us to perform all the trades legally ,under our licenses. I have all the tools, for all the trades ,plus a killer shop. I'm blessed to work with My Son,not a lot of that anymore in this country. Be Well Tool :)

[Geezer]

Just my .02$

I personally would go! I am still going. I to am in my golden years and started in my mid 50's after years of working with a AC buzz box.
I went to Lincoln a year ago for a lesson on inverters and the high dollar spool guns. Headed back there for more then up to ALCOTEC for more on aluminum. I enjoy it and age does not seem to be a problem. If anything, the instructors use us old guys as examples on work ethics and I found many of the young guys ask questions as they work out their future.

TIG was tough for me, but one day (for some reason) majority of the basics just plain fell into place. Practice, practice, and more practice helped allot. Am now doing small scale boat retrofits with aluminum.

Best wishes

[toolaholic]

Will move forward,tanks for the encouragement. Tool:)

[Craig in Denver]

Some of the best students I've ever seen were the retired folks who went back to college. They were serious about learning.Darn right, now I want to be there. Two years ago I took a basic mig sheet metal class, last year I took O/A (bent 12, no failures) and I just got home from signing up for TIG class. It starts Aug. 6. :D

[Geezer]

Good for your Craig!!!!! I always appreciated the appearance of a TIG weld, especially on aluminum. I had the available time so in between classes I would go to the school and practice, then more practice, and so on. Probably four days a week additional, several hours. Age is not the issue if one is not physically limited, determination and desire are the tie breakers. Most of all, You and Toolaholic have fun...

[storts]

Hand's are steady,I work everyday as a carpenter,Plumber,Elec, Backhoe,dump truck. Whatever We have going ,in a remodel. I work with My Son Brian,that also has His Gen. Cont. Lic.I love that Ca. allows Us to perform all the trades legally ,under our licenses. I have all the tools, for all the trades ,plus a killer shop. I'm blessed to work with My Son,not a lot of that anymore in this country. Be Well Tool :)

Tool,Theres nothing you dont know how to do!!!!!!!!! Id get the Machine,I think like Hanks said,and I give ya 2 weeks,and you willl be right there!!!!!!!
Sorry Pal,But my $$$$ is going for the new welding shop Fund!

Like building your own house,,never hit the budget!speciallly if your busy,and the Money is flowing!!!!!!!Good Luck,Jack:):):)

[toolaholic]

I might start looking for a used tig machine

[storts]

I might start looking for a used tig machine

Nope,Got my money back,as the guys were nothing but liars,I would of had to put up a full 8 ft wall!!to get my height,went with a Pole barn,and they start on fri,,and it non taxablr here!!!!Probably the only thing thats non taxable in this state!!!!!

Good luck with the tig,you will pick it up,any one atound you to give you a starter lesson? then its practice time!!!!!! Jack:D:D