What would it take for you to cut off all your hair?  A million bucks?  A week’s paid vacation?

How about some welding supplies?

Hair trade: Student donates ponytail in return for contibutions of steel to welding program

BY TRIBUNE STAFF • NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Scott Stekly lost his ponytail Wednesday.

Stekly got a buzz cut from a classmate in the Construction Trades Building, courtesy of Joe Filipowicz, Salvage Manager of Steel Etc.

Scott Stekly, a welding student at MSU-Great Falls, gets a buzz cut by classmate Rachel Kaiser Wednesday in the welding shop. (TRIBUNE PHOTO/ RION SANDERS)

Filipowicz’ company agreed to contribute metal to the welding program as an added incentive for the hair loss.

Prior to entering the welding program to pursue a second career, Stekly had been a longtime local cosmetologist, where he met Joe Filipowicz and his father Jimmy, owner of Steel Etc.

When Stekly entered the fall semester, he made a challenge to the Filipowiczes. He would allow them to cut his hair in return for donations of steel materials to the MSU-Great Falls Welding Program. Steel Etc. accepted, and the hair cut was scheduled.

The donated steel will consist of pipe and plate that can be used for the college’s welding students to practice various welds and cuts. After being used by the program, the scrap materials will be returned to Steel Etc., which will recycle the metals, sending them to a steel mill for melting and reprocessing.

ROBOTS ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD!!!

Ok, not the whole world – just the job parts…

ABB’s VirtualArc robot welding simulation software teaches robots without waste

19 August 2009

ABB says its VirtualArc robot welding simulation software allows welding robots to achieve precise, clean, mass-produced welds.

Human welders draw on experience, intuition and trial-and-error to establish the right parameters for a welding job. Transferring this skill to robots can be complex.

While robots speed productivity, and provide accurate repeatability of tasks, they can only get the welding right if they have been programmed correctly.

“Teaching” a robot to perform a arc-weld, means providing it with the knowledge that comes from many years of human experience and the intuition that enables it to choose the appropriate process for a new task.

Traditionally, experienced welder set up the welding parameters on robots by performing a series of test welds and adjusting parameters to hone the result. This approach uses up materials, manpower and energy.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

So, what do you think?  Yay or nay to robots on the job?

Sponsors of the upcoming Fabtech International & AWS Welding Show (including Metalform) in Chicago were polled about their plans for future business growth in light of the recession.  The results were surprising — in a very good way.

Poll: Manufacturers detail recession survival strategies, report better conditions

Opportunities for manufacturers abound as economy improves suggests a poll by sponsors of the Fabtech International & AWS Welding Show, including Metalform, in Chicago. Sponsors are American Welding Society (AWS), Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Int’l (FMA), Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and Precision Metalforming Association (PMA).

– Manufacturing Business Technology, 9/8/2009 8:02:43 PM MDT

To survive what many view as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, 69 percent of manufacturers indicated they reduced their workforce, followed by delaying capital expenditures (66 percent), negotiating with suppliers for better deals (48 percent) and cutting promotional activities (37 percent.) The survey asked 1,046 past or prospective registrants of Fabtech International & AWS Welding Show, including Metalform. The poll was conducted in late July.

However, with signs that the economy is currently improving, those surveyed plan to reverse downsizing — nearly one-third of those surveyed said they expect to add to their workforce in the next 12 months. Manufacturers reported an increase in demand in product as the leading factor that would prompt an increase to the workforce (78 percent) followed by the opportunity to upgrade workforce (7 percent) and the need for new skill sets (6 percent).

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

The importance of a good weld goes far deeper than just good looks; on Navy vessels, a good weld can throughly impact a ship’s overall lifespan.

Some ships built on Coast flawed, Navy says
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS • JANUARY 25, 2010

NEW ORLEANS — The Navy says numerous welds may be bad on warships built in the past two years by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding at Gulf Coast shipyards.

(File photo/The Associated Press)

Since last summer, engineers have been inspecting Northrop Grumman-built warships after engineers found that between 10 percent and 15 percent of pipe welds inside vessels built at the shipyards in Pascagoula and Avondale, La., were not thick enough and could shorten a vessel’s life-span, the Navy said.

“We’re talking about thousands and thousands of welds to inspect, and we’re probably talking about hundreds of welds that need to be fixed on each ship,” said Jay Stefany, the Navy’s program manager for the LPD 17 amphibious assault ships.

