1. Passive versus auto-darkening

Passive welding hoods have just one shade in them—often a #10 level shade. These are good for welders who weld on only one type of material with just one technique. They’re also best for those who don’t need to wear their hood all day (many welders lower the hood with a snap of their neck, which can lead to neck and back issues over time). Passive hoods are generally cheaper than auto-darkening hoods and provide ample face and eye protection. If you’re just starting out and aren’t sure what type of hood to purchase, keep in mind it’s much more difficult to move from an auto-darkening hood to a passive hood than to switch the other way.

Auto-darkening hoods offer many different shade options. The hood automatically adjusts the filter as needed through sensors mounted on the hood’s side ridges. The Construction Marketing Association recommends purchasing a hood with three to six sensors to provide enough coverage for out-of-position welding when a single sensor might be blocked. Welders who weld on different materials throughout the day – or who weld for long periods of time – benefit the most from an auto-darkening hood. Not having to raise and lower the hood saves stress on your neck and back, and the auto-darkening component can compensate for the difference in amperage when welding different types of metals.

2. Power source

If you decide an auto-darkening hood is best, consider the type of power source your hood will use. Some hoods use an all-battery power source that uses AAA batteries. While replacing the batteries is easy, these hoods also burn through batteries faster than a hood using lithium ion batteries—which last longer and are sometimes rechargeable (but cost more). A third option is a combination power source that uses both batteries and solar energy to power the hood. This allows for extended battery life as long as sunlight is available to power the hood.

3. Weight

For welders who spend all day in their hood, weight is an important consideration. The heavier the hood, the more strain on your back and neck. So, if you wear your hood for a considerable portion of the day, choose the lightest hood you can find with the features you want.

4. Safety

Not all welding hoods are created equal when it comes to safety. The latest standard from the American National Standards Institute is ANSI Z87.1-2020, so look on the packaging to make sure the hood meets the latest standard. A simple “ANSI approved” marking is not enough to prove it meets the safety standard.

5. Comfort

For full-time welders, the hood becomes just like an article of clothing. Just as you don’t want your clothing to be ill-fitting or scratchy, you don’t want your hood to cause you discomfort or irritation. Try several hoods, and choose the one that best fits your head and face. After all, comfort can be as important as safety when you wear your hood all day.

Taking the time to consider your options when it comes to welding hoods is a smart move. Purchase a hood with the best protection and the most comfort you can afford to keep your eyes smiling through every job.

Brian Hollands is the owner of Missouri Welding Institute, which trains the nation’s finest welding craftsmen using a hands-on approach, one-on-one attention and a family-style environment to prepare students for a successful career. Share your thoughts on Facebook or on Tik Tok.

Becoming a welder is a relatively quick process when compared with earning a four-year degree. In as little as three months, you can build the skills you need to embark on a successful welding career.

Qualifications

The qualifications to begin a welding education program are simple. Students must be at least 17 years old; no higher education, high school diploma or its equivalent is required.

However, before choosing welding as a career, it’s important to understand the requirements of the job. Welders spend a lot of time on their feet, often in tight and awkward spaces, and a welder’s work environment is often filled with sparks and molten metal. In many cases, the integrity of the welds you are making is crucial to the support of the structure or functioning of the machinery on which you are working.

The best welders are those who thrive in a busy, high-stress atmosphere and who won’t be bothered by the physical discomfort of the job.

Education

There are a variety of ways to become proficient at welding. Some colleges offer four-year degrees in welding engineering technology, which includes studying the process of designing structures and machinery that use welding. This option is the most expensive and time-consuming.

Junior colleges often offer a two-year associate’s degree in welding. While this option is less expensive and focuses more on welding skills, it can still be pricey and take up to two years to complete.

The quickest and least expensive option to set yourself on the pathway to a career in welding is to complete a course through a welding-specific school like Missouri Welding Institute. Most programs can be completed in two to four-and-a-half months, providing you with the skills you need to build a successful welding career.

Skills for success

At a welding institute, you’ll learn everything you need to build the skills you’ll need to be a successful welder. Different programs will focus on different specialties, but the basics you’ll learn in any program include:

• The four major welding processes – gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), and flux cored arc welding (FCAW). A formal welding education should provide a good grasp of each welding process, which will allow you to work in a variety of industries.

• Welding in different positions and working conditions. Welding on the job often means fitting into tight spaces to complete a weld. A good welding education will teach you how to best approach a weld in difficult conditions or tight configurations.

• Safety. Welding can be dangerous if not done correctly. Safety should be at the top of the list of any welding education.

• Trade math. Welders need to have a good understanding of fractions, decimals, geometry and trigonometry to be successful at their jobs. A good welding school will include math education in its curriculum.

