Arc Academy – Midwest Metal Works

I attended MIG 1 a couple days ago. Stephen knows his stuff and seems genuinely interested in teaching others how to weld. The hands on exercises looked daunting, but Stephen guided you right through and it ended up not as difficult as expected. The facilities are more than adequate. I didn’t get enough the first time around and look forward to attending part 2.

I just completed my first MIG welding class and it was a great experience for me. The instructor/​owner was a great teacher and gave us a hands-​on experience that included cutting, prepping and welding materials. I still have a few classes to go, but would recommend this to anyone. Well worth the money.

I took the MIG 1 class. It was a blast. The instructor really knew his stuff and also could explain the chemistry behind why things were happening and the reasons behind the techniques.

Took both class in one day and Steven was an awesome instructor. Being the only women in the class, I felt very comfortable working alongside men as well as all the tools

Excellent instruction and presentation by Stephen. Big fun for anyone mildly intereted.
My welding helmet was set to «11» as all helmets were. Couldn’t see my work spot at all. Midway through course Stephen reset to 10 and finally I could see what I was doing. Tempted to try «9». Would have been great to spend a test session to adjust digital helmets. On exit, after class, another person in the group was thankful that I mention that I was flying blind. He was also having difficulty seeing.

The class, environment, and teacher stephen is perfect! Cant wait till next week to take a class!

Attended class with my son who has no prior experience, I had some experience. The class starts with good basics and points on safety. Through the class Stephen is always professional and focused. He encourages first timers and provides constructive criticism. He does good demos and works one on one with each class member which is possible because class size is small, ours was 4. The shop is fully equipped with needed tools. He also provides recent and clean equipment and work jackets and gloves, which makes the students comfortable. The shop is just that a shop, if you are a real worker you’ll appreciate the clean and well kept area, if you are not comfortable getting dirty forget welding all together.
My son and I did the first class to check it out, I would recommends the 5 class pkg, we will be going back several more times, I highly recommend the shop and Stephen to anyone who is interested in learning welding.

I’ve been wanting to learn how to weld for years. I was so excited to find Arc Academy and love that I could sign up for one beginner class without having to commit to a series of classes.
Steve was friendly and laid back. He was really good at explaining why things were done the way they were and what needed to be done to stay safe. It was big fun to jump in there and cut, grind and weld with the sparks flying. I’ll be back for sure!

Me and my friend Scott has a great time learning MIG welding here, the instructor really jumps right into the meat of welding and make you comfortable with the terminology and equipment.
I recommend this guy to anyone wanting to learn welding.

My son and just completed our second MIG class and we just love this place. Very patient and really relaxed atmosphere. We are looking forward to doing some shop time next and maybe joining the table class. I love that he teaches kids too. Best class for anyone who wants to learn welding fir the knowledge and fun of it. Pure fun.

I had a great experience here. I took Stephen’s MIG 1 and 2 classes so I could learn how to build a metal frame for a piece of furniture. Stephen is an extremely nice guy, gave very full lectures and the welding was challenging and fun. my only wish — would be great if the classes were a little longer so we could do a bit more welding immediately after learning the skills. You learn the techniques and want to practice them right away. I quickly signed up for Stephen’s open shop night two times after my second class and received additional advice and coaching from him during those sessions. Net result: standing desk complete. Stephen was there to help me with the mistakes I made — And i have complete confidence, after the open shop sessions, to be able to competently, if not beautifully yet, weld without supervision. I plan on returning to take the TIG classes soon. Thanks!

Steve was great! He made understanding the concept of welding much less intimidating. I just took the Mig 1 class and hope to take Mig 2 this week. Thanks Steve!

I already knew how to stick weld… but out of practice. Anyway, I recently bought a Miller MIG welder and wasn’t getting the results I wanted being a novice at it. After reading Stephen’s book, I’ve been wanting to stop by his shop and take a class. The classes sounded just like what I wanted… stop in and learn to weld. I currently don’t have time for a class at the local technical college. I finally got the opportunity to spend a day in Chicago and take MIG1 and MIG2 with my 11 year old son.
The class was excellent. In those two sessions, Stephen provided the tips and instruction I needed to start making better MIG welds and my son got the opportunity to learn at the same time. Since then I’ve successfully fabricated a new framing for the bottom of my motor home that had rusted out due to an improper plumbing repair by the prior owner… Doing that job myself paid for the welding equipment and the classes.

Welding is about building new proposals, binding two or more metals to shape new worlds. As an artist, I was looking for a course where I could learn not only techniques for my functional art projects, but also an introduction to the best equipment to achieve my goals, and was able to meet both aims assisting to Arc Academy, where his owner, Stephen Blake Christena taught me easily the basic rules of MIG welding, a great tutor with a wonderful capacity to communicate his knowledge. I was trained on MIG I, II, TIG I, II and found particularly interesting and useful his book, «Learn to Weld», that I strongly recommend.
Montserrat Mesalles, Costa Rica.

Signing up could not be easier.
I had the pleasure of taking Mig 1 today with Steve and had a blast. He was very concise, to the point and well rounded in his explanations. Encouraging and helpful in his critique and an all around gentleman.

