Jordan Mendler's Home Page
Machine Shop, Metal work, Auto Repair, and other DIY Classes in Los
Angeles
It was amazingly hard to figure out where I can learn the kinds of
things I love to learn. California provides a great public education
system for those interested in continuing education, but like all
governmental organizations all of the information is extremely scattered
and hard to find. So I figured I would consolidate some of the links into
one page. If there are any related programs, categories or information I
missed, please let me know so I can include
them!
The links below are a good starting point but keep in mind that a lot of
the websites are very poor and lack information. Persistence is key here,
and my best recommendation is find out when the class meets and go one day
to talk to the professor before class and check out the shop. Another
option is to call the schools -- worth a try but they often do not return
voicemails and make it hard to find the right person to talk to. Just keep
trying because it is worth it. Some of the hardest to find programs and
those with no webpage and just a listing in a huge catalog have turned out
to be the best ones.
Most of the programs mentioned have classes for under $100. Many are around
$50 or $60 for a semester-long class. I will keep posting here as I remember
them, so check back periodically.
Metal work & Welding (the key is to look at both, since some schools
have good classes in both and others only have one department):
Shops I have been to:
- Long Beach City College (Long Beach):
Very strong Sheet Metal, Welding, and Metal Fabrication programs. If
it was closer to West LA it would be my defacto shop.
- Venice High School's adult
program: Complete metal shop that is open 2 nights a week. They
are super laid back so you can go and work on your own projects using
their equipment. The instructor Juan and all of the shop veterans are
extremely nice and helpful if you want to learn how to do something or
how to use a particular machine. They have just about everything,
including Lathes, Welding, Sheet metal equipment, and even a furnace
if you want to do your own Casting. Awesome place. Currently
Closed
- El Camino College (Torrance):
Lots of classes in metal work both with hand operating machines and
CNC. More of a formal structured format than Venice.
- North Valley Occupational Center (Misson
Hills): Machine Shop, Welding
Programs I have found but have no experience with:
More programs throughout SoCal (from here):
Auto & Motorcycle Repair:
Shops I have been to:
- Los Angeles Pierce College
(Woodland Hills): I have taken the engine rebuilding, suspension
and brakes, and transmission classes. Tom Rosdahl is great.
- Los Angeles Trade Tech College
(Close to Downtown and South Central): The only cheap Motorcycle
school I have found. Mustafa is very knowledgeable but his class is
lecture heavy and not enough hands-on lab/project work for hobbyists,
but great for professionals that want to learn motorcycles inside out
starting from the theory. As of 2017, they say the program is
undergoing vast improvements, but not sure when/what.
Programs I have found but have no experience with:
Auto Body:
Shops I have been to:
Programs I have found but have no experience with:
Misc random subjects that look interesting:
More Programs and useful links:
This page is somewhat up-to-date as of April 2017.