Learning center
Original welding education, organized for practice
Twenty-three categories of original ArcForge content — written for welders at every stage, from first-year students to working pros, structured so every concept leads back to the booth.
The catalog
23 categories, fundamentals to career
Every category is original ArcForge writing — no textbook excerpts, no recycled codebook text.
- 01
Welding Fundamentals
Arc basics, terminology, equipment families, and how welds actually form.
- 02
Welding Safety
PPE, fume control, electrical safety, fire prevention, and safe shop habits.
- 03
SMAW (Stick)
Shielded metal arc welding: electrodes, technique, and common concerns.
- 04
GMAW (MIG)
Gas metal arc welding: wire, gas, transfer modes, and machine setup.
- 05
FCAW (Flux-Core)
Flux-cored arc welding: self-shielded vs gas-shielded, slag control, stick-out.
- 06
GTAW (TIG)
Gas tungsten arc welding: tungsten prep, filler control, and heat management.
- 07
Oxy-Fuel Welding & Cutting
Flame chemistry, torch setup, and safe oxy-fuel practice.
- 08
Plasma Cutting
Plasma arc fundamentals, setup, and clean cutting technique.
- 09
Joint Design
Joint types, edge preparation, fit-up, and when each joint is used.
- 10
Welding Positions
Position designations (1F–6GR), body mechanics, and gravity management.
- 11
Blueprint Reading
Views, lines, dimensions, and reading fabrication drawings.
- 12
Welding Symbols
Reading and applying weld symbols on drawings.
- 13
Machine Setup
Power sources, settings, polarity, and pre-weld checks.
- 14
Consumables
Electrodes, wires, fillers, and how to select and store them.
- 15
Shielding Gases
Gas types, blends, flow rates, and their effect on the arc and bead.
- 16
Basic Metallurgy
Steel behavior under heat, hardness, grain structure, and weldability.
- 17
Heat Input
Amps, volts, travel speed, and controlling total heat in the joint.
- 18
Distortion Control
Why metal moves, and sequencing/fixturing techniques to manage it.
- 19
Weld Cleaning
Slag removal, interpass cleaning, and surface preparation.
- 20
Visual Inspection
What a trained eye can (and cannot) determine from a weld's surface.
- 21
Destructive Testing Overview
Bend, tensile, and break tests — what they prove and how they work.
- 22
Nondestructive Testing Overview
VT, PT, MT, UT, and RT at a conceptual level.
- 23
Career Preparation
Qualification paths, resumes, portfolios, and the welding job market.
How it works
Modules, lessons, and knowledge checks
The structure is deliberate: small units, clear objectives, and a hands-on activity at the end of every module.
Modules & lessons
Each category contains focused modules with clear objectives and key terms. Lessons are short, structured blocks — text, steps, callouts, figures — built for reading between booth sessions, not lecture halls.
Knowledge checks
Lessons end with quick checks that explain every answer, right or wrong. The goal is understanding you can apply at the machine, not trivia recall.
Practice activities
Every module closes with a hands-on practice activity designed to be photographed and analyzed — connecting the reading directly to the welding.
Connected everywhere
Modules link to related defect-library entries, certification tracks, and quizzes. When an analysis flags a concern, it points back to the lesson that addresses it.
Introductory modules are available on the free plan; paid plans unlock the full catalog.
Start with the fundamentals — free
The intro modules and a couple of AI analyses a day are included on the free plan.