I'm thinking about taking a class on building frames. I'm not interested in building frames for a living. I just want to build a frame or two for me and some friends. I'm interested in both lugged construction and lugless steel. I'd love to dabble in other materials, but the cost and knowhow make it out of my reach for now.

I have heard about the classes that Brew teaches. Has anyone taken classes there? Are there other suggestions?

For those of you who have, what kind of experience did you have before taking the class? I have never built a frame, but I have been a silversmith for many years, so I'm familiar with soldering (granted it's usually much smaller pieces I'm soldering). I have done a little bit of welding, but not enough that I feel comfortable with it yet.