Bernie Bisnette has no blueprints, no boss, and no clue where to begin.  His only companions on the job are his welding tools and the trolley car in front of him that he’s about to restore.

A streetcar to desire [again]

Welder/fabricator gets century-old trolleys back on track

By Amanda Carlson
July 27, 2009

Welder/fabricator Bernie Bisnette takes the corroded, worn-down, and skeletal remains of trolley cars and restores them to their original appearance for the Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport, Maine.

As the only metalworking restoration technician at the Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport, Maine, Bernie Bisnette likens his job to a case of attention deficit disorder (ADD). Bouncing around from one trolley project to another and switching gears from removing rivets, to annealing work-hardened steel, to building up components worn down by years of corrosion are enough to make anyone wonder.

While it can be a lot for just one person to handle, the retired Marine Corps aircraft maintenance mechanic remembers that the job requires no blueprints, no expensive equipment, and allows him to be 100 percent creative. The best part is he finds his escape from the high-stress, fast-paced computer-driven world when it”s just him and a 100-year-old piece of American history. What could be better?

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At the beginning of September this year, way up north in Calgary, Alberta, hundreds of young professionals from all over the world will congergate to compete in WorldSkills 2009.   Particpants compete in areas ranging anywhere from bricklaying and hairdressing to robotics and floristry.

However, since this is a welding blog, you’ll probably be leaning toward the construction metal works, welding, and sheet metal technology categories.

This is what WorldSkills International has to say about the event:

Power. Passion. Precision. Craftsmanship. Camaraderie. Competition!

These six words represent the thrill, excitement and spirit of WorldSkills International.

Every two years, hundreds of the best young professionals from trades, service and technical programs around the world gather to showcase their talents and abilities. This thrilling, high-performance, four day WorldSkills Competition is the biggest event of its kind in the world.

WorldSkills International was established in 1950. Today it is made up of 51 Member countries/regions worldwide. Participants compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals – striving to excel in world-class standards in 45 skill categories, ranging from cabinetmaking to web design.

Yet WorldSkills International is more than just a head-to-head challenge between aspiring professionals. It is a unique, not-for-profit, non-political, non-denominational association whose Members are responsible for promoting vocational education and training in their respective countries/regions.

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For more information, you can go to the WorldSkills Calgary website HERE.

As only the second Canadian host of this event in its 59-year history, WorldSkills Calgary 2009 is proudly hosting The 40th WorldSkills Competition from September 1 – 7, 2009. Over 900 international Competitors will compete simultaneously in 45 skill categories during four days of intense Competition on Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hailed as the pinnacle of global skills, trades, and technology competition, this biennial event promotesWelding, construction metal works, and sheet metal technology excellence and international competency industry standardsCONTINUE READING ONLINE -

For More Information

• If you are interesting in welding, click on the link to access a list of welding disciplines, career opportunities and welding schools throughout the U.S. •Click on the link to access awelding school in your area. • Jennifer Simpson, the creator of the carmenelectrod.com, a welder’s Web site, gives some tips for women in the welding industry. Click on the link to read her suggestions. •Click on the link to get some information on where to buywelding clothes for women.

Check out this shout-out Carmen Electrode got on News 8 Austin!
This sidebar is taken directly from Channel News 8’s page on this article about women welders:

Welding industry could use a feminine touch

8/6/2009 11:58 AM

By: Bonnie Gonzalez

The welding industry could use a woman’s touch.

If you think welding is a man’s job, think again.

Carissa Love is a top welding student at Texas State Technical College in Waco. She’s on an equal playing field, if not higher with the rest of the crowd, according to welding instructor Ryan Rummel.

“She’s one of the best welders that we have here. Considering that she is the only girl out of 250 guys, she does a good job,” Rummel said.

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Not only are Carmen and our own Jennifer Simpson mentioned, but so is her article on Tips for Women in the Welding Industry and below it, Arc-Zone.com’s welding gear for women!

Thanks so much for featuring us Bonnie Gonzalez and News 8 Austin!

