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…)

We first “met” Marcia Sommer when she called in to Arc-Zone.com looking for some equipment for a laser welding application. A welder for 25 years, Marcia is a technical consultant and teaches at two local colleges.

“Crowder College and Missouri Southern State University has an Alliance that does consulting and instruction in industry. They needed a combination welder who could teach and consult. It snowballed from there,” she says.

She wasn’t sure about the teaching part of the job at first. Marcia learned a lot about tools and troubleshooting from her father, a skilled craftsman, but got on the job training as a welder’s helper for a pipe crew where she worked for two years and took night classes at the local trade school. She learned by being a good hand for the “old welders.” Marcia says you just have to “be still and listen. So that is how I teach now that I am the old welder,” she jokes.

That way of teaching seems to work for Marcia– on a lot of levels. “After I finished [teaching] my first class I knew this was something where I could get all the best things you look for in a job. Great people, important work, paying back, and feeling blessed.”

Her favorite projects are making something for the Agricultural Department’s large, working farm at Crowder College. “My students enjoy doing real world projects,” she says.

Though GTAW with stainless or titanium is what she loves best, Marcia says that in the last few years she has enjoyed GMAW as well. “I put together a large deer made of ¼” round stock. The GMAW let me move as fast as the ideas.

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I hate to admit it but I don’t know how to weld. Sure, I know a lot about welding, the various processes, the equipment you need–  especially the high performance TIG welding accessories at Arc-Zone.com.  I even know a bit about plasma arc welding and cutting. But ’til now it’s all been book learnin’ and talking to a lot of knowledgeable people.

Finally I got a short one-on-one lesson in TIG Welding from Arc-Zone’s own Joe Welder (aka my boss, Jim Watson).  Wow. What an eye opener that was! 

 And fun.

First off, let me assure you, that contrary to popular belief, Welding is NOT for dummies.  You have to keep a lot of things in mind. And if you want to be any good, you’ll have to understand about electricity, metallurgy, a little geometry, joint fit up, and then there’s the hand-eye coordination that takes practice. And more practice.

Safety First.

Even though with TIG welding you don’t see sparks flying, you still need eye protection. We did not have one of the super slick fancy electronic welding helmets in stock so I had to go old skool and flip my lid up and down.  

At least the helmet looked good– the orange flames matched my long-sleeved  cotton t-shirt perfectly.

And check out these gloves. They’re the Firefly TIG Gloves made for women who weld, which means the sizing is smaller.  I was suprised at how well I could maneuver the TIG Torch and the filler rod.

 

Here’s Jim showing me the proper way to hold the TIG torch.  It’s heavier than it looks,  and this was a WP-20 water cooled TIG torch.  Though the torch body  itself only weighs 3 oz. you’ve got to take into consideration the weight of the cables and hoses which makes it a little awkward and it feels heavier than it really is.  Because this is delicate work, you’re using all those tiny muscles in your hand, wrist and forearm.  Of course I’m a bit of a wimp, I’ll admit it.

I let Jim set up the machine.  This is a basic Miller Machine upgraded with a Cool Kit so we can use the water cooled TIG Torch.  

First he opened up the Argon bottle-  slowly so as not to “shock” the flow meter.  

Next he plugged in the water cooler. It was a little noisy, but not too bad.  Kinda comforting to hear the hum and gurgle since the welding machine itself was so quiet.

Then he checked that the work cable was grounded to the work bench…  

 

Jim got me a coupon to practice on, 308L Stainless Steel, and some 1/16″ diameter  308L Stainless steel rod.  We cleaned the material with EZ Wipes to make sure there was nothing to contaminate the weld and mess it up (I figured I could do that all by myself without any help from dirt).  

Jim turned the machine to Electrode negative 150 amps, and I was ready to roll!

NEXT POST:  See the results…..

Growing up in the Black Hills with a mechanical engineer for a father, it’s no surprise that Jessi Combs became a metal fabricator.

“I was surrounded by the Sturgis Rally, Cruise Night, and a lot of 4-wheeling…. if I broke it I had to fix it, and if I wanted it I usually had to make it, and making it usually meant welding was involved,” says Jessi.

Jessi has been welding for as long as she can remember even though she wasn’t always great at it. “But that’s what school and practice is for,” she says.  And it wasn’t just welding that interested her.