• Blueprint reading. Before welders can perform their jobs, they must be able to follow the plans for the job. Blueprints are a basic tool of a welder’s job, so it’s important to know how to read and interpret them correctly.

• Soft skills. A good welding education won’t just teach you how to weld, it will also help you perfect soft skills like managing a project, searching for a job and interviewing.

Industries

Once you have a welding education under your belt, the possibilities for work are nearly endless. A wide variety of industries have a high demand for welders. Some of the industries that rely on welders the most include:

• Aerospace. Designing planes and rockets requires the joining together of sturdy but lightweight metals, which means this industry has a continual need for welders.

• Automotive. The average car contains more than 4,000 welds, driving demand for qualified welders in the car-building industry.

• Manufacturing. The majority of manufactured products require some type of welding, creating plenty of jobs within the manufacturing industry for trained welders.

• Construction and infrastructure. Tall buildings and bridges require metal frameworks to support them, which means welders are needed to meld those frameworks together. With the renewed interest in updating America’s infrastructure, the need for welders will increase.

Certifications and job tests

In many industries, you need a license to perform your job. To be a doctor, you need a medical license. To be a truck driver, you need a special driver’s license. To be a welder, though, doesn’t require a specific license or certification.

However, becoming a certified welder can be beneficial when looking for a job. Certification through the American Welding Society (AWS) or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provides proof that you have the skills an employer may need for an upcoming project. The performance-based certification test relies solely on how well you perform welding skills and is viewed by many employers as a reliable indicator of your skills.

Many employers, however, rely on their own job tests to determine who to hire for a welding position. These tests are also generally performance-based and require the applicant to perform certain tasks important to the job they are interested in. These tests may focus on just one type of welding or a specific task or they can be broader and include multiple welding processes and tasks.

Often an interview for a welding job will include a bench test, so dress appropriately and bring your tools to the interview.

Key to success

No matter the industry, all employers are looking for talented welders who can perform at a high level. The right welding education that includes hands-on learning of welding skills, math skills and soft skills is your main key to success.

Brian Hollands is the owner of Missouri Welding Institute, which trains the nation’s finest welding craftsmen using a hands-on approach, one-on-one attention and a family-style environment to prepare students for a successful career. Share your thoughts on Facebook or on TikTok.

We’ve been honing and expanding those techniques ever since, transforming the art into one of the most valuable and versatile skills in modern history. In fact, a majority of products manufactured in the United States today require welding to produce. And even beyond manufacturing, nearly every industry across the globe uses welders in some way, relying on these skilled craftsmen to keep our infrastructure and systems operating properly.

The truth is nearly every industry – from metal fabrication and automobiles to construction and transportation – relies on metal (and laborers who can fuse that metal effectively). It’s no wonder welding is in such a high demand: The American Welding Society estimates 375,000 welders will be needed to fill open positions by 2026 in this country.

If you’re considering a career in welding, this transferable skill set can be applied in a number of industries, locations and job types—giving you the freedom to find a career that’s the perfect fit for you.

Aerospace and automotive

Staples of the American economy, these industries continue to need skilled welders. The history of welding in aerospace dates back to the first commercial aircraft, which only was possible because of welding’s contributions. Aerospace welders often have the opportunity to use many of the available automated systems, like laser welding, friction stir welding and electron beam welding. And the welding materials can also be diverse, including aluminum, titanium (found in airframes and engine parts), nickel alloys, and chrome molybdenum steel, a low allow steel often found throughout the industry.

Our automotive industry is also evolving, but welding still plays an integral part in the manufacturing process. Laser welding is huge here as well, especially in the processing of sheet metal, with the technique now common in the production of body and door frames, trunks, electronic housings, and more. Yet, even with welding robots so prevalent, skilled welders are still needed to oversee this automation, and the industry continues to rely on welders with MIG and arc welding experience.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing welding jobs are available across the country and in a variety of roles. Production of everything from computer components to mining equipment requires skilled welders. The speed of MIG welding makes it a valuable skill to have, especially because the manufacturing industry uses so many different types of metals. The speed of this type also makes it perfect for many manufacturing facilities that deal in high output. In fact, more than 60% of welding jobs fall into the manufacturing sector.

Green energy

Welders were not only instrumental in creating the coal plants and oil pipelines that have supplied so much of our energy over the last century, they’re also responsible for creating the infrastructure necessary for the next evolution of energy generation. Green energy industries not only include wind and solar but also ethanol, nuclear and natural gas.