Don’t fight the feeling… you know you wanna check it out.
So here is the deal I have an Eddie Bauer bag that I faithfully over stuff and abuse throughout the work day. After years of service the bag fought back and one of the metal rings supporting the cross body strap chipped and broke.
I was heart broken!
I bought and threw away replacements while the beloved bag gathered dusted. I finally decided that maybe I should invest in getting the bag repaired rather than replacements and a quick Unilocal search led me to Arc Academy.
I called in Thursday and was told to come in Monday after 1:00pm. I showed up monday at 1:10 and was confused. The address listed appears to be a hair salon. I called and called but got no answer. It seems a class had just let out and the owner had gone out to check the mail. I discovered this as I ran into him unknowingly. The place is behind the red grate immediately next to the hair salon.
He welcomed me into the shop and took a look at my bag. He explained that Eddie Bauer uses brass and brass has magnesium which will liquifying and other things that sounded very impressive, but left me slightly confused. Noticing how agreeable i was to all of his recommendations he threw the broken ring in a vice grip and squeezed it back together in 2 minutes flat.
Still worried the bag would break under the weight of the workload, I asked him if he could do anything else. He promptly found another piece of brass, asked me to step behind a protective screen while he enforced the newly reunited ring.
3 minutes later the clasp is repaired, the bag is back in working order and I was ecstatic. The owner was professional, friendly, quick and most importantly does great work. I am considering sending my boyfriend his way to learn some purse fixing/​welding skills.
Simply put this place is a gem! I Highly recommend !

I just completed the MIG1 class and couldn’t be happier. Stephen pitches the content and pace of the class just right. He covers the concepts, equipment and safety without labouring it, he keeps you safe without talking to you like you’re an idiot. His approach to teaching is great, some things are hard and fast rules. Other things that need to be done he is clear to point out that there are personal preferences on what works for you. He was very good at giving advice on how to position your work piece and yourself based on your height, length of your arms etc, tailored to each individual in the class.
The shop is well laid out for the classes of up to 4 people, plenty of room to move without fear of showering each other in molten metal. The equipment is also industrial quality, he’s very knowledgable when asking about buying your own gear. That said, the quality and cost of the gear he has in the shop makes the Open Shop time option look like a really good deal. I could pay for something like 60 hours of shop time for the same cost as just one of his welding rigs, never mind the benches, grinders, saws etc etc.

I had always wanted to learn how to make yard art and my friend found this place on Unilocal.We just finished the class and I already can’t wait to take the next one! I left feeling very empowered and excited.
Steve is an amazing instructor and is clearly passionate about two things: welding and people. He knows his stuff, but as soon as it starts to feel really technical, he turns it around and makes welding feel fun and approachable. He also offered to take pics of us and they turned out so great.
We left with with our finished piece and a cool benie hat that we wore under our masks when welding. BONUS: The shop is in a great location, so we walked to Old Oak after and celebrated our victory with booze.
A few tips: The shop isn’t heated, but as long as you dress warm, you’ll be fine. LAYERS! For clothing, I recommend a long sleeve shirt with a thick hoodie over it, jeans, and leather boots. Also make sure to bring something to hold your hair back.
One last thing… Steve can teach up to 4 people per class so I suggest getting a few friends together to bond through welding!

Me? A welder? Why yes. .. .. .and it’s all thanks to Steve and Midwest Metal Works!
When a friend called to ask if I wanted to take a welding class with him, I was quite sure he had butt dialed the wrong person. For what would I do with a welding torch in my hand, I wondered? But he convinced me that my artistic nature would kick in and I could maybe make some of that beautiful garden statuary that I currently pay top dollar for. So after only a «spark» of hesitation, I was an emphatic «YES»!
We showed up on a beautiful Saturday, meeting a couple of other friends all attired in our «welding fashion» (natural fabrics, leather shoes, long sleeves, etc)
After a short lesson in butt joints and other welds– we were given some safety gear and soon a welding torch was in my hand. While it was counter intuitive to me to get my face so close to the shooting sparks, you really have to do it so that you can see! Steve was patient and encouraging acting like my weld was one of the finest he had seen!
The class ran for about 3 hours and cost around $ 80 each for 4 people.
The funny part? (if me in a welding beanie, work clothes and a welding mask isn’t funny enough!) When I was done– Steve asked what each of us were planning to make. When I answered «copper statuary» he looked at me funny and said, «you know that’s brazing not welding, right?»
«Right», said I as I shuffled out of the workshop. «Everyone knows that.. .. .. .»

There is nothing more satisfying than tackling something new and leaving with confidence and understanding.
I took the class with my husband and 2 friends, and almost wanted to bail as I wasn’t sure what I really could do with this skill ultimately. But curiosity and commitment got the better of me, and I don’t regret a single minute of it.
As the other reviewers said, Steve’s coaching style was top-​notch — patient, thorough and encouraging.
His workshop is well-​equipped to handle a small class, complete with stylish Stormtrooper-​esque welding mask/​helmet, apron, and gloves.
At the end of the class, we left with a souvenir of our butt-​joint endeavor and an adorable beanie, which hides a bonus (I won’t tell you what it is but it is truly nifty!)
Better yet, I left with an appreciation for the craft of welding and admiration for those who can do it well.