Editor’s Note: Yes, we know that carmenelectrod.com is not the actual name of this website, but the link itself is correct!
(It’s www.carmenelectrode.com, but you already knew that)

British Columbia Insitute of Technology (BCIT) Alumni Amber Lyn and Mimi Law make their home institute proud in this YouTube video from BCIT TV.  These women have combined their passions of art and welding to make some rockin’ metalwork.

If you’ve ever had any questions with regards to finding the proper filler metal for welding aluminum (or aluminium, as everyone else calls it), then look no further!  Tony Anderson from the AWS has exactly what you need:

Finding an ally alloy

6 variables that affect aluminum filler alloy selection

By Tony Anderson
May 15, 2009

Choosing the best filler metal for aluminum welding involves taking into account the operating conditions of the finished welded component as well as six important variables that can affect the operating condition.

Editor’s Note: This article is adapted from Tony Anderson’s presentation for the Aluminum Association Conference, May 5-6, 2009, Toronto, by the American Welding Society.

Filler alloy selection for welding aluminum is an essential part of the development and qualification of a suitable weld procedure specification (WPS). Choosing the most appropriate filler alloy for welding aluminum is based on the operating conditions of the finished welded component and a number of variables.

When selecting a filler alloy for welding aluminum, it’s a good idea to compare the performance of each filler alloy against each of the six variables: ease of welding, strength of the welded joint, ductility, corrosion resistance, sustained-temperature service, and postweld heat treatment.

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If you’re looking for some filler metal of your own, you can check out the Arc-Zone eBay Store.

If you’re welding on the job in a position that requires wearing a hard hat, why don’t you check out the new Sperian helmet.  Called the “Galaxy”, it’s a “passive flip front, high impact approved welding helmet… with a hard hat adaptor”.  That means no more switching back and forth between welding helmet and hard hat while you’re on the job.

Sperian’s Galaxy high impact welding helmet now with hard hat adaptor

10 July 2009

SPERIAN has launched the Galaxy high impact welding helmet with a hard hat adaptor.

According to Sperian, its Galaxy high impact welding helmet is currently the only passive flip front, high impact approved welding helmet on the market. It is tested to Australian Standards, and approved by SAI Global.

The Galaxy welding helmet is now fitted with a hard hat adaptor to suit PA620V and MSA V-Guard Elite hard hats.

Also available as a spare part, users can quickly convert their standard Galaxy high impact welding helmets to be used with a hard hat.

This provides protection for the head without needing to switch helmets and hardhats. The Galaxy high impact welding helmet with hard hat adaptor can be used at construction sites.

Welders using the Galaxy high impact welding helmet with hard hat adaptor can change the distance from the Auto Darkening Filter (ADF) to the eye, and the angle of the welding helmet to the hard hat to suit to their personal needs and working environment.

New from Miller:

Safeguard your senses with the new Powered Air Purifying Respirator, or PAPR.  Don’t be fooled by the acronym though; this product does much more than a mere piece of PAP[E]R ever could.

Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR)

Your solution to a cleaner breathing zone. The lightweight design, innovative shoulder straps and dual air speeds provide protection and maximum comfort.

Lightweight blower design (3.25 lb) provides all day comfort and reduces fatigue. Over 1 lb lighter than the leading brand!

Comfortable shoulder straps reduce fatigue over long shifts and distribute weight to provide a comfortable and secure fit for a wide variety of users.

Dual air speeds allow users to adjust the volume of air to maximize comfort in varied work conditions.

(more…)

by Jennifer Simpson

I first ran into Christina Sporrong online while searching for “women welders.”  Her business website for Spitfire Forge in Taos, New Mexico came up.  I bookmarked the page, and even exchanged a few emails with Christina.  One of the things that intrigued me about her was that she teaches welding workshops for women, so a few months later when I found myself in New Mexico I had the opportunity to meet her face to face.

Christina moved to Taos in a VW Van with four hundred dollars in her pocket and a toolbox.  Even though she had some skill as a welder, she started waitressing to earn money.  A lot of the girls she worked with thought it would be cool to learn to weld, so Christina started teaching them.  Back then she only charged $50 per person and used that money to buy more tools.