Consider that $14 billion was invested in new wind energy projects in 2019 alone, and the United States now has turbines located in 41 states (with more on the way). In fact, all these sectors present a valuable opportunity for the next generation of professional welders, as an article from GoWelding.org explains:

“Looking at all of these industries, they have one thing in common! Metal and lots of it! Ethanol production, natural gas pipelines, wind and water turbines, solar panels and nuclear power plants all require massive structures, piping systems and large holding tanks. The one skill that is needed for all of these green energy solutions is welding!”

Space

While it may not seem like a reality now, welding in space is certainly a possible career path and also an interesting part of welding’s history. In fact, two Russian cosmonauts were the first to try it out back in 1969, using a welding tool known as the Vulkan. Their experiments tried various welding types – including electron beam, low-pressure compressed arc welding, and arc welding with a consumable electrode – to see how they would behave in a depressurized area.

Today, NASA relies on laser beam welding for emergency repairs on spacecraft or the space station. But as the prevalence of space travel – even for civilians – increases, skilled welders will no doubt have a key role in the launch preparation.

Welding is the way in

The versatility and usefulness of welding makes it one of the most valuable skills in nearly every industry around the globe. Whether you want to work in a particular field or enjoy a certain welding type, taking the next step toward a high-paying career starts with a solid foundation of welding knowledge. Your future is truly in your hands!

Brian Hollands is the owner of Missouri Welding Institute, which trains the nation’s finest welding craftsmen using a hands-on approach, one-on-one attention and a family-style environment to prepare students for a successful career. Share your thoughts on Facebook or Tik Tok.

But women are finding plenty of opportunity to have a fulfilling, lucrative career in welding—and the welding community is embracing them. In fact, the American Welding Society is planning its first conference for women welders this year, and initiatives like Women Who Weld and Weld Like a Girl seek to encourage more women to consider a career in welding.

Whether you’re straight out of high school or looking for a mid-life career change, a career in welding has plenty to offer women. The median hourly pay for a welder is $20 an hour, with the potential for more depending on the type of welding and the welder’s experience. With no shortage of jobs available, welding can provide a steady career for women who enjoy working with their hands and don’t want to spend all day in an office.

An opportunity for a career change

Lanae Shockley, a graduate of our program here at Missouri Welding Institute, is excited about the possibilities welding has opened for her. After earning a four-year degree in recreation, sport and park administration, she spent several years as a personal trainer—yet, still wanted a change. When COVID shut things down, she moved back to her hometown in Missouri and applied to our program.

Shockley had learned some welding techniques in a high school class and enjoyed it. “It had always been kind of in the back of my mind, but I never really thought I was capable of doing it or that I kind of fit the standard,” she said. “So, that’s why I never pursued it I think until now.”

Welding offers rewards and challenges

Entering a traditionally male profession can be intimidating, but Shockley says the welding community has been welcoming:

“I’m a female walking into a male-dominant world. So, I was kind of intimidated at the beginning … but within two weeks, it was pretty clear that everybody’s very welcoming, everybody’s willing to help you. I really liked that. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”

Despite being a physically demanding job – welders can spend eight to 10 hours a day on their feet in all types of weather – it offers plenty of opportunity for women. Shockley views it as a low-risk proposition:

“I just can’t think of any trade where you’re going to make this much money straight out of school, and you’ve invested only 18 weeks and $15,000. It kind of blows my mind. I feel so lucky to have found this school and this trade.”

For those women who have entered this booming field, many feel a sense of exhilaration for just being a part of it. Bailey, a Women Who Weld graduate, is in the Ironworkers Apprenticeship Program and explains how she wants to spread the word:

“I see women from the other trades on the job site, and I get super excited! I know I want to be somewhere important, making changes, and have a voice for everyone around me. So yeah, it’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about.”

New incentives for women

Aside from the growing interest in welding from women, the welding community as a whole is also pushing to make it easier for women to choose welding as a career. For example, the Ironworkers instituted a paid maternity leave policy in 2017, becoming the first building trades union to do so. The Ironworkers also host a semi-annual three-week pre-apprenticeship class for women interested in becoming an Ironworker. But the industry as a whole is also looking to encourage women to join the profession. The American Welding Society is hosting the inaugural Women in Welding conference this March, and also offers women-specific scholarships to help defray the financial cost of welding training.

Welding schools are working to attract more women as well. Shorter programs, like MWI’s 11-18 week program, appeal to women looking to make a career change or who want to get started in their profession quickly. The ability to move on to jobs that pay in the six-figure range appeals to all our graduates who want to start earning good money quickly, and school-provided housing creates residential options for those attending school away from home.

Shockley hopes other women take advantage of the opportunities welding can provide. She says learning to weld at MWI is “the best decision I’ve ever made. I wish I would’ve gone into it specifically, a trade like this, straight out of high school.”

