Thousands of creative workshops across the UK
Duration: one to two days
Price: £250
Run by:
Alan Ross
at
Artinsteel
About the Course
A one or two day course aimed at total beginners or experienced metalworkers.
Priced at £250 for one to one work: add another £50 per extra group member, up to a maximum of six people. (note I only take groups who know each other). Price per per day of training
Children are welcome, above the age of six.
The course covers an introduction to Mig Welding (Mig welding; a commonly used industrial process for assembling metal structures most people pick up the basics in a few minutes) Welding is a not a black art it can be a simple process; one lady compared it to icing a cake. A perfect analogy. After an intro to welding we then move onto shaping steel and maybe plasma cutting. This is not a blacksmithing course, all of the metal is cold formed using hand powered tools.
On a typical course, after a quick intro we are working on sculpture projects within an hour of opening. I think it is best to learn the skills on real jobs.
I recommend if possible that people book for two days as this avoids pressure at the end to complete projects.
I can recommend these courses as a great get to know each other exercise for couples or work teams, and I have had small stag and hen groups come along too.
I have full third party insurance for all of the activities on offer.
Many of my students go on to buy welders and tools to set up home workshops. I am always happy to offer follow on support when people develop their own work after my classes.
If booking with a CraftCourses voucher for part or all of the course fee, please fill in the contact form above or telephone us. Your voucher code must be provided at the point of booking.
What's included in the price?
I provide all personal protective equipment and can offer hot drinks.
For lunch we tend to slope off to a nearby pub, a chance to escape from metal and reflect on the day's work.
I have just finished a two day metal sculpture course with Alan. I had never welded before and am no artist.
Alan was very patient in teaching me not only basic welding but also the use of the awesome plasma cutter (think bank robbery films where the robbers cut through the bank vault doors with a "torch"). Sounds much more scary than it is in reality but with Alans guidance I soon felt at home using it.
By focusing on a garden sculpture I had decided to make and which Alan helped in refining the design of and then by learning to use each tool / technique when needed for the next section which needed to be fabricated Alan made learning both easy and rewarding.
I now have a steel garden sculpture of which i am very proud together with new skills.
Alan has a relaxed way of teaching and also importantly was good company for the two days. I would recommend this course to anyone and whilst i did it on a one to one basis i am sure that for 2 or 3 people the learning experience would be equally good.
Final thought for anyone contemplating the course but concerned about needing serious physical strength to work with metal - dont be put off - as surprisingly this is not the case at all.
andrew - - #20341
Three of us ventured across the bridge to Alan's studio on the edge of Swansea so that we could learn (or in one case improve) welding skills.
Alan proved to be a good teacher whose welding and teaching skills are both excellent.
At the end of the weekend we came away with three unique pieces of art and a lot more knowledge and skill than we had before.
I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest or a desire to do something different.
Clive - - #20311
My partner and I completed one of Alan's day long welding courses a couple of years ago. We had never done anything remotely like this before and were frankly a bit apprehensive and concerned that we would not be able to rise to the challenge in just one day. But Alan was extremely encouraging and his step by step instruction in basic welding techniques soon had us nonchalantly sticking bits of metal together. Alan's own expertise is clear and, although he presided over a delightfully relaxed and informal atmosphere, I did notice him keeping a careful eye on us to make sure that we did not set fire to his workshop or ourselves. We managed to complete a bit of "sculpture" by the end of the day which still has pride of place in a front garden and which we are both most proud of. I would recommend one of Alan's courses without hesitation to anyone who has even a vague interest; you will not be disappointed.
Colin Partridge - - #20028
Course dates are flexible; please get in touch for the next available date.
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