WyoTech offers a degree in Custom Automotive Fabrication, a natural fit for Jessi’s interests and skills.  “To weld is to join pieces together to the point of melting the surfaces together. As a metal fabricator, there is a lot more planning, shaping, fitting and building than simply welding it together.”

Jessi’s career path started like many young people’s from working retail to waitressing and “one lame desk job that lasted only six months.”  However, things changed by the time she graduated.  She was hired as a Fabrication Specialist building a 1969 Mercury Cyclone as the WyoTech SEMA Show car, and right after that she became the host of Xtreme 4×4, the off-road, how-to show on Spike TV.

“For over three years we built all kinds of off-road trucks, trailers, tow rigs, and even some street trucks for millions of viewers. Since then I have been doing side jobs fabricating for others in the middle of doing a slew of freelance TV gigs,” she says.

Jessi is also a spokesperson for the American Welding Society and says that the average age of today’s craftsmen is 58 years old– soon they will be retired.

“As spokesperson it is my job to excite our youth about all the possibilities of becoming a welder. There is a high demand for welders and there is a lot of money to be made as a welder.”

Many women are under the misconception that women who weld are not particularly feminine. Jessi seems to balance this very well.  “No matter how dirty I get or how many guys I work with, I still love doing girlie things. And at the end of the day I know that I am still the beautiful, nurturing creature God created me to be.”

According to Jessi there are many lucrative opportunities in the welding world for women and that women are created with patience and great attention to detail. These jobs bring a sense of courage and independence. “Not all of them are dirty jobs either,” she says. “Look at the medical and jewelry fields or even art and furniture.  If you’re looking for a fun career, change of pace or something to challenge you a bit more there is a plethora of opportunities.”

And, in case you’re wondering, Jessi is TIG-er.  “It’s a very calming process and when you’re done its quite clean and actually beautiful.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Our interview was delayed for a couple of days when Jessi went to the Baja 1000, something she’d wanted to do since she was young.  She reports via email:  “Pistol Pete and his trophy truck team let me tag along for the pre-run and the race. I got some seat time in the pre-run, but unfortunately we blew a head gasket at mile 8 and the trio was cut short.”
Hopefully they’ll do better next time around!

As a side note, if you’re not familiar with the Baja 1000, in 2006 my friend James Spring reported on this “toughest 24 hours in motor sports,” for public radio.

This from the American Welding Society features Jessi Combs, fabricator extraordinaire (and Troy Trepanier and Bryan Fuller. Oh, and Jay Leno makes a guest appearance). I’m interviewing her for our next NEW ROSIE. She is currently participating in the Baja 1000. Not sure in what capacity, but I’ll get the details soon. In the meantime, check out this video. Welding as a career is hot hot hot!

Hopefully we’ll be seeing some serious investment in infrastructure in the next few years, and the opportunities for highly skilled fabricators will only grow exponentially. (you can’t send a bridge to China for repair!)

The Skills USA Championship is a well-known competition for high school and college students pursuing careers in trade, technical and skilled trade professions.

With various categories for participants to compete in, Sara Bingham seemed like an average participant at the Skills USA Utah State Championship. However, when she was announced as the first place winner in welding, Bingham stood out among her competitors.

“They called my name and everyone in the audience kept looking around to be sure they really heard a girl’s name. When I stood up, everyone’s mouths fell open in shock,” Bingham said.

Bingham welded for the first time as sophomore in high school at her father’s metal recycling business where she worked since she was 8. But, it was not until she took an advanced welding course at her high school that she began taking an interest.

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I was invited to guest blog over on the Miller Viewpoints blog…  while I appreciated the opportunity, and am truly honored that they asked, I have to say it was a little different blogging through a corporate machine.  First off, they wanted 250 words.  Two hundred-fifty words?  Are you kidding me?  that just gets me started! “The 250 words is just a rough guide,” they assured me.

So, I turned in my 876 word piece, Weld Like A Girl: Tips for Women in the Welding Industry. And waited.

Five days later, word came back. “Because it’s longer than we typically use for a single post, we’re going to make it into a series…” said my Miller contact.

Sounded fine with me.  I was proud of what I wrote, and three posts is better than one!

And so I waited some more as the edits, the approvals, and the blog post itself wended its way up the corporate chain of command. Word finally came back a week and a half later, “….they would only approve uploading the first topic, covering ‘Knowledge is Queen’”

[sigh]
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Most land lubbers stop at a gas station or two when they be travellin’ ‘tween Pennsylvania and Florida.  This lass, however, dropped anchor in Virginia t’ help weld up a pirate ship.

