While there's no substitute for experience, there's no harm in reading into a subject before you launch yourself into it. By having a foundation of knowledge before you start you vastly increase your chances of success by reducing frustration and failure, while also decreasing the possibility of injuring yourself. I asked a friend who welds frequently as part of his job to recommend a book and this is the one he chose.

• Give yourself a head start on technique.

• These are our recommendations.