[Superiorwelding]

Well today's new development is the school ran out of steel for the 2nd time in 2 weeks! So we can't weld till next week. The instructor started cussing out in his class saying it was F'n stupid that we used so much steel! He says we went through 140' in 4hrs, My comment was where'd it go cus there is only 1/3 of a 55 gallon drum full of old welded steel? An he started going on and said that everyone is wasting steel. An I couldn't help but comment...Well why isn't there a teacher that walks around and helping people and checking on what's going on, especially since there are people still completely clueless about pretty much anything welding. An well I got kicked out of class!!! Well I added the comment that I think that's what the people here are paying for. I talked to the other instructor and I told him I was gonna go over to corporate college and maybe I needed to talk to their boss. So he told me not to do that just come back to class next week. What aholes!!! I was very respectful about it, but I'm not just gonna listen to someone complain cuz they don't wanna do their job!!! get outta here man. Again thanks guys for all your help clear up some of this stuff for me. I don't wanna be misinformed I just wanna get better and a more broader range of abilities in the trade that I love doing.

Adam,
This is my opinion. If you feel you are not getting your money's worth and the instructors are not fulfilling their duties, I would go to the administration and let them know what is going on. The key will be to keep your head, which sounds like you already are, and explain the what's and whys. The drawback to this might be they are the ones driving the "cheapness" of this "school" and therefore will not take your complaint well. You also might consider getting the entire class behind you and write up a formal complaint.
I would go back to class at the next appointed time. Be ready for possible trouble though.

If you want to know my unprofessional opinion I will tell you in a PM.
-Jonathan

[Adam's Got Skills]

I like that....Idk I'm sure it's gonna stir the proverbial Sh*t....but if I get enough people together...There won't be much they could do to a group....It might be worse going it alone. I know I'm frustrated that I'm not welding for days now...An I think it was more about poor planning on their part. I mean there are like 40 guys in my class...plus the number of guys in the other 2 classes...So I don't think they are being realistic about how much arc time people need to be able to do some of these things and get good at it. I think 40 kids spending 3500-4000 bucks in tuition should probably cover steel...it's not like we weld on expensive steel...Yeah it's like 20$ a 24' stick...AT MY COST from the local steel supplier, but I haven't bought more than 1500lbs in a year...They probably get a better deal anyways!

[Adam's Got Skills]

I just did the math....we went through 5 24' stick of flat steel....in 4 hrs between at least 30 guys in the booths...That does not seem like A LOT of steel to me. Considering we weld T's then weld t's together to stack em!!!

[GlenC]

It also seems like after welding the Ts, you could then do multi-passes 2,3,4... just have a bucket of water to keep things cool!

[Adam's Got Skills]

They don't want us to do either of those...No multi-pass an No quenching....It's funny just cuz the way they want us to do it is make a weld....and wait 20 or so mins for it to completely cool....then take it to them and ask them about it...which they are usually just sitting in their office and one is teachin a class...3 teachers total. An it usually take another 30/40 mins SERIOUSLY just to try an get them to look at your weld...and it's usually just a pass or fail scenario. They might give u a tip, but hardly ever show u anything. It just seems to me that they have no system of checking on/helping to SHOW anyone anything. Which seems absurd to me...Welding has always been something to me that I had to see to make sense off personally.

[MinnesotaDave]

They don't want us to do either of those...No multi-pass an No quenching....It's funny just cuz the way they want us to do it is make a weld....and wait 20 or so mins for it to completely cool....then take it to them and ask them about it...which they are usually just sitting in their office and one is teachin a class...3 teachers total. An it usually take another 30/40 mins SERIOUSLY just to try an get them to look at your weld...and it's usually just a pass or fail scenario. They might give u a tip, but hardly ever show u anything. It just seems to me that they have no system of checking on/helping to SHOW anyone anything. Which seems absurd to me...Welding has always been something to me that I had to see to make sense off personally.

This is a terrible way to practice.
To save material, and get a lot of stick time under the hood, multi passes are the norm.
Quenching is definitely the norm during practice - as long as it's just practice and not a bend test.

For example, building muscle memory over head can be done with one piece of angle iron about 12+ inches long.
Run multi-pass beads on it, quenching every couple passes, and fill it up with weld till it's a solid chunk of metal.
Use a length that requires re-starts.

Same method for vertical welds. Once they stack really nice and perfect you've nailed your technique.

At this point you will automatically do the basics right and can focus on perfect joints.

[Adam's Got Skills]

That sounds like Sound advice Dave!....I might bring a couple pieces Monday from my house. An try that!! I'm working on mig now an have had a little trouble with my downhill Mig break test. But anyway I called the local steel supplier to ask how much this expensive steel was today...An found out it's like 13$ a stick at my price....An the teachers admitted it was 10 bucks for them....plus getting paid for the scrap makes it seem to me pretty affordable. An we probably won't have any Monday so I may bring in a couple pieces to slap up some welds.

[Wsx7918]

Wow what a joke that school is. Those instructors sure sound like phonies.
I'm starting a program at a CC I hope it's better than this.