Welding Resources and Tips

Weekly Welding News

The students in Paul Hogan’s welding class at C.M. Russell High School are giving the bike racks in Great Falls, Montana a major upgrade:

“Soon, the once dull, basic-looking U-shaped bike racks that were placed in front of businesses in downtown Great Falls will be back on the streets, but this time with artistic designs welded to the racks by students.

Hogan said he was contacted by Business Improvement District director Joan Redeen to add new designs to approximately 10 different racks, which worked well for his welding II class, which is mostly project-based.”

 Source: Great Falls Tribune

Each student picked out a bike-related design and went to work on their individual welding projects. And the bike racks in Great Falls aren’t the only things getting an upgrade this week. There’s plenty of news about the latest welding programs, projects, and career opportunities:

Welding Industry

New U.K. Welding Centre Supports Subsea Welding: “The Global Pipeline Welding Development Centre in Clydebank is the culmination of a £10 million investment from offshore energy contractor Subsea 7.

Supported by an £800,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise, the centre has created 30 new skilled jobs with opportunities being created for graduate engineers from Dundee, Stirling and other universities.”

New Bedford, MA Plants to Become Wind Industry Hub: “City officials and business leaders of New Bedford came to the perfect place for inspiration last month, just before they broke ground on America’s first port terminal dedicated to the offshore wind industry. For all the lament in New Bedford about the city’s high unemployment rate, Bremerhaven, Germany, had it worse. Locals once said this was a city of no hope.”

P&A Welding Uses Friction Welding on Titanium: “Researchers and engineers at P&A International have been experimenting with friction stir welding titanium plates as part of its research. ‘We believe this development could have major implications in the industry. It’s an idea that was once considered unlikely because of the physical properties of the ultra-light material. However our results show that it is possible, and this is very exciting for metal fabrication,’ said the P&A International spokesperson.”

Laser Welding for Microfluidic Devices Takes Center Stage: “At the K show (International Tradefair for Plastics and Rubbers) in Düsseldorf, Germany in October, LPKF will be presenting the new PrecisionWeld laser system designed especially for microfluidic applications. This system can create laser-welded seams with a thickness of 100 microns and has positioning repeatability of 10 microns, a high level of precision that is accomplished by separating the housing from the processing compartment.”

Hobart Releases Metal-Core Precision Welding Wire: “Specifically designed for welding on galvanized or thin-gauge steels, FabCOR® F6 operates with 75–95% argon/CO2 balanced shielding gas, resulting in welds with 76,000–76,500 psi tensile strength.”

Special Welding News

Oregon City Sculptor Welds Scrap Metal Sculptures: “A metallic, shining hippocampus -- half horse, half fish -- rides blue-checkered waves on the Oregon City Public Library lawn. The colorful new addition will be on display through July as part of the library's 100th birthday. The 13-foot-tall sculpture is Oregon City artist Ben Dye's most recent contribution to the Clackamas County art landscape. He also has work in West Linn, Estacada, Wilsonville and Oregon City.”

Welding Jobs

Houston Community College Students Get Career Advice: “Employees with Jacobs Field Services spoke to Alvin Community College Welding students on May 8 about what they can expect once they begin searching for a job. The average age of a construction welder is 55 and once they begin to retire companies are going to have to fill the gap, said John Costlow, Jacobs quality control manager.”

Welding Skills Gap Continues with Jobs Open: “A new survey reports the skills gap in the United States is bigger than we thought.  A survey from Manpower Inc. reports 39% of U.S. employers have open positions they can't fill because they can't find qualified workers. ”

Welding Education

Iowa Invests $34 Million in Job Training: “Community colleges will be the place to go for Iowans who need to get their GED, learn basic skills, and earn industry-recognized certificates in welding, health care, technology and other areas.”

Grant Makes Welding Classroom a Reality in Southern Virginia: “Construction is set to begin in June on a new welding classroom at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, making it the only one of its kind in Halifax County. Workforce training in welding here got the green light Thursday when the Virginia Tobacco Commission approved the higher education center’s $154,114 grant request during a meeting in South Hill.”

Welding Events

AWS Pipelines Conference: June 4-5, 2013 in Houston, TX.

"Some of the key subjects that will be covered include the intense interest in the welding of the high strength X80 pipe steels, the many orbital processes that are seeing the light of day in pipeline spreads and from offshore barges throughout the world."

AWS Codes and Standards Conference: July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.

"Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors, and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge."

Welding Promotions and Supplies

Get the latest welding supply deals at Baker’s Gas and Welding. 

Weekly Welding Roundup—Welding News

It’s true that fences make good neighbors, but good welders can also make good fences.

In the city of Kokomo, Brian Mikesell, a teacher at the Kokomo Career Center, is teaching his students real world job skills by designing and fabricating a fence for the town of Kokomo.

Image Source: Kokomo Tribune

According to the Kokomo Tribune, “It’s another partnership between Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight and Kokomo Center Schools Superintendent Jeff Hauswald that is both a way for the city to upgrade a major infrastructure project and lend work experience to about 20 students.”

The project is designed to ensure these welding students aren't fenced in with their future job prospects.

Here are the rest of the welding news links for this week:

Welding Industry

Hyundai Heavy Develops Welding Robot for Shipbuilding: “Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced the Company has developed mini welding robots for building ships. The compact design of the welding machine, measuring 50 cm by 30 cm by 15cm when retracted its welding arm, can operate in confined areas inaccessible to human welders. The robot’s six joints enable the machine to carry out almost all types of welding work at a similar speed usually done by a welder.”

Miami Welding Company Closes, Claiming It Is Owed $300,000: “Custom Welding and Fabrication of Auburndale closed April 15 and says it is owed approximately $300,000 by Tallahassee-based Ajax Building Corporation. Ajax was the general contractor on a parking garage being built for Miami Dade College in Doral. The five-story, $20 million concrete garage collapsed Oct. 10, killing four workers.”

Welding Jobs

Students Test Jobs at SkillsUSA Job Fair: “Nearly 2,000 high-school and college students from all over Florida spent this morning putting their skills – like masonry, welding, hair styling and more – to the test. This is the second of three years for Pensacola State College to host the annual Florida SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference at the Pensacola Bay Center.”

Welding Education

Underwater Welding Students Make a Splash: First year welding instructor Dave Hass of Kankakee Valley High school gave his students the rare opportunity to work on an underwater welding project. “Last week, 10 of his advanced welding students — all juniors and seniors — made 15-minute dives into the pool to apply what they first learned in the classroom. One by one, they dove to the bottom of the pool to work on fabrication with 8-inch flanges and pipe. ‘I want to get the students fired up about this trade, and also to think outside the box with their career choice.’”

Welding Training One Step Closer for Halifax Country Virginia: “Workforce training in welding took one step closer to becoming a reality for Halifax County residents on Friday when the Research and Development arm of the Virginia Tobacco Commission approved a $154,114 request by the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Currently no such welding training exists in Halifax County with welding students having to travel to nearby community colleges or Virginia Technical Institute (VIT) in Altavista to take the classes.”

Sierra College Career Event Inspires Young Women: “The Sierra College first Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) event inspired high school girls to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education and technical careers.
Held at the Rocklin, California campus on April 19, girls from Roseville, Nevada City, Truckee and communities in between visited labs, worked on projects and discussed careers. The 75 female students had a choice of Automotive, Applied Art & Design, Drafting and Engineering Support, Mechatronics, Photography, Technical Theater and Welding.”

Heartland Welding Academy in Illinois Wins AWS Welding Competition: “Marcus Crawford already had plans to attend Ohio Technical College next year to begin training for a welding career.Then he took a first-place award in the American Welding Society’s Midwest Welding Competition, and the prize was a $10,000 scholarship to that very school… Students come from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, said Heartland Technical Academy welding instructor Keith Cusey.”

Welding Events

AWS Pipelines Conference: June 4-5, 2013 in Houston, TX.

"Some of the key subjects that will be covered include the intense interest in the welding of the high strength X80 pipe steels, the many orbital processes that are seeing the light of day in pipeline spreads and from offshore barges throughout the world."

AWS Codes and Standards Conference: July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.

"Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors, and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge."

Welding Gone Wrong

Welder Causes Wild Fire in Dry Valley: “A ranch worker south of Bellevue inadvertently caused a small blaze. Wood River Fire & Rescue Chief Bart Lassman said his firefighting crews were called to the Heart Rock Ranch on state Highway 75 at 10:57 a.m. Tuesday when the ranch manager reportedly ignited dry vegetation while repairing a fence.”

