Welding Tips and Tricks

I've been making progress learning TIG welding with my Everlast PowerPro 205 welder working mostly with mild steel so far. Using Jody's videos and tips I'm beginning to understand things like unstable arcs and such. I'm thinking of ordering the DVD from Northern that is supposed to be pretty good. But I'm thinking I'd make faster progress if I took a class and had a teacher. One local community college has a class but it is upwards of $900. Does anybody know how that price compares with classes offered by manufacturers like Miller?
Suggestions for classes welcome.
Thanks,
Joe

The DVD's that I've bought were geared to transfomer based rigs. Ron Covell's TIG video is one that uses Inverter rigs but it's pretty basic. I personnally got more out of this website than I did Ron's video. I think if there was one thing that stuck with me is his constant reminder about post flow.

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that Ron's experience has been primarily transformer based rigs. He references methods that have changed with inverters and doesn't go into much of the new advantages they provide. Not as bad as the ATI guy that's good with a gas torch and TIG's like he's still got a gas torch in his hand. I've seen his O/A videos and he aint that good at that either.

Lincoln seems to have the best schools from what I've read. Miller gives you a lot of decent video's and appears to be moving towards what may be a online version of their classes.

In my local area the college offers TIG but only as an advanced class after you've gone through all the other stuff. I challenged the lower classes until I finally got to a level that I didn't pass. I ended up with only two of 8 semesters that I had to complete. I'm not interested in being certified and they don't offer it but they'll help you prep for it.

I've got to get registered here pretty soon because the classes fill up quick.

Just my .02

Side Note: I just went to regisgter and they dropped the night classes. I've got a full time job so that won't work now. 35.00 per course.

You might try gettin a student loan or a grant. Check and see what kind of financial assistance you can get from your community college.

Still, 900 bucks is pretty expensive. I had to pay for my own at the college down here and it was like 350 plus 50 for the book which the instructor told us we didnt even need on the first day of class :/

Oh, and I didnt have any prereqs or have to pass any tests either. Just walked on in