Brian Hollands is the owner of Missouri Welding Institute, which trains the nation’s finest welding craftsmen using a hands-on approach, one-on-one attention and a family-style environment to prepare students for a successful career. Share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter

For far too long, the traditional college or university path seemed like one of the only viable options to a good-paying career. And while that path can indeed be a valuable experience, it can also be an expensive one, leaving many students with years (or decades) of debt to repay. Students must pay for each class taken in order to earn their degree, and costs vary depending on major and if a student lives in or out-of-state. On average, students of four-year universities graduate with $33,030 of student debt and pay an average of $448 a month in loans. Graduates of two-year colleges don’t fare much better, owing an average of $10,281 and paying around $333 a month.

Thankfully, today’s graduating high school seniors have more options available to them, and the good news is that a few of these options are not only much more affordable but also lead to those high-paying careers we’re all looking for. Trade schools provide an undeniable opportunity for you to earn an above-average paycheck and without losing a large portion of it to student loan payments.

Here are just a few cost factors to consider when choosing the path that’s best for you.

1. Focus on what matters

Unlike traditional colleges, trade schools do not require students to complete general education classes on unrelated subjects. Instead, they’re taught the essential skills needed to become a top applicant for high-paying jobs. While students learn many skills at MWI, their welding classes focus specifically on the knowledge needed to become a top welder. MWI students also receive one-on-one training with experienced instructors and can take classes during the shift that best suits their schedule.

2. Earn a living faster

Trade schools put students on the fast track to valuable careers. Because students focus directly on their trade and only pay for classes relevant to their career, they graduate sooner and with less debt.

At Missouri Welding Institute, for example, students can complete their training in 11 to 18 weeks instead of two or four years. Once they graduate, new welders can begin a career, earn a substantial paycheck and pay off student loans, all before a traditional college student even earns a degree. Plus, new classes begin every two weeks at MWI, so students don’t need to wait an entire semester before beginning their education…or career.

Interested in becoming a welder? READ “5 Reasons to Consider Welding as a Career”

3. No hidden costs

The expenses of a traditional college don’t end at classes. Many students pay additional fees for housing, cafeteria meals and parking passes, as well as the extra cost of textbooks, laptops, notebooks, and more. MWI’s welding program costs include all the gear, metal and supplies you need, so you won’t be hit with any surprise payments or fees—and students keep their tools after graduation.

4. Accessible financial aid

Financial aid is important to incoming students of any background. While mainstream colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants, not all applicants receive financial aid. Some scholarships and grants have specific requirements and leave many students unqualified to apply. Most students instead rely on loans to cover expenses, which results in a massive accumulation of student debt and years of monthly payments.

Grants and scholarships are just a few of the financial aid resources available for incoming MWI students. Our staff members personally assist students to help them find the best options for their future. Plus, we offer $1,000 scholarships to every participant of our annual welding competition.

Your future’s in your hands

From the automotive sector to agriculture, welding is a high-demand trade in multiple industries. The extreme need for skilled tradesmen can almost guarantee hardworking graduates a steady income and the potential to work anywhere in the world.

At MWI, you’ll learn more than how to weld. Our job placement team prepares students for life after welding school, and our classes include instruction on how to conduct a successful job search, prepare for interviews, and create and update a resumé. Our well-connected instructors work hard to help students succeed by connecting them with job recruiters and job-site managers.

The welding industry offers many benefits and opportunities, and welding school is just the beginning. Learn from accomplished, professional instructors, and put your future in your hands.

• Low Carbon/Mild Steel

• Stainless Steel

• Aluminum

We’ll be looking at these metals and a few more with less across-the-board utility in today’s blog. If you’d like to learn more about welding, or would like to start a career as a welder, contact Missouri Welding Institute (located in Nevada, Missouri) to learn how joining our program can set you up for success.

1-800-667-5885

What Type of Metal Should You Use for Welding?

The type of metal you should use for your welding project depends on your budget, design, skill, and the process you intend to use. Practically any metal can be welded — it’s just that some are far easier to use. Metals such as steel and aluminum, for example, are easier than others to use for creating high-quality, defect-free welds.

Be aware that some types of metal require special equipment to weld properly, equipment such as gas chambers or vacuums. They may also require specific levels of heat exposure, as well as pre- and post-welding heat treatment. Choosing the right filler material for the type of metal being used is very important, as your welding situation is going to ultimately depend on the chemical makeup of whatever metal you’re using.

Low Carbon/Mild Steel

Low carbon steel, also known as mild steel, is exactly what it sounds like it is: steel with only a small amount of carbon in it (less than 0.3%). It also has about 0.4% of manganese in it. Due to the low carbon content in this steel, it has high ductility, which means it’s highly weldable and less likely to break when subjected to heat. Due to the fact that it can be welded with almost all types of welding equipment, this is one of the most effective metals to use for welding. Low carbon/mild steel is historically both abundant and in high demand, which has led scientists and engineers to develop a wide variety of ways to weld it.

