Pocket Welder — Beginner's Welding Course

Got a cheap welder and no idea where to start? This is the course that starts with the stuff that keeps you alive.

Pocket Welder is a beginner's stick-welding course built for the little 110V welder — the $50–$150 box from the discount sites. Plain words, one step at a time, no shop-class jargon:

1. Safety first — literally. The whole course stays locked until you finish the 12-point safety checklist: arc flash and your eyes, toxic fumes (including why galvanized steel can put you in the hospital), fire (sparks travel 35 feet), electric shock, and the exact gear list.

2. The 4 processes in plain words — stick, MIG, flux-core, TIG: what each is good at, what it costs to start, and why stick is your lane.

3. Your first welder, honestly — what a cheap 110V stick welder can and can't do, duty cycle in plain words, and rods decoded (6013 vs 7018 — which to buy first).

4. Interactive amperage picker — pick your rod and metal thickness, get your starting amps. No guessing.

5. Strike your first arc — an 8-step guided walkthrough plus a practice checklist for your first session on scrap.

6. "My weld looks like ___" troubleshooter — tap your symptom and get the plain-words fix.

7. First projects ladder — practice beads, tacks, lap joints, a trailer gate hinge, a mower deck patch.

8. Quiz checkpoints — 20 questions, instant feedback, progress saved on your phone.

Honest limit: NO structural welds, NO fuel tanks or pressure vessels, NO brakes/steering/suspension. This course teaches beginner stick welding on light steel; it does not qualify anyone for structural or code work. Works offline on your phone — no account, no subscription.