Engineering Courses – Midlands

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

The topic of engineering courses for beginners to this hobby has come up a number of times and people have lamented the unavailability of courses.

South Staffordshire College with campuses in Cannock and Tamworth is running Introduction to Milling and Turning Courses. The Cannock course is on a Tuesday and the Tamworth course on a Thursday. Both run from 6pm till 9 pm. The course lasts 10 weeks and costs £100 according to their website prospectus (for some reason their Facebook page says £150). I have let them know there is a discrepancy in their pricing, not 100% sure which is correct.

Cannock course starts Tuesday 20th April and the Tamworth course Thursday 22nd April. Contact phone number: 0300 456 2424.

webpage: https://www.southstaffs.ac.uk/courses/community-education/?courseid=QCEXCEMILTUR

I have had my machines for a number of years but still think I am likely to learn something so have enrolled.

Course description: Working in our advanced engineering workshops, you'll learn using industry standard machinery and equipment. You will learn the practicals of turning and milling, health & safety, drawings and measuring equipment, feeds and speeds, work holding, tool setting and a range of turning and milling operations.

I understand these have not always run due to low enrollment. We cannot complain at not finding course if those that are being advertised are not supported.

Hope this will be of interest to some of the new starters to this hobby.

Colin

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

This looks great for beginners Colin! Ideally located also for me, albeit that I can turn and mill now. A friend may be interested though and if he attends, I may too… just in case something else can be gained… it's cheap enough!

Many thanks

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

that sounds like a good deal. That sort of course would have benefitted me a couple of years ago. Luckily due to this forum i got quite a lot of help . Both personally & from reading members questions & answers given.

Steve.

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

They also have some beginners welding courses. Also a slightly more advanced course where a certificate can be gained and you can concentrate on whichever option you wish to take up, MIG, TIG or MMA.

Colin

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Thank you Colin, really appreciate the heads-up!

If work permits, I'd love to attend

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Thats great. It would be a shame for them to cancel due to lack of support. I'm not sure how many they need to make up a class.

Colin

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Full Marks! n Thanks for publicising the courses.

Hope that the courses are well supported, and repeated in following years.

In too many other parts of the country Model Engineering Clubs meet that need by mentoring the young and beginners.

Howard

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Well that's me booked for Tamworth Covid permitting

Would like to do the welding course too

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Be good to meet you Andy.

Lets hope we get some more.

I have no connection to the college, I just thought this was a good thing to publicise.

 

Edited By Colin Heseltine on 26/03/2021 16:55:42

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Just pushing this back to top of thread. Assuming they had enough students this starts in two weeks on the 20th.  Is anyone else interested.

Colin

Edited By Colin Heseltine on 12/04/2021 14:11:49

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

I booked my girlfriend in too

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

I've just just signed up for their introduction to welding course…at Cannock. Bit more expensive, but covers Arc, MIG and TIG. Got to pay for the materials I guess.

Looking forward to it

[Brian HParticipant @brianh50089]

Very nice to see that courses are available. Does anyone know if there are any in the Mansfield, Nottingham, Derby area? Especially for TIG.

Brian

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

I'd like to do the welding course too but clashes with Lathe and Milling course, hopefully next time

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

I must admit the welding courses are of interest to me. I have done gas, mig, stick and spot welding over the years but would like to be able to use the TIG set properly. As Andy says the dates clash at present, so may try and do the welding later this year or next.

Colin

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

They are a bit short on numbers for this and are trying to possibly merge the Cannock and Tamworth courses. If they cannot sort numbers, it may get cancelled.

Is anyone else interested.

Colin

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

We have re-booked for Cannock, awaiting confirmation – also waiting to see if there is space on welding course

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

I'm booked on the welding course, although they have postponed by one week. It starts next week now, but I believe they have 5 people on there so far.

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Andy,

Looking forward to meeting you on the course next week.

Colin

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Likewise Colin!

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Hi Brian, Ashfield council are starting a makers club in Sutton in Ashfield for engineering. They are going to supply machinery and equipment including welding, lathes and milling machines with support from the West Notts training center. Assuming the independent councillors are voted in soon. I am friendly with a couple of councillors pushing this along.

David

[Brian HutchingsParticipant @brianhutchings]

Many thanks David, that's just down the road for me!

Brian

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Managed to book onto weldng course too, along with my girlfriend

Which is nice!

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Due to low numbers at both sites, the courses were amalgamated and held at Cannock Site. There were 9 of us, four others on this site had joined as a result of me publicising the course. So MEW site members made up 5 of the 9 attendees.

The machine shop has all new machines. The workshop we were in had one training lathe (all manual) and then 5 or 6 XYZ Proturn lathes. These are CNC/manual machines with spindle speeds, range of machining options, DRO's all run from the touchscreen computer screen. These were interesting machines to use as the carriage and cross-slide handles did not have any feel/feedback. There was also a joystick for rapid movements of carriage and cross-slide.

They also have new XYZ milling machines, again these are CNC/manual machines of similar size and design to Bridgeport knee mill.

Within half an hour we were all getting practice ( or playing) with the lathes and looking at the plans of the first machining exercise.

An interesting evening, good to meet everyone and looking forward to next week.  Actually just had email to say next session will be 11th May not 4th.

Colin

Edited By Colin Heseltine on 28/04/2021 11:56:26

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