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Lay Down Welds That Hold, Starting From an Empty Bench

PPE, MIG setup, voltage and wire-speed, butt and fillet welds, finishing, and an intro to TIG, taught the way working welders actually do it.

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Beginner9 hr 30 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This course takes you from an empty bench to repeatable butt and fillet welds on mild steel, plus your first TIG puddle on thin sheet. You will learn the protective gear, machine setup, electrical settings, and torch and gun technique that working welders use every day, including how to read voltage and wire-feed-speed charts, dial in shielding gas, and judge a weld by its sound and bead profile. No coding or design software, just a welder, steel, and the habits that keep you safe and your welds sound.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

01

Select and wear the correct PPE and set up a fire-safe welding area to the limits of permit-free home work

02

Set up a MIG machine end to end: wire, drive tension, polarity (DCEP), shielding gas, and tip-to-work distance

03

Dial voltage and wire-feed speed on mild steel from 16-gauge to 1/4 inch using machine chart settings

04

Lay sound butt and fillet welds in the flat and horizontal positions and read the bead for penetration and fusion

05

Diagnose and correct the common defects: porosity, cold lap, burn-through, and undercut

06

Grind, clean, and finish a weld safely, and strike your first TIG arc and puddle on thin steel

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Safety, Gear, and the Welding Area

Set up the protection and workspace every weld depends on: rated PPE, eye protection by shade number, fume and fire control, and a safe electrical setup before any arc is struck.

3 lessons
PPE and Eye Protection by Shade NumberContent · 45 min
Preview Enabled
Fume, Ventilation, and Fire ControlContent · 45 min
LMS Access
Electrical Safety and Setting Up the Machine AreaContent · 45 min
LMS Access
Module 2

Module 2: MIG Machine Setup End to End

Take a MIG machine from empty to ready: load and tension the wire, set polarity, dial in shielding gas, and understand the consumables that touch the weld.

3 lessons
How MIG Works: Wire, Polarity, and GasContent · 45 min
LMS Access
Loading Wire and Setting Drive TensionContent · 50 min
LMS Access
Shielding Gas, Regulators, and ConsumablesContent · 45 min
LMS Access
Module 3

Module 3: Running Beads and Welding Joints on Mild Steel

Translate machine settings into sound welds: read voltage and wire-speed charts, run a straight bead, then weld butt and fillet joints and judge them for penetration and fusion.

3 lessons
Reading Voltage and Wire-Feed-Speed SettingsContent · 50 min
LMS Access
Gun Angle, Travel, and Running a Straight BeadContent · 50 min
LMS Access
Butt and Fillet Welds and Reading the WeldContent · 55 min
LMS Access
Module 4

Module 4: Finishing, Inspection, and Intro to TIG

Clean and finish a weld safely, inspect and correct the joint, then step up to TIG: the torch, tungsten, and your first puddle on thin steel.

3 lessons
Grinding, Cleaning, and Finishing a WeldContent · 45 min
LMS Access
Inspecting and Correcting the JointContent · 45 min
LMS Access
Intro to TIG: Torch, Tungsten, and First PuddleContent · 50 min
LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

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