I know EXACTLY what it feels like to be the worst weldor in the world. Forty years ago I DEFINITELY held the title.

I took metal shop in high school because I wanted to learn to weld. The instructor just showed us how it was done and then told us to go do it. This was with a stick welder, at that time I had no idea what a MIG welder was. I spent three hours a week for the six week welding section of the course and NEVER got to where I could run a bead. It made me feel like a TOTAL uncoordinated idiot. BTW, I learned how to gas weld pretty good in that class.

After I got out of the Army several years later, I built a hot rod starting with a fabricated frame that I got from some body for cheap. It had a small block Chevy and a Model A Five Window body. One night I was at the Seven Eleven and saw my old metal shop teacher. We visited for a little bit while standing in front of my hot rod. After a few minutes of catching up on who was where and so on, I noticed that he was looking at the welding on the front spring perch that was hanging out there for anyone and everyone to see. He said, "Bible, I'll tell you one thing, you didn't weld that frame together." I said "No sir it was all welded up before I bought the frame." He said, "That's a good thing since I have to share the road with you!"

About 19 years ago when I moved out here in the boondocks and had to start keeping farm equipment glued together I bought a Lincoln Tombstone. I messed around with it and still couldn't run a bead, then one day my brother in law was visiting and I asked if he would try to teach me to weld. He was a certified weldor when he worked for Ryder Truck Rental in the seventies.

I messed around trying to run a bead for him and he finally held my welding glove and ran a bead to show me what it felt like. That was the missing link. Since that time I got to a point that I could not only weld all my farm equipment and junk together, but also started welding together gates out of thin wall tubing WITH A STICK. Since I was a little accomplished with a stick, when I got my MIG welder it took all of 30 seconds to learn how to make a good bead with a MIG welder.

It's sort of like learning to drive in a stick shift car. Once you can do that, then driving an automatic is no problem. If you don't have the luxury (or punishment) of learning to stick weld, then you have a lot of things to learn while you're learning to MIG.

Nowdays I'm getting pretty confident with my MIG welder. Over the holidays I built a camber brace for my Corvette out of thinwall tubing and I am probably more proud of that welding job than any I've ever done.

So, even someone as dumb as me can learn to weld, given enough time and practice.

Good luck,