In Tacoma, Washington, soldiers are learning how to weld in the months before being deployed overseas.  This new skill will give them the ability to modifty their vehicles in order to have “safety or tactical enhancements” should the need arise.

Soldiers warm up to welding

Military: New skills will allow modifications of vehicles while in Iraq

SCOTT FONTAINE; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: 07/22/09

Pvt. Jessica Equihua slipped on a pair of oversized gloves, dropped a mask over her face, fired up a welding torch and let the sparks fly.

JOE BARRENTINE/The News Tribune

While others in her Fort Lewis-based platoon watched Tuesday, she slowly welded two small metal plates together at a 90-degree angle.

In a few months, she could be asked to use her new skills on a Humvee or other military vehicles in Iraq.

“It’s good to learn this stuff now instead of getting over there and not know when we need it,” the 20-year-old automated logistical specialist said. “Plus it’s fun. And maybe with some practice, you know, I could be good at it.”

Equihua is one of about 75 members of Fort Lewis’ 602nd Forward Support Company receiving a crash course in welding this week at Pacific Welding Supplies’ Auburn location. The Tacoma-based company agreed to train the soldiers at no cost after a noncommissioned officer from the unit contacted them, saying more of his company’s members needed basic welding skills ahead of their deployment to Iraq in September.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Do you have any stories about welding being used in unusual or unexpected situations?  We’d like to know!  You can contact us at carmenelectrode@arc-zone.com.

“If you’re good at video games, you might be good at welding.”  This was the sentiment of one of the students at the MITech Plus Construction and Technology Camp at Michigan’s Delta College.  The camp’s attendees are finding out not only that they might like welding, but that the skills that they use in this new field are surprisingly similar to the ones that they use in their day-to-day lives.

Bay area youths learn trade skills at Delta College camp

by Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times
Thursday July 23, 2009, 8:27 AM

Brian Siler of Midland was a drummer in high school and said it required quick hand and eye coordination, rhythm and focus.

After attending MITech Plus Construction and Technology Camp at Delta College in 2007, the 2008 Midland High School graduate knew he could put those skills he acquired in band toward a future career in welding

“I originally wanted to be in the carpentry section of the camp,” said Siler, 19, “but that program had so many kids in it that they put me in the welding program.”

He said once he got started he couldn’t stop.

“Welding requires this patience, precision and rhythm,” he said. “If you’re good at video games, you might be good at welding.”

In its third year, the MITech Plus Construction and Technology Camp, which ends today, had 65 students, from sixth to 12th grade, attend this week.

Now a student in Delta College’s Welding Engineering Technology program, Siler is back at the camp that inspired his passion for welding working as a team leader.

“Welding is a job high in demand right now, so it’s good to introduce these kids to it,” said Siler.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Pamela Olin of IL sees welding as an art form and the torch as her (eyeliner) brush.  With her unique perspective, and through a series of courses this fall, Olin is going to get local women intersted in the world of welding.

New classes seek to bring women into world of welding

Published: 7/13/2009 12:02 AM
By Alissa Groeninger | Daily Herald StaffContact writer

Arlington Heights resident Pamela Olin began welding 16 years ago when she was seven months pregnant with her second child.

“I had ideas that I thought best expressed in steel,” she said.

She soon became a nationally known welding artist, and beginning this fall, Olin will teach two classes at Harper College: “Welding for Women” and “Make Your Own Garden Structure.” Both are noncredit courses that will introduce women to the concepts of welding.

Welding is a sculptural process that brings materials together, of which metal is the most commonly used.

PHOTO COURTESY ERIN BROOKS

“They can really create anything they can imagine,” Olin said. “My art projects don’t get shoved under the bed when they get home.”

Olin, a first-time instructor at Harper, approached the department director about starting the classes after doing an independent study at the Palatine community college last spring. “She came in with a unique proposal,” said Scott Cashman, Harper’s continuing education manager.

Cashman said he is excited the class will apply welding to the arts and believes it will be a nice addition to other three-dimensional art classes, like pottery.

“It’s an aspect of art that I really wanted to be able to build on,” Cashman said, adding that such classes offer Harper students a more well-rounded education.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Imagine my suprise when I opened up the July issue of the Fabricator and found an article written by our very own Jennifer Simpson, editor of this very blog!  Now, don’t think I’m biased, but it is a pretty article, don’t you think?  Oh, what do you know – you haven’t even read it yet!

Advice and maintenance practices to ensure quality

By Jennifer Simpson
July 1, 2009

Even though money is tight, saving it by purchasing less reputable GTAW torches or skimping on maintenance practices can cause more harm than good in the long run.

