Well hello.
Just found this forum and it looks like just what I need at the moment to gain some knowledge and get advice.
Here is my current situation;
My wife owns a '68 beetle that is MOT'd and in relatively good order but is beginning to look scrappy around the edges and has a number of rust spots in the usual bug places (heater channels, flitch panels, floors, rear boot floor).
Choices:
A, Pay someone approaching £1000 to replace the panels and then have to pay for a respray and still have some rough edges.
B, Learn to weld and do it myself for much less (and learn a useful new skill).
C, Sell the car.
Ok, my wife told be C is not an option. I don't like A as I don't like giving my money away and also like to learn to do stuff myself.
Looks like B then...
Anyway here is my first problem. I thought the best way to learn would be to take a class and then buy the gear I need after I have got some experience. This is fine and dandy but I have been completely unable to locate an evening class anywhere near where I live in Surrey (or anywhere in Surrey for that matter). I am concerned about splashing out a relatively sizable sum for new kit and just getting on with it with no tuition at all for it all to go Pete Tong through rookie errors.
At last, here is the question: Can I really learn to do successful automotive repair welding without taking a course and by just getting on with it?
Sorry for the long post and pants humour - thanks for listening.
Just found this forum and it looks like just what I need at the moment to gain some knowledge and get advice.
Here is my current situation;
My wife owns a '68 beetle that is MOT'd and in relatively good order but is beginning to look scrappy around the edges and has a number of rust spots in the usual bug places (heater channels, flitch panels, floors, rear boot floor).
Choices:
A, Pay someone approaching £1000 to replace the panels and then have to pay for a respray and still have some rough edges.
B, Learn to weld and do it myself for much less (and learn a useful new skill).
C, Sell the car.
Ok, my wife told be C is not an option. I don't like A as I don't like giving my money away and also like to learn to do stuff myself.
Looks like B then...
Anyway here is my first problem. I thought the best way to learn would be to take a class and then buy the gear I need after I have got some experience. This is fine and dandy but I have been completely unable to locate an evening class anywhere near where I live in Surrey (or anywhere in Surrey for that matter). I am concerned about splashing out a relatively sizable sum for new kit and just getting on with it with no tuition at all for it all to go Pete Tong through rookie errors.
At last, here is the question: Can I really learn to do successful automotive repair welding without taking a course and by just getting on with it?
Sorry for the long post and pants humour - thanks for listening.