Stainless Steel

Depending on the grade of stainless steel being used, it can be quite weldable as well. Both ferritic and austenitic stainless steels weld well, while martensitic types of stainless steel are likely to crack when used. Be aware that stainless steel can warp when subjected to high heats, which can impact the strength and shape of the final workpiece. Welding with stainless steel can also cause the chromium in the metal to combine with the carbon, leading to the piece being more likely to rust. This can be avoided by following the temperature guidelines for that workpiece, or by using a low-carbon stainless steel. Another way to prevent corrosion when welding with stainless steel is to use a grade of steel that has been stabilized with titanium or niobium.

Aluminum

Though it is more challenging to work with than low carbon steel, aluminum can be welded relatively easily, as long as you know the correct methods for doing so. For starters, it’s important to select a grade of aluminum that is suitable for welding. Some grades require extra operations to prevent cracks, while others are not weldable at all.

With aluminum, you should also be aware of the material strength. Certainty aluminum alloys can suffer from reduced strength when welded and require artificial aging to be suitable for a heat treatment process. Equipment with a higher welding current may be necessary for working with aluminum. Be aware that, as it cools, aluminum shrinks more than steel does, so special care is needed to prevent cracking. Lastly, you should be aware that the aluminum oxide coating of the metal can add contaminants when welding, so removing it before the process begins is necessary.

Other Types of Metals Suitable For Welding

Other common, though more difficult, types of metals to use for welding include:

• Cast iron

• Copper/brass

• Titanium

• Magnesium alloys

With all of these, the welding process becomes more complicated than with the aluminum, stainless steel, and low carbon steel. Welding with titanium, for example, requires extra shielding to prevent oxidation. Some alloys can only be welded in a vacuum. Whatever metal you use, you should research it on an individual basis to ensure that the best welding practices are followed to achieve the desired results.

Learn More

To learn how to weld with all different types of metal and make welding your profession, training is necessary. Get the help you need by joining the Missouri Welding Institute. We are based in Nevada, Missouri, and offer programs in areas such as pipe welding and fitting, structural welding and fitting, and more.

Course Description

This course is designed to train individual students to become more proficient in the field of pipe and structural steel welding. The course prepares a graduate for journeyman level positions as a fitter and/or pipe welder in manufacturing or job shop areas. Graduating from this course is based on competency. Students go at their own pace, but must have a minimum of 720 hours and passing grades to receive a diploma and Welder Performance Certification papers.

Subjects in this course include:

• Welding Theory

• Pipe Welding and Fitting

• Basic Trade Math

• Reading Blueprints

• Welding Safety

• Employment Training

• And More

Each day of training involves one hour of classroom lecture along with seven hours of hands-on, in-the-shop training. It is designed to prepare you for a career as a welder or pipefitter by having you start doing the work you will be doing on the job in the future.

This course is 18 weeks long, 40 hours per week. As a student, you may emphasize one area or another, depending on your career objectives and overall capabilities.

Learn More About the MPW Course

Start Your Career as a Professional Welder or Pipefitter

Our staff are some of the most experienced welders and pipefitters around, and they take your career in the field as their own personal concern when you become enrolled as a student at Missouri Welding Institute. There are many benefits, challenges, and opportunities in this line of work — most prominent among them being stable, quality employment that pays a liveable wage. Some people dream of starting their own business, others dream of traveling the world. Both of these options are possible with a career as a welder or pipefitter. The opportunities are rich and you are only just beginning down your journey. If you want to succeed, however, you need commitment, a positive attitude, perseverance, and training. We can’t necessarily help you with all of those, but we can help at the very least with getting you trained so you are prepared and qualified for journeyman level welding and pipefitting jobs.

If you intend to choose this career path, going through our Master Pipe Welding & Fitting Program is an excellent place to start. Contact us online or by phone at (800) 667-5885 to learn more or apply

As you’re reading this blog post, if you have further questions and would like to speak with a professional welder, contact Missouri Welding Institute at (800) 667-5885. Our Nevada, MO welding school is here to help you every step of the way in your career — from just getting started to job placement and beyond.

5 Reasons You Should Become a Welder

For those of us who are good with our hands, particularly when it comes to designing, creating, and repairing things, welding is a well-suited career choice. Here are 5 reasons we think it’s an excellent career choice:

#1: Welding Is In Demand

Anywhere there is construction of maintenance taking place, there is likely a demand for welders. The projected future outlook in terms of career growth in the US is 3% to 4% — a healthy growth rate. Now is the perfect time to receive professional training in welding and enter this growing career field.

