Without a Doubt, the FASTEST and BEST way to learn how to Weld! Understand how to make professional looking welds in minutes. Having the ability to weld can make the difference between being a successful gunsmith or not.  Many times when you are gunsmithing you will encounter a firearm that has a worn or broken part which is expensive, hard to get, or even no longer available.  Knowing how to repair the existing part or being able to create a new one by welding is often your best solution. After completing this course you will be able to do all types of welding and build or repair anything. AGI’s Complete Welding Course is the most comprehensive, video-based, welding course ever produced.  This 22 hour course covers everything from history to set-up, to safety, to how to make the perfect weld. There is no other course that goes into this amount of depth and takes you right up into the molten metal so that you can SEE how a weld is made.  It enables you to understand for the first time how to control the molten puddle, by showing you close-ups from just inches away. You will feel like you are right in the middle of the Molten Puddle! Each section is presented in an easy-to-understand format, step-by-step.  Here’s a brief summary: History:  The course begins with the history of welding which actually started at the end of the Stone Age.  Your instructor, Bob Rizzetto takes you through this fascinating history in order to show you the basics of what welding actually is and to chronicle the developments and breakthroughs that brought us the time-tested methods and amazing equipment that make modern welding truly state-of-the-art. Safety:  Welding offers too many ways to injure yourself for us to overlook safety.  We cover all the safety gear and procedures in our usual detail so you can use the right safety gear and know the correct procedures to protect yourself and others in every situation. Gas Welding:  We use gas welding as the foundation for the course because with gas welding it’s easier to see and control the weld puddle and the gas-welding process builds the hand/eye coordination necessary to become proficient at any type of welding. Mr. Rizzetto shows you the puddle, the heart of all welding, no matter what type of equipment is used.  He teaches you everything you need to know in order to make and control the weld puddle.  We don’t just show you the correct way to weld, we also demonstrate what happens when the puddle is too hot, too cold, moves too fast or to slow, and much more.  As we practice, we show you: how to tack your work pieces, the basic types of weld joints, the four welding positions (flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead), rods, tips and how to make the proper rod/tip selection based on the thickness of the material, type of metal, etc.   We also show the proper way to complete a weld using both single and multiple passes.  By the time we wrap up gas welding we have covered all the basics you need in order to become proficient at all types of welding. Gas Cutting:  In this section we learn how to use the gas rig to cut metal.  Thick, thin, round, square, you name it, Bob shows you how to cut it properly.  We cover all the details of equipment selection and set up as well as the rules you must follow in order to achieve a proper cut.  We demonstrate add-on equipment that lets you make cleaner, faster cuts, circular cuts and more and, we show you how to use special tips to “gouge” and “scarf” away material, remove rivets and brackets and even remove a nut from a bolt without damaging the bolt. Plasma Cutting:  Once you’ve mastered cutting with gas, we show you the set-up and operation of a plasma cutter.  It is one amazing tool not just because it is fast and clean, but because you can also cut non-ferrous metals like aluminum, stainless, copper, brass, etc.  Bob covers all the particulars for making good cuts with a plasma machine. MIG Welding:  Next we cover MIG (wire) welding.  In order to lay a good foundation for welding with electricity, Bob goes over the basics of electricity, the electric circuit, and safety.  Next we cover the different types of MIG equipment.  We take you step-by-step through all the details of equipment set-up and operation.  From assembling the machine and loading wire, to cleaning and replacing nozzles, tips and more, we cover it all.  Then we begin teaching you how to control the equipment settings and the puddle in order to be able to tack parts and weld thin or thick materials using single and multiple passes.  As he demonstrates these techniques, Mr. Rizzetto is also showing you the different types of weld joints and positions and continues to give you tips and pointers that will help you build your skills faster and to the highest level possible.  He takes you through the MIG welding process using both solid and fluxcore wire. Arc Welding:  Since you’ve learned the basics with gas welding and moved on to hone those skills with MIG welding, you are ready to tackle the challenges offered by traditional “stick” welding.  Again, we show all types of Arc welding equipment as well as how to properly set-up and operate it.  Nothing is left out. We teach you all about rods, rod storage, and flux coatings showing you how to choose the correct rod for each situation.  We cover how to “size” your cables to your welder, show you how to avoid common mistakes that can ruin your equipment and your workpiece, how to determine the correct settings for your equipment and we take you close-up to show you how the weld puddle looks and acts with flux covering it.  We cover the proper techniques for removing slag and grinding welds to prepare them for inspection or multiple passes.  This is the time when what you’ve learned about porosity really comes into play as we teach you how to find and properly repair, porous welds. As we teach all of this we continue to demonstrate the different types of weld joints and positions.  We also use arc welding to teach the proper techniques and fixturing necessary for the specialized job of pipe welding. TIG Welding:  Once you’ve learned how to arc weld, you are ready for TIG welding.  TIG welding not only allows you to weld non-ferrous metals such as aluminum and stainless steel, it also allows you to make extremely fine welds on very thin metals or repair very small parts by re-joining them.  Part of the finesse of TIG welding is learning how to use the features and controls of the TIG machine to enhance the quality and speed of your welds.  Bob unravels the confusion and mystery of the many settings found on advanced TIG machines by explaining and demonstrating each feature.  He leaves no stone unturned as he shows you how to refine your skills and adapt them, whether you are welding thin stainless steel or cast aluminum. Aluminum and stainless are covered in their own sections where we teach you the systems used to “grade” the metals according to hardness, tensile strength, etc. so that you are able to make the right choice when choosing metals for a project or correctly identify what type of metal a particular workpiece is made from before you weld on it.  In addition, Bob gives you special tips just for welding aluminum since welding on cast-aluminum parts has different parameters than extruded parts. Welding Small Parts:  If that isn’t enough, we have a special section on TIG welding that focuses solely on welding small parts for gunsmithing.  Although the parts and situations we demonstrate are gunsmithing related, this section is invaluable to anyone who needs to construct, modify or repair tiny parts of any kind. Welding Symbols:  In this section Bob covers the AWS Welding Symbol System, what each part represents and how to read it.  He also teaches you the graphic symbols used in prints and drawings to represent the types of joints, welds and processes.  Understanding these symbols and the AWS Symbol  System and all its parts is an important requirement in the process of becoming a AWS certified welder. With his usual simplicity and sense of humor, Bob makes what seems complicated, easy to follow. Since it’s on DVD, if you forget what a particular symbol means you can go back and review whenever necessary.  Once you’ve learned the symbols, we show a set of prints for an actual welding job and see how the symbols are put to practical use.  We then go outside the contractor’s office and look at the actual pieces for the same project we just saw on the prints.  This really ties together the correlation between the drawings and the actual welding project. Shop Tour:  Next, Mr. Rizzetto takes us on a tour of an actual welding “job-shop,” where everything from fabrication to repairs is done on a daily basis.  He shows us the layout of equipment and work areas as well as the specific pieces of equipment and how each is used in this ever changing environment. After this tour you have come full circle from learning the basic skills and procedures, to seeing them put to use in the real world. Welding Projects:  In this section Bob lets you put your skills into use building actual projects that are invaluable to you as you begin using your newfound welding skills.  He uses the process of building the project to teach you how to do simple, appropriate drawings for any project you need to build for yourself or a customer. As he takes you through each project step-by-step, everything you have learned in the course is put into practice so you can make the final connection between the skills and their applications.  In the end, you come away with new skills that will last a lifetime and a useful welding bench with accessories! When you complete this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of welding, and will be able to practice the techniques shown to become a qualified welder and enhance your Gunsmithing Capabilities.