Welding Accident Almost Burns Down Building Used for Training Firefighters: “A Rt. 85 building that is used by fire departments for drills burned Wednesday from a spark caused by welding… The fire was confined to the basement, although it burned a tire so it filled the entire home with smoke, [The Fire Marshal] Occhialini said. Devine [the building owner] said he was at the building about 20 minutes after he stopped welding, but Occhialini said often sparks smolder and it takes a bit for them to turn into a flame.”

Welding Supplies and Promotions

Get the latest welding supply deals, including the Build with Blue promotion, at Baker’s Gas and Welding. 

Weekly Welding Roundup—Welding News

Welding isn’t just for pipelines and hot rods. In fact, some welders have found ways to donate their welding skills to the community by creating lasting memories of their loved ones. In the UK, a Durham Welder Created a Memory Tree:

“A Durham welder has created a stainless steel memorial tree for a local hospice.

Ged Morgan, 50, spent nine months of his spare time working on the creation, always with his late mother Jean in mind.

The father-of-three created the tree, called Everlasting Leaves, to be displayed in the grounds of Willow Burn Hospice in Lanchester, where his wife Diane, 46, works as a therapy assistant.

Hospice chief executive Helen Mills explained the concept behind the tree, which will be used to raise funds for the organisation as well as to provide some comfort to the bereaved.

She said: ‘Everlasting Leaves is a unique way to remember your loved one while also supporting Willow Burn Hospice.’”

Here is the rest of the week’s news in welding:

Welding Industry

4th Welding Competition Creates Beautiful Art: “Teams of student and professional craftsmen from all across the Pee Dee channeled their technical and creative talents to create breathtaking piece of art, using only a pile of scrap material for the 4th Annual Welding Sculpture Competition sponsored by ESAB Welding and Cutting Products.

Each team has several  hours to build and complete their sculpture, each piece of artwork was judged based on aesthetics, quality of workmanship, and adherence  to this years theme, wildlife.”

Welding Jobs

Jessica Blake Follows Father’s Footsteps: “What started as a hobby in honor of her father has turned into a way of life for one welder at Morbark Inc. Jessica Blake, a 32-year-old Mount Pleasant resident, is the first female welder at the company and credits her father with getting her interested in the business.”

Pipeline Welder with Eyeliner: “Missy Phillips… is a welding foreman on the pipeline.  The self-proclaimed “Pipeliner with Eyeliner” has worked in the oilfields for almost eight years, as a welding helper the first year, and a welder the remaining time. She also did minor welding on a drilling rig.”

Winnebago Hires Welders in Northern Iowa: “Winnebago hired more than 30 welders last year, but are now getting caught up with the skill. ‘Last year it was tough to find welders,’ McCarthy said. ‘But we are in good shape now.’ Winnebago travels to various job fairs around north Iowa and southern Minnesota to recruit potential workers.”

Welding Education

Community College Welders Are in the Pipeline to Success: “Twenty-three first-year students at Southwestern Oregon Community College received 39 certifications in shield metal arc welding.

‘That is a 73 percent success rate for these students who have had 22 weeks of welding instruction,’ said Tony LaPlante, the lead welding instructor. ‘Each welded bead is inspected and tested and passes a particular American Welding Society criteria. We think this is a phenomenal pass rate and it means a lot that it was completed by a third party.’”

New Sierra College Mobile Welding Center at Weld Expo in Rocklin, CA: “On April 27 at Weld Expo '13, the new Sierra College Mobile Welding Training Center will be unveiled at 10 a.m. The Miller Road Show and over 20 welding industry partners will provide demonstrations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rocklin campus. Parking and admission is free.”

Fairbanks Academy Trains New Welders: “The students are enrolled in the Welding Academy, a joint partnership between the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, the Fairbanks Area Plumbers & Pipefitters Joint Apprenticeship Program (JATC) and the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center (FPTC).

The Welding Academy is an innovative venture that provides students with 72 hours of pipe welding training from experienced school district and JATC instructors.”

Arkansas State University Welding Program Leads to Jobs: “The first full year of the program, Green said, 39 high school students and 15 adults were enrolled. The program now has 76 students, 25 of whom are high school students.

Green said the classes doubled in size after that first year. He said the salary for graduates of the ASU-Heber Springs Welding Technology program can range from $22,600 to $126,300. The average salary for a graduate is $41,468, Green said.”

Welding Events

AWS Pipelines Conference: June 4-5, 2013 in Houston, TX.

"Some of the key subjects that will be covered include the intense interest in the welding of the high strength X80 pipe steels, the many orbital processes that are seeing the light of day in pipeline spreads and from offshore barges throughout the world."