#2: No University Degree Required

Unlike many other similarly paying jobs, welding does not require you to have a university education. While many if not most jobs that don’t require a university degree pay poorly, welding is an exception. You’re not going to be a millionaire anytime soon through welding, but it’s far superior to many other options. Becoming a welder is a reliable way for people with university degrees to make a reliable income in a career that is in demand.

#3: It Pays Well

The average salary for a welder is between $33,000 and $52,000 a year. The longer you stay in the field, the more that raises, as well. An experienced welder can expect to make between $50,000 all the way up to $500,000 a year, if they get into a good sub-field (e.g. at the extreme end, underwater welding). The average rig-welder earns approximately $90,000 a year, while welders working power stations can expect a starting salary of about $75,000 a year. While you won’t get rich as an entry-level welder, a wealth of opportunities await.

#4: Industry Variety

A skilled welder is a valuable, sought-after asset in a wide variety of different industries and economic sectors, including:

• Energy

• Manufacturing

• Construction

• And More

This gives professional welders a lot of opportunities to move around and find a niche that best suits their needs and preferences. However, that being said, it all comes down to experience. That’s why, even though you may be able to begin as an entry-level welder without going to welding school, choosing to take courses at a school such as Missouri Welding Institute gives you the training you need to become proficient and truly employable. We offer three primary courses:

1. Master Pipe Welding and Fitting

2. Master Structural Welding and Fitting

3. Custom Welding

You can learn more about those here.

#5: Learn a Useful, Enjoyable Skill

If you want to know the biggest reason while some succeed and others fail at becoming professional welders, it comes down to valuing the craft. Most welders who succeed love what they do, appreciate the challenges, and feel satisfied with well-done work. What is more, the skills you learn by being a welder translates into things such as working on cars, upgrading your property, and even can be beneficial for hunting and fishing. The experience you gain as a welder translate well into the rest of your life.

Invest in Your Future

There are so many jobs out there that lack in variety of work and really are just total dead-ends. Once you have reached a certain point in life — whether that’s as a young man or an old one — the desire to work with your hands, make a steady paycheck, and do something interesting and engaging may lead you to the choice of becoming a welder. If that’s where you are, our team here at Missouri Welding Institute would be happy to help. We aim to provide students with the best welding education in the nation. Contact us today to get started!

While it can be disheartening to know that you can’t keep up on your skill development in the environment you were used to, there are some projects that can be taken on from home that can help develop your skills and keep you on top of things for when the world starts turning again. Read on to learn about various welding projects that you can do from home, whether you have your own personal welding equipment or not.

Projects for Those Who Own Welding Equipment

If you own your own welding equipment, keeping up to date on your skill development can come at a much quicker and more linear rate. This makes sense, because you will ideally have similar (if not the same) tools that are present within your educational learning facility. These projects range in difficulty, and you can either push yourself to the next level through personal trials or take on projects that align with your current knowledge base. Here are a few to help you get started:

Custom Built Table

One way to practice your clean welding procedures is to create your own table out of metal parts. By utilizing a handful of straight metal pieces, you can essentially weld each of them at the corners to create the basic outline shape of the table. This will help you with developing clean and precise welding points, and urge you to replicate the same results on multiple pieces. After the basic shape is acquired, layout more straight metal pieces onto the top of the frame. These will each need simple welding to “glue” the top onto the frame. If done correctly, the table will look uniform and aesthetically pleasing, while adding impressive durability to the structure. If all of your welding points are not perfect, but still put together, your table should have the same durability with less aesthetic qualities. It is a simple project to train your precision while also making something that can be useful in everyday life!

Homemade Fire Pit

While stuck at home, you may be finding the desire to snag some extra warmth somewhere on your property. This could be applicable to the living room, a bedroom, or even in your outdoor living space. One welding project you can take on is to create your own fire pit! To make your own fire pit, you will need an empty propane tank and welded framing to create the end result. Before you even begin this project, please ensure that your propane tank is empty. If it is not, then there is a possibility that it could explode when cutting into and molding its shape.

From there, you will cut into the front of the propane tank, creating an opening with a mouth type shape. This is where the wood will be put into, and where the flames will be visible from. You need to also cut another smaller round hole near the bottom of the tank for an ash depositor, and one at the top to let smoke escape the device. After the propane tank has been gutted and properly cut, welding the framing together to make a base and a chimney on top should start to help provide a clearer image of what the finished product will look like. After all of the individual pieces are laid out, it is time to weld them together.

Welding the base to the bottom of the tank will require you to weld in a circle to match the path and shape of the tank. This can be difficult for those just starting as it takes patience and consistent contact with both pieces at once. This will be the same for the chimney and ash depositor. If you can manage to pull this off, you will have an exceptional custom work of art, and if not, you should hopefully still have a functional device.