Photos courtesy of Matt Munz, Arc-Zone.com Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.

When times are tough our initial instinct is to save money and buy cheap. That’s not always the best strategy, especially when you’re looking at a new gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) torch.

One of the biggest differences between a low-quality and high-quality torch is the materials used in manufacturing it, as well as the production process. Quality torches last longer, run cooler, provide a stable arc, and offer overall improved weld quality.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Want to read some more articles written by Jennifer?  Check out these two other fabricator articles: Obtenga la conexión and Optimize your plasma performance, co-written by our own Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder.

Everyday you see dozens of ads on tv advertising a vocational school where you can learn a new skill, a new trade, and find a new career in this poor economy.  Well, what if those classes- that education- was free?  That’s exactly what’s happening to these soon-t0-be welders in Alabama.  Their state is giving them training… for FREE.

Free welding training offered for south Mobile County residents

Wednesday, July 08, 2009
By RENA HAVNER PHILIPS
Staff Reporter

After being diagnosed with diabetes, Andy Anderson of Irvington had to give up his nine-year career as a truck driver and look for work closer to home.

He scanned the newspaper’s classified advertising section, but the economy’s tough, and few jobs are available.

“It seems like the only jobs you see are for a welder or a truck driver,” said Anderson, whose father was a welder for 35 years. “Welding interested me.”

So Anderson became one of 33 people to enroll in new, free maritime welding classes at the Bryant Career-Technical Center on Padgett Switch Road in Irvington.

Hundreds of south Mobile County residents will get welding training over the next three years.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

It wasn’t too long ago that JoeWelder.com did a post on Nuts, Bolts, & Thingamajigs, the FMA organization designed to encourage young people to explore careers in manufacturing.  And now, we are seeing Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs in action!  They are conducting manufacturing day camps for girls in conjunction with Talahassee Community College.  If you had wanted to join in the fun, sadly, they ended last month.  But there’s always next year!

TCC DAY CAMPS INTRODUCES NEW CAREER OPTIONS FOR GIRLS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – TCC’s Center for Workforce Development and Workforce Plus will hold a camp entitled Girls Empowered in Manufacturing (GEM), June 15-18. The camp will be held on TCC’s main campus and attended by 25 girls pre-selected from Gadsden County Schools, ages 16-18, from Gadsden County. Funding for the camp comes through a grant from the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners and the Foundation of Fabricators and Manufacture’s Association, International – Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs initiative. Additional support for the camp is provided by the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 592. GEM will introduce young women to welding and metal fabrication with the goal of encouraging them to consider a career in welding or metal fabricating.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Guilty pleasure meets guilty pleasure in this pairing of two of TLC’s shows: Jon and Kate Plus 8 and American Chopper.  For those of you don’t know, the shows, respectively, are about the ongoing life of a family with sextuplets and twins and the ongoing life of a motorcycle fabrication shop.  It is hard to belive, but the two of them came together for a joint episode in which Jon Gosselin (from the former) was going to build a custom motorcycle, with help from the latter.

In the past couple of years, companies have come up with green-friendly everythings.  Green-friendly notebooks, paper, pencils, cars, laptops, dishwasher detergent, window cleaner, you name it!  (I’m waiting for them to come up with green trees in a couple of years…)

The point is, we have “green”ed our products, but we have yet to “green” our energy!  Personally, I think we’re going about this a bit backwards, don’t you?

‘Greenergy’—the Next Big Thing

Renewable energy generation renews market, savings opportunities

By Kate Bachman, Editor March 10, 2009

Unless you have been living like a “Lost” survivor or studying stalagmites up close, you’ve witnessed the explosion of green energy generation—”greenergy”—poised to make the dot.com craze look like a blip in comparison.

Harnessing the power of the earth, water, sun, and sky is not new, of course. In fact, some applications date back hundreds, even thousands, of years—think solar tile baking ovens and merchant sail ships. Hydroelectricity is currently the leading renewable-energy source to generate electricity in the U.S. Windmills have been around long enough to be the nostalgic symbol of Holland and the shape of tasty cookies.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

To see a bit about Arc-Zone’s green efforts, have a look at this video about our company–>

Spread the word, tell a friend – welding jobs are in high demand!

Out of tragedy, art is born.

It was only two years ago –  a University of Michigan Medical Center transplant team was lost when their plane crashed into Lake Michigan as they were returning to the hospital.  Douglas Hollis, a native of Ann Arbor, was selected from amongst artists across the country to build a sculpture, “Rotations”, to commemorate the team members.

CONTINUE READING ARTICLE ONLINE ->