Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Welding and Metalworking Fundamentals

The knowledge every welding student needs before and alongside shop time: hot-work safety and protective gear, metals and what heat does to them, measuring, cutting and drilling, stick, MIG, flux-core, TIG and oxy-fuel, joints, positions, symbols and defects, and the codes, certifications and careers that follow. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Career and trades courses, $79 for 18 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Shop safety

    Identify the hazards of hot work and choose the protective equipment, fire precautions and cylinder practices that control them.

    • The hazards of hot work
    • Personal protective equipment
    • Fire prevention and gas cylinders
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Metals and how heat changes them

    Compare metals by their properties and carbon content, identify unknown metals, and explain how heat treatment and welding heat change steel.

    • Properties of metals
    • Steel, cast iron, stainless and aluminum
    • Heat treatment and the heat-affected zone
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Measuring, layout and cutting

    Measure, lay out and estimate material with fractions, kerf and plate weights, and choose cutting methods and drill speeds.

    • Measuring and layout
    • Cutting metal
    • Drilling, bending and estimating
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Welding processes

    Compare stick, MIG, flux-core, TIG and oxy-fuel processes, read electrode codes, and compute heat input.

    • How arc welding works
    • Stick and MIG welding
    • TIG and oxy-fuel welding
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Joints, symbols and weld quality

    Name joints and positions, read welding symbols, and diagnose common weld defects and their causes.

    • Joints and positions
    • Reading welding symbols
    • Weld defects and inspection
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Careers, codes and projects

    Explain codes, procedures and welder qualification, compare career paths, and price a fabrication project.

    • Welding and metalworking careers
    • Codes, procedures and certification
    • Planning and pricing a project
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 5 · Reading welding symbols

Worked example: reading a symbol

  1. A drawing shows an arrow pointing to a tee joint. On the reference line, a triangle sits below the line with 1/4 to its left, and a circle at the bend.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Vocations · Trades & Technical$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in welding and metalworking fundamentals: you can name the hazards of hot work and the gear and precautions that control them, tell metals apart and explain what carbon and heat do to steel, measure and lay out parts with kerf in mind and set drill speeds, compare the main welding processes and read an electrode code, compute heat input, name joints and positions, read a welding symbol, diagnose common defects, and price a small project. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion. It is not a welding certification.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 taking or considering a welding, metals or manufacturing class, students exploring the skilled trades, and homeschool families who want the knowledge side of a metals course. Hands-on welding, cutting and grinding should happen only with training, proper protective equipment and a qualified instructor present.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Career and trades courses ($79) and the Vocations Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Trades & Technical space in Caveat Vocations.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, welding, cutting and brazing standards and guidance: osha.gov/welding-cutting-brazing
  2. American Welding Society, safety and health fact sheets and the SENSE education program: aws.org
  3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, welding and manganese fume: cdc.gov/niosh
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, welders, cutters, solderers and brazers: bls.gov/ooh

Welding and Metalworking Fundamentals is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It teaches concepts, vocabulary, safety rules and shop math; it is not a substitute for hands-on training in a supervised shop, awards no credit and is not a welding certification. Safety content follows general U.S. federal guidance and industry practice; the rules of a school or employer always apply. Prices in worked examples are examples only. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.