The final step is to spray paint or paint the fully finished fireplace to your desired color (we recommend matte black). You now have a moveable and functioning fireplace to set up in whatever location you see fit!

Lamp Shade

This can be one of the most simplistic and beneficial welding projects to take on. Traditional lampshades are generally made from fabric, and can only last a few years in typical scenarios. In addition, fabric lampshades can really impact the colors emitted from the lamp based on the fabric color and material.

In order to weld a lampshade together out of metal, you simply need access to scrap steel. Essentially, all you need to do is mold the sheet metal into a cylindrical shape and weld the ends together to maintain that shape. By using additional metal or the framework from an old lampshade, you can create the support system in which the shade will rest on.

Once created and applied to the lamp in question, you will notice that the room illuminates in the color of the bulb itself. The sheet metal can also produce cool patterns onto the wall if porous. This method is unique, cost-effective, and provides a creative look to any room.

Projects For Those Who Do NOT Own Welding Equipment

While it may seem that you are at a loss for how to maintain your skill development while stuck at home without proper welding equipment, there are still ways to polish these skills and develop the steady hand needed to properly execute welding techniques when back on a machine. These techniques might not necessarily transition perfectly to the job or classroom, but they can still provide you with skills to practice so that you don’t feel completely out of the loop.

Notepad Practice

By utilizing a notepad with horizontal lines and a few other common objects such as a pen and penny, you can practice certain skills that transition into the welding practice.

First Exercise

The first exercise is to maintain a constant speed of travel with the pen or marker while following one of the lines on the notebook. Creating a consistent line that follows the same speed throughout will replicate the type of motion and consistency needed to be a successful welder. One way to analyze the effectiveness of this practice is to finish a line and then view it. If there are spots where the line is thinner than other spots, that means you sped up your motion at that moment. This would relate to not properly heating up the surface to the right temperature in the welding world. It would indicate weaker welding points and a flimsier end product. On the contrary, if there are spots where there is a pool of ink or a thicker line, that indicates that you had slowed down during the process of line creation. Translating that into the welding industry, slowing down will overheat the area in question and create a drippy and chunky area. The area will probably be reinforced and durable, but the aesthetic appeal will go out the window.

In addition to constant speed, this practice can help you maintain a consistent angle of attack. Most welding is done at 90-degree or 45-degree angles with the tool. Keeping that in mind should help you practice both angles while creating consistent lines across the page.

Second Exercise

Another exercise to practice skill development with these same tools is to add in the penny. To start, place the penny flat onto the page. Place the tip of your pen or marker onto the penny, and notice how far away the tip of the pen is from the notepad. While it does not seem like a huge distance, most welding is performed with the welding machine barely hovering over the surface that it is working on, as opposed to directly touching it.

Final Exercise

The last exercise related to these skill development pieces of training involves practicing feeding wire into your welds. Feeding wire (also known as filler material) is an important skill to develop because in many welding uses, you need that material to bring two components together that are not already flush with each other. The filler material helps mold the two components together while maintaining a smooth shape free from rigidity and potential hazards.

To practice this exercise, you will need the same resources from the first two exercises, with an added filler material wire. These wires are thin and flimsy metal wires that typically come in lengths of two to three feet.

To begin this exercise, hold the filler wire from the end, leaving two feet from your hand to the notepad. As you can see, the wire is very flimsy and does not follow the same straight line that is achieved from your pen. Now, move your hand up the wire so there is about 6 inches from hand to notepad. You will notice that the wire closest to the notepad is more stabilized and responds better to maintain a straight line.

Make a small circle on one end of the page. This is known as the “puddle,” where metal has been heated enough to start melting and pooling up on one specific spot. From there, begin dragging that line with the pen across the paper. Every inch or so, you’ll want to poke or dab the paper with the filler wire. While it won’t actually leave any residue from being hot enough, the idea of working with the consistency of both hands at once is sure to translate over into the real field of work.

With this same metal wiring, you will need to learn a skill called “ratchet,” in which you move your hands to lower the wire down into the welding area and lower more filler material to continuously add material into the weld. This skill involves positioning your hands in a chopstick position and successfully pushing the wire down towards the notepad. By getting comfortable with this motion under no pressure or heat, you will more easily transition into moving filler wire into the weld without dropping it or putting it into the weld at inconsistent rates.

For an added challenge and reward, practice putting your filler wire into each hand to harness your ambidextrous abilities. While you may never go into a real welding project with the idea of using your non-dominant hand, there may be some scenarios where that is the only choice. If those situations do pop up, you are hopefully more equipped and ready to tackle the challenge as if you were only using your dominant hand.