AWS Codes and Standards Conference: July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.

"Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors, and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge."

Welding Gone Wrong

Minor Welding Fire at Calgary Zoo: “A welder was installing more safety bolts on the doors in the back of the enclosure when some straw started to smoulder, said zoo spokeswoman Trish Exton-Parder. He was able to quickly use a fire extinguisher to put out the smouldering in the straw before it actually caught fire, Exton-Parder said, and then the fire department was called as a precaution and to test for carbon monoxide.”

Fire Destroys Welding Workshop

Welding Supplies and Promotions

Get the latest welding supply deals, including the Build with Blue promotion, at Baker’s Gas and Welding. 

Weekly Welding News

Lincoln Electric is teamed up with several Ohio Boy Scout troops to provide a thorough, hands-on introduction to welding. Northern Ohio's News Herald reported, "more than 100 Boy Scouts from across Ohio visited Lincoln Electric in Euclid on Saturday to try their hand at learning some basic welding skills and earn a welding merit badge."

Photo Credit: News Herald

Scouts learned about basic welding safety, welding techniques, and welding career options. The culmination of the welding day was a 3-D eagle welding project.

The New Herald reported, "Jason Scales, welding education specialist at Lincoln Electric, said students learned practical skills in welding, but officials also tried to help them connect the dots to other forms of education. 'So what we're trying to do is (figure out) how can we take welding education and touch and reach out to different formats and bring it all together and have a clear understanding and have some relevance for these kids.'"

Don't have your welding merit badge yet? No worries. There are plenty of welding training programs popping up all over the nation in order to fill the latest welding job needs.

Welding Jobs

Techpointe Mobile Training Program Puts Welders to Work in Florida: "The mobile skills training program, known as TechPoint, was established by the nonprofit Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Across Florida, there are a lot of jobs in manufacturing and not enough workers with the skills to fill them. The program aims to close that gap, said Ted Astolfi, deputy director of the partnership."

Airbus Could Bring Welding Jobs to Northern Florida: "Economic teams from Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are hoping to lure part suppliers and jobs. The Greater Pensacola Chamber is working to grow existing companies that deal with airplane assembly.  They are also working on attracting new companies by developing new marketing materials aimed directly at Airbus."

Welding Education

Welding Institute Launching Bigger Lab in Wisconsin: "The Welding Skills Institute is using a combined $80,000 it received from Jackson County and the Black River Falls School District to expand its BRF High School-based lab and, in turn, welcome more participants.

The initiative, started last year in an effort to fill a growing local need for skilled welders, will begin its first regular session May 13 with nearly double the number of participants it had in each of its two pilot sessions."

Needed Skills Are Taught at Mobile Community College: "Jefferson Davis Community College will continue to prepare students for manufacturing and technical jobs with employers like Airbus, which broke ground Monday on a facility in Mobile.

There are several courses offered at JDCC campuses in Brewton and Atmore where students can finish with a certificate they can show directly to an employer upon completion, said Al Bennett, director of Workforce Development at JDCC."

Welding Program Builds Careers in Illinois: "Ashlee Liphardt is discovering the spark for success. That's because the junior at DeWitt Central High is finding a future in welding. 'I'm actually really good at this,' she said. 'I could make good money, so why not do it?'

Competing Friday with 57 other high school students at Midwest Technical Institute in Moline, she seems to be on the right path. Welding needs more women."

Welding Events

AWS Pipelines Conference: June 4-5, 2013 in Houston, TX.

"Some of the key subjects that will be covered include the intense interest in the welding of the high strength X80 pipe steels, the many orbital processes that are seeing the light of day in pipeline spreads and from offshore barges throughout the world."

AWS Codes and Standards Conference: July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.

"Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors, and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge."

Welding Gone Wrong

Syracuse House Fire Caused by Welding Accident: "Owner Henry Green was welding in a rear enclosed porch about 5:30 p.m. when the house caught fire. The flames from 616 Hawley Avenue reached 10 to 20 feet high before firefighters could contain the blaze, said John King, a neighbor whose sister, Maryann Green, co-owns the house with her husband."

Spark from Welder Causes Home Fire: "WATERLOO, Iowa - A Waterloo Battalion Chief says stray sparks from a welding torch started a late night basement fire. It happened just before 10 p.m. at 511 Cutler Street in Waterloo. Battalion Chief Michael Moore says the fire started when a spark from a welding torch ignited some nearby cardboard."

