NSSCO Metalwork and Welding 6188 study plan
NSSCO Metalwork and Welding 6188 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Workshop safety, health and environment & Welding processes and practice
Identify at least eight hazards specific to an arc and gas welding bay, and state the control measure for each.
Select and correctly don PPE for oxy-acetylene welding and SMAW, explaining why leather protects where synthetic clothing fails.
Demonstrate the full oxy-acetylene set-up, leak test, lighting, flame adjustment and shut-down sequence in the correct order.
Set up an SMAW machine: connect the return lead, select polarity, and set current for a stated electrode diameter on mild steel.
Your checkpoint
A one-page hazard-and-control checklist covering both welding bays, plus a witnessed, correctly sequenced start-up and shut-down of the OAW set and an SMAW station.
Welding processes and practice
Distinguish neutral, oxidising and carburising flames by appearance and state which suits mild steel, and why.
Run straight beads in the flat position with SMAW, adjusting current and arc length to reduce spatter and undercut.
Diagnose six common weld defects by their visual signs and state one process remedy for each.
Compare SMAW, MIG/MAG, TIG and OAW on filler type, shielding method, typical applications and relative cost.
Your checkpoint
A bead-on-plate sample with three labelled beads of differing current settings, accompanied by a defect-cause-remedy table of six defects.
Hand tools and bench work & Measuring, marking out and inspection
Measure and record dimensions using a steel rule, vernier caliper and outside micrometer, reading each to its correct resolution.
Mark out a workpiece using engineer's blue, scriber, dividers, odd-leg calipers and a centre punch.
File a face flat and square, then file to a scribed line within tolerance, checking squareness as work proceeds.
Cut stock accurately by hacksaw and finish a slot or edge by cold chisel, selecting the correct blade pitch and chisel angle.
Your checkpoint
A filed square test piece held to within plus or minus 0.2 mm on two dimensions and square on two faces, submitted with a recorded measurement sheet.
Sheet metalwork and fabrication & Cutting, drilling and shaping
Calculate bend allowance and develop a flat pattern for a simple folded tray or box.
Set out and cut sheet metal with straight, aviation and snips, allowing for clearance at corners.
Form bends on a bar folder or with folding bars, keeping radii consistent and corners closed.
Select drill speed and feed for a given material and diameter, drill a pilot hole and open it to size with coolant applied.
Your checkpoint
A folded sheet-metal tray with verified external dimensions and square corners, submitted with the bend-allowance calculation and the flat-pattern sketch.
Metal materials and properties & Heat treatment and forging
Classify common workshop metals as ferrous or non-ferrous, and confirm a sample using the spark, file and magnet tests.
Explain how carbon content changes hardness, ductility and weldability of plain carbon steels.
Describe annealing, normalising, hardening and tempering, giving the heating range, soak and cooling medium for each.
Forge a cold chisel, then harden it and draw the temper to the correct oxide colour for the intended use.
Your checkpoint
A forged, hardened and tempered cold chisel that cuts mild steel without chipping, with a written heat-treatment record listing temperatures, colours and quench medium.
Joining: mechanical fastening, soldering and brazing & Cutting, drilling and shaping
Tap and die threads to a stated size, selecting the correct drill size and keeping the tap square to the hole.
Select and fit rivets, bolts and self-tapping screws for a given joint, spacing them to suit the load and material thickness.
Prepare and complete a soft-soldered lap joint using the correct flux, cleaning and heat control.
Prepare and complete a brazed lap joint, explaining capillary action and how brazing temperature differs from soldering.
Your checkpoint
Two lap joints, one mechanically fastened with a tapped component and one brazed, photographed or logged with the process parameters used and checked for soundness.
Technical drawing, planning and project work & Measuring, marking out and inspection
Read a first-angle orthographic drawing, extracting dimensions, hidden detail, sections and stated tolerances.
Sketch a small project part with all necessary views, dimensions and a cutting list.
Write a sequence of operations for that project, listing tools, machines, time and material allowances per step.
Inspect a completed job against the drawing, selecting the correct instrument and recording any out-of-tolerance feature.
Your checkpoint
A dimensioned working drawing, cutting list and step-by-step operation plan for a small project, with an inspection record of one completed part.
Welding processes and practice & Sheet metalwork and fabrication
Re-run the two weakest practical tasks from earlier weeks and correct the specific faults recorded in feedback.
Recall welding process selection, electrode classification and defect remedies without notes, in timed conditions.
Recall bend allowance, flat-pattern development and sheet-metal joint selection without notes.
Complete a full timed mock paper across all ten domains, then review every wrong answer to its source topic.
Your checkpoint
A completed 60-question timed mock paper scored at 75 percent or better, plus two reworked practical pieces signed off against the original criteria.
Milestones
Week 2: Set up and shut down both an OAW set and an SMAW station unaided, and label three flame types and six weld defects from memory.
Week 4: Score 80 percent or better on a closed-book 25-question set covering domains 1, 9, 3 and 4, and hold two practical pieces to within 0.2 mm.
Week 6: Produce a sound brazed joint and a correctly tapped thread, and explain the hardening and tempering sequence for a cold chisel without notes.
Week 8: Score 75 percent or better on the full timed mock paper, with no domain below 60 percent, and clear both reworked practical tasks.