Proper Welding Training With Missouri Welding Inc.

In the midst of COVID-19 and the global pandemic, we, unfortunately, had to have our doors closed to do our part in maintaining healthy and safe practices. Our current students have had to leave campus and not participate in continued hands-on learning at our facility. We anticipate opening up for students sometime in May, where we can get classes rolling back to normal as much as possible. To learn more about our company and the classes we offer, be sure to contact us. We hope that you consider the Missouri Welding Institute for proper welding education, and be sure to apply/enroll in our upcoming semesters!

Brief History of Welding

Welding by definition is the process of putting together pieces of metal in order to create objects. While modern welding began in 1881 when Auguste de Meritens first performed fusion welding, welding itself has been around for millenia. In fact, the first evidence of what we would consider welding dates back 2,000 years ago to the ancient Egyptians who would weld small gold boxes together using joints.

However, rudimentary forms of welding existed well before then, back to the Iron Age and the Bronze Age to 3,000 BC. Tin was discovered in 3500 BC, followed closely by iron. Soon, swords began to be made from these metals, and when combined, alloys were created and were even stronger than pure metals.

The Middle Ages came and, as we all know, no progress was made there. The majority of welding took place over a forge with an anvil and a hammer. Acetylene was discovered in 1836, which is used as a fuel in welding. When you combine oxygen with acetylene, it burns exceedingly hot, which is then used to melt and join metal together. After this, welding continued to be improved upon with more efficient technologies, more accurate and fast welding techniques that quickly became more effective. Now, we have welding as we do today, with the future bright in terms of robotic welding, metal fabrication, and the like.

History of metal art

Metal art has been around almost since the discovery of metal. Metal art is any artwork that is made from the ores of the earth, including iron, bronze, lead, silver, and gold. Metal art also included any alloys that are used as well. In the Bronze Age, what we would consider art today is functional for the people back then. They crafted cups and bowls out of metal for use in their daily lives. Yet even these pieces were made with beautiful designs. Humans love to look at beautiful items, so purely decorative items began to be created in all cultures, including bracelets, necklaces, and more.

Metal wall art has been found as far back as 7,000 BC. Funeral masks, necklaces, jewelry, and gold coins have been found in ancient Troy. Most of the most valuable objects found in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians are metal art, including their statues, coffins, and funeral objects. Ancient Rome and Greece had their fair share of statues made from bronze.

Throughout the Middle Ages, metal art was still being made; it was chiefly artwork for the important cathedrals of the day. It was even popular to see the door hinges of cathedrals decked out in ornamental art. Of course, noble women wore metal as art as well, chiefly from gold and silver. They had silver boxes, crucifixes, reliquaries (more boxes to hold sacred relics), and more faith-based objects.

The silversmith emerged as someone who would create beautiful works of silver, typically candlesticks for cathedrals, and cutlery for the nobles as well. Chalices were commonly made from gold and silver, and in the height of the knights, swords began to be more elaborate as well, with hilts made from the finest metal alloys and jewels.

During the Renaissance, more metal art emerged. The French produced furniture and clocks from gold and bronze and the Italians perfected the art of the bronze statue. Metal art came over to the colonies from Europe, with the art of blacksmithing being reserved for more functional work, and silversmithing being reserved for the decorative art. Latches, bolts, and hinges were still popular decorative items in America as well.

Choose Missouri Welding Institute For Your Welding School

Missouri Welding Institute in Nevada, Missouri, has a lot to offer its welding students, the most important being our world-class welding curriculum. Our welding classes are designed to give you a great foundation in all aspects of welding, and as you progress through the courses, you will have an opportunity to specialize. From pipe welding and fitting to structural steel welding and fitting, you will have a solid base for all of the processes in welding, including Shielded Metal Arc Welding and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. We also teach welding theory, blueprint reading and interpretation, basic trade math and application, and welding safety.

Missouri Welding Institute cares about all of our students. We do everything we can to ensure your success, including helping with student housing. We partner with local apartment complexes to offer you one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments that include utilities. We even have places to park your RV or camper. We help you with financial aid as well, and support you in your local move. Our friendly staff is here to answer all of your questions and help you in any way we can.

When you arrive at our campus, you will notice that we have everything you need to succeed. We offer plasma cutting torch, aluminum spool guns, superimposed high frequency arc welders, semi-automatic plate cutter and beveler, grinding stations, hand-operating cutting torches, and articulated clean air retrieval arm.

Our enrollment process is easy and can be done online. All of our courses are online as well, so you can see what we offer and choose which ones are best for you and your goals. We have been training the nation’s finest welders since 1994. When you graduate from our welding school, you will have all of the tools you need to succeed. Contact us today for an information packet!