Weekly Welding Roundup—Welding News

A young welder is building on her successes along her path to technical college, industrial welding, and a hopeful career in her own welding shop. The Clarkston News reports:

“Michelle Vought is lighting the path to her future with a welding torch. The Oxford High School senior's prowess with fire and metal helped her and her fellow students from Oakland Schools Technical Campus (OSTC) Northeast in Pontiac earn a first place award for a child's pedal car they created as part of the Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pedal Car Challenge. ‘I did the welding on the frame and some of the welding on the body,’ said Vought, who's a student in Auto Technology 3 (the advanced class) at OHS.”

Image Source:  Clarkston News

The welding industry is on the go with new training opportunities and job openings this week. Here’s the weekly round up of welding news: 

Welding Industry

Welding Company Scrambles to Meet Demand: "A local welding company is enjoying a growth spurt thanks to some innovative thinking and a niche market that has become popular with several groups. The production of steel benches, donated to civic entities and funded by advertising dollars, started out as an activity to fill slow time between commercial welding jobs for JLB Welding, but has quickly evolved into much more.

"It has practically become a business in itself," said JLB Welding owner Jeremy Bain. Bain was the lone employee of the welding shop a year ago and has since hired two welders, an office assistant and most recently a sales representative."

Lincoln Electric Adds Welding Brushes to Its Product Line: "Lincoln Electric now offers a line of high-quality Welding Brushes in the new Radius™ Welding Tools product group, a part of the company’s comprehensive line of Welding Gear. The expanding Welding Gear line offers welding operators, schools or employers a single source for all of their apparel and tool needs."

Welding Jobs

The Rochester Home Page reports About Veterans Transitioning to Welding Careers: "The Veterans Outreach Center's new program is helping veterans take the experience they have and earn certification to land high paying jobs in a tough economy. 

"Dan Cummings was in the Navy for five years including two tours in Iraq.  Now, he's back in boot camp in the Rochester School District, 'we're not getting yelled at, it's not early in the morning, and our lives aren't being completely controlled,' explained Cummings, 'so it's just more so learning, which is a big part of boot camp.'"

Welding Jobs Are on Their Way in Alabama: "President of Mobile Works Sydney Raine stated the Alabama Career Center not only provides a resource center for those looking for work, but it has partnered with businesses and local colleges to train individuals on welding, health care, and of course Aerospace industries. Raine stated, 'We presently are funding about 90 young people in class now at Enterprise learning the various trades as it relates to the aerospace industry.'"

Welding Education

Marion Students Dominate Welding Competition in Kansas: "Marion High School dominated a metal inert gas welding competition Friday at North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit. Aaron Molleker, Clint Kroupa and Patrick McCarty swept first through third places respectively, and the overall team won first place in the invitational, sponsored by the Kansas Welding Institute."

Iowa Lakes Welding Program Benefits the Area: "The Trustees of Iowa Lakes learned how area industries benefit from graduates of the college's welding program during their meeting Tuesday afternoon. Tom Brotherton, executive dean of the Emmetsburg campus, introduced the welding program assistant professor Steve Farnsworth, along with the welding lab assistant, Emily Gottsche. Brotherton highlighted the strong enrollments in the program as well as the need for qualified welders across the region."

High School Girls Empowered Through Welding Program: "While the students of Wisconsin's Indianhead Technical College are on Spring Break, some high school girls are taking over their welding shop. The high school students are from Denfeld High and are in the 'Girls Restorative Program,' which is ultimately part of 'Men as Peacekeepers.'

"The after-school program is about building resiliency and fostering community among young women. As part of their program, the girls are learning the basics of welding at WITC in Superior. Holding a torch to steel isn't something any of the girls thought they'd ever do."

Welding Events

AWS Codes and Standards Conference: "An AWS conference all about Codes and Standards is scheduled for July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.

"Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors, and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge."

Welding Noteworthy

Welder Replaces Finger: After losing his finger in an accident, "[Colin] Macduff emerged from his shop one day with an odd looking contraption made using pieces of a bike's handlebars. It took him eight hours of cutting, grinding and welding to get the first bio-mechanical finger. 'It's not designed to make a tight fist, it's designed to grab a tool,' he said.

With just three moving parts, the design was awarded a U.S. patent and Macduff is now fitting other amputees."

Find the latest welding deals and promotions today at Baker’s Gas and Welding.