She’s now been in New Mexico for over twelve years and lives on Taos’ west mesa on 15 acres of land.  She built her house herself, putting to use her skills in construction and fabrication and her artistic aesthetic.  When she sent me directions and a description of the property via email I was sure I would get lost and I knew, in my low riding Volkswagen beetle, it would be slow when she told me to turn onto a gravel road and go for seven miles.  I was supposed to look for the tall ranch gate with an anvil and a dark house with gear teeth and lots of sculptural stuff in the yard.

“It should be obvious,” she wrote.

We were both right.  The seven miles took me about 20 minutes, skirting the western edge of the Rio Grande.  Christina’s description, however, didn’t do the property or the landscape justice.  The house itself is a rustic brown concrete looking structure, its shape reminiscent of a Quonset hut with the roof shaped like the wheel of a gear. Although it is industrial, it somehow feels organic, mimicking the shape of the Sangre de Cristo mountains rising above Taos to the east across the gorge. (more…)

For inmates in North Carolina, welding is not just another skill to learn in your free time.  For them, it’s sink or swim.  Skills like welding, plumbing, and carpentry are being taught to the inmates at the Cleveland County Correctional Center in hopes of making their transition back into everyday life a lot smoother.  However, looming budget cuts may soon close down the program, and eventually, the center as well.

For the story from NC News Channel 14, GO HERE->

Program to teach inmates in budget jeopardy

Updated 07/30/2009 06:23 PM
By: Kate Gaier

SHELBY, N.C. – The Cleveland County Correctional Center in Shelby said inmates are lining up for a program that helps them transition back into society.

It aims to teach the inmates a trade so they don’t go right back into a life of crime. But state budget cuts are threatening to shut down that program and the entire correctional facility.

“These guys are going to be released back into our community,” Ryan Bralley, correctional case manager, said. “So we need to give them something to fall back on.”

The Cleveland County Correctional Center is set to close on December first if the budget passes in its current form.

David Page, who learned welding in the program, was 20 years old when convicted of second-degree murder in 1997. When he’s released in 29 months, Page hopes to put that skill to work instead of becoming a repeat offender.

“Other than this welding school, this trade that I just completed, I really wouldn’t have anything to fall back on,” Page said. “It’s given me hope that I can do good and live right when I get back out there.”

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I may have just found my new favorite welding website: The Metal Worker.  It’s Australia’s “premier metalworking news website” and it’s keeping me up to date on all the latest international welding news.  They even have some helpful tips – check it out:

Ten things about MIG welding

10 July 2009

WELDING Industries of Australia has listed ten things which not many people know about MIG welding.

1.    A MIG welder operates by creating an arc between a continuously fed filler metal (consumable) and the material being welded.

2.    MIG welding can weld all common metals, including carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium.

3.    The MIG welding process caters for either light gauge material, such as sheet metal or thick plates, such as structural steel.

4.    MIG welding is up to four times faster, with nearly double the metal deposition rate when compared to the Stick welding process.

5.    Welders are classified by how much amperage they can generate at a given duty cycle.  Basically, amperage equals heat. Amperage required also varies with wire size, welding position and shielding gas being used.

6.    Duty cycle is the amount of time during a 10-minute period that a welder can operate at any given amperage without overheating. For thicker metals or bigger jobs, choose a welder with higher duty cycle capabilities.

7.    MIG welders can be used for both solid wire or flux cored wire. Switch the polarity links near the drive system to change from solid to flux cored wire.

8.    MIG welders offer the versatility to run different diameter wires.  Using thinner wires, such as 6mm, minimizes the chance for burn-through on thin materials.  Conversely, using thicker wires, such as 1.2mm will deposit larger welds and can help ensure excellent fusion on thicker metals.

9.    The shielding gas required varies with the type of application and metal being welded.  Most mild steel applications call for a mixture of 75% Argon and 25% CO2.  Aluminium requires pure Argon, whereas stainless steel welds best with a tri-mix, or Argon and 2% Oxygen.

10.    MIG welding can be used across a wide range of applications and welding positions, including rural work, metal fabrication, manufacturing and automotive.

What are your favorite welding websites?  Let us know – we’re always on the lookout for up and coming welders, new companies, and the latest in welding equipment!