“It was a real good thing I showed up when I did. I made a lot of repairs from the welders that were there before me then I helped build the deck and above. It was probably the best job I ever had,” said Terri Asby.

Terri’s interest in welding was sparked at a Norfolk, Virginia high school in the late 70s.  She took all the elective classes that were offered:  cooking, sewing, small engine repair, wood shop and then welding, where her teacher James Reynolds took a special interest in her. “I could go to his class anytime I wanted….to build things. I built a rabbit cage, go cart, a six- foot shelf, and a coffee table to name a few,” she said.

The next year, Terri went to a vocational school where she learned even more about welding.  Then a classmate brought her an application for the Newport News Shipyard.  She applied, got the job and worked there for two years.  “They certified me for many different techniques–  ones that a lot of people never heard of, and I have not used since, but it made my resume look good!”
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With a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton, Erin Justice was a good catch– for Lincoln Electric’s technical sales team. “I was recruited….right out of college,” she says.

As a native of the Cleveland area, Erin was familiar with the reputation of Lincoln Electric, a leading manufacturer of welding equipment. It was the people at Lincoln that clinched the deal. “Lincoln is a big company with a small company feel,” she says. “Everyone is very personable.” The combination of technical expertise and a pleasant work environment seemed to be the perfect fit.

Erin’s official bio states that although she had some experience welding during a stick welding lab in college, it wasn’t until she went through 16 weeks of welding classes at Lincoln’s renown welding school that she learned the special skills needed to excel as a technical sales representative in the Detroit District office.

As an engineer, it’s not surprising that Erin finds the challenge of welding to be a big part of the draw. “Welding is an art that requires a lot of practice. There is a lot of science and technology behind that art,” she says.

She is familiar with SMAW, GMAW, FCAW and SAW but counts GTAW as her favorite. “It takes a lot of time and skill to get good at. The skilled TIG welders I’ve met always have the best tips and tricks and it’s amazing to watch them work.”

Discrimination has not been a problem for Erin. “As a woman I don’t think people expect you to know a lot about welding. Once you show that you know what you’re talking about, it doesn’t matter what gender you are,” she says.

As proof, after a year and half, Erin was able to parlay her experience and skills to a move back to Cleveland where she is now a corporate trainer along with three other technical trainers at Lincoln’s headquarters. The school trains customers, distributors and Lincoln employees by providing general product knowledge, background for sales knowledge and best practices on maximizing productivity.

Growing up, Erin’s parents encouraged her development in math and sciences while her grandfather—an engineer—encouraged her to pursue her education in engineering. Had she known then what an integral part of her career welding would be, she probably would have advised her fifteen-year-old self to take a class or get involved with a welding club.

As for young women interested in welding as a career? Erin would encourage them to consider a career in welding even though women are still a minority. “There are a lot of great career opportunities available…. If you think about it, there aren’t too many things that you use on a daily basis that haven’t in some way been touched by welding.”

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The Lincoln Electric Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc-welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market.

Since 1917, the Lincoln Electric Welding School has instructed over 100,000 men and women in the various methods and techniques of safety and arc welding processes. These Lincoln-trained students are in high demand by a variety of welding fabricators, at pay levels that exceed industry average. In addition, the school is listed by the Ohio State Board of School and College Registration, under certificate number 71-02-0059T. The Lincoln Electric Welding School is the oldest and one of the most respected arc welding schools in the United States.

A common thread among many women welders is that they were first introduced to welding by a man in their lives. Laura Knight is no exception. “I started welding copper water lines with a plumber and then married an air conditioning technician who welds steel…. and I learned wire feed welding from him,” she says.

Rather than welding as a trade, Laura moved into a more creative endeavor with her new found skill, working with metal to create “paintings” and sculptures. With a painter for a father and a mother who works in jewelry, it was a natural move. “Artistic welding is my career now,” she says, and with over 300 paintings sold has chosen her career well.

She first tried to learn welding when she was in her twenties but found the process frustrating and the helmets uncomfortable. She couldn’t do the designs that she wanted and soon gave up. “I had to wait until the technology caught up with me,” she says, referring to the auto-darkening helmets.

Ideas come to Laura as full-scale, full-color, three-dimensional pictures in her head. She then draws her idea, “Then it’s out to my outdoors-under-the-awning-workshop to put it all together.”

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