The Navy said faulty pipe welds were found on destroyers, LPD assault ships and on one LHD big-deck amphibious assault ship. All were built at Northrop Grumman’s Avondale and Pascagoula shipyards.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Isn’t it time you started getting involved? That’s what these students thought!

I met them recently at one of our local AWS (American Welding Society) section meetings.  Daren Hitchman and Fred Paregoy (3rd from left in top and bottom rows) are the member recruiter and publicity chairman of their AWS student chapter, respectively.

I spent some time talking with them and I couldn’t help but take a picture of their workbooks. Unfortunatly, I did not capture the notes and diagrams on the inside; they were very detailed and technical — I was impressed with the level of training that these new students go throught to get certified.

Though they both are currently going to welding school at ECC in San Diego, they make the time to get involved in the local welding community by coming to events like this one.

Through attending meetings and events sponsored by local welding supply companies, professional organizations etc., these students are getting a better idea of the jobs that are available to them once they leave school.

Who knows? They might even meet a future boss, or learn about an opportunity to open their own shop just by hanging around and learning about the latest welding equipment!

Find a chapter of AWS near you and get involved!

Today is the start of the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California.  This weekend, Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder, will be joining more than 40,000 other hot rod aficionados for a weekend of cars, cars, and more cars!

But Jim has a bit more on his mind — he just learned that one Glen Dennee has bought his Uncle Ben’s old racing car and is working on restoring it!
He’ll get a chance to meet up with Glen during the show and and discuss how best to go about restoring Farmer Ben’s V8 60  Midget!

The Grand National Roadster Show
January 29 – 31, 2010

GNRS Supports Haiti Relief

Come to the 2010 Kragen O’Reilly Grand National Roadster Show this weekend and support the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund! We are donating proceeds from the sales of GNRS programs to this fund, and as this year’s theme is “Mardi Gras,” we’ll be having a good time handing out Mardi Gras beads to showgoers in exchange for small donations. Make a difference – come on out and join 40,000 other hot rodders for Haiti!

MORE INFORMATION ->

Are you free the 20th or 21st of February?

Come join Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder, and Ron Covell of Covell Creative Metalworking at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido, CA for Covell’s Beginning and Advanced Steel Workshops!

Ron is one of the preeminent fabricators in the custom automotive industry and has been a good friend to us here at Arc-Zone.com!

You can head over to our webstore to check out a few of his welding DVDs.

If you don’t live in Southern California or can’t make it on this particular weekend, you can head over to Ron’s website and check out a complete list of his workshops in the upcoming year.

Who knows – he just might be coming to your neck of the woods soon!

It was the day after Larry Dorsey’s 54th birthday when Katrina hit.  He spent the next week just trying to survive.  Now, 4 years later, Larry is not just surviving; he is thriving, thanks in part to a shiny new welding certificate.

Hurricane survivor, KCC student earns premier welding certification

NICOLE FINKBEINER • READER SUBMITTED • OCTOBER 6, 2009

Larry Dorsey (Kellogg Community College)

Larry Dorsey, 58, received notification on Wednesday, September 30, that he pass the American Welding Society’s 6G Pipe Welding Certification.

The national certification means that the Air Force veteran can make approximately $25-30 per hour inspecting and supervising welding projects.

The certification is rare, and opens up a broad range of employment prospects.

Dorsey arrived in Battle Creek after surviving seven days of flooding from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It was the day after his birthday when the flood waters came and he thought, like all of the other times, the waters would subside.

Within two days, the food he had ran out so he used a refrigerator door as a flotation device to find food for him and his neighbors. When he realized the waters were not receding, he knew it was time to leave.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Jerry Fuhriman is, at heart, a painter.  At least, that’s what most people would have thought until this, his most recent exhibition — Mr. Fuhriman has traded in his paintbrush for a welding torch, his pallet of paints for an array of stainless steel.

Showing his metal: Providence artist’s steely sculptures on display tonight

By Emilie H. Wheeler
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 4:46 AM CDT

Jerry Fuhriman is known throughout the valley for his watercolors and oil paintings, but tonight people will get to see another side of the Providence artist.

A handful of Fuhriman’s newly created metal sculptures will be on display during the downtown Gallery Walk tonight at Fuhriman’s Framing & Fine Art, one of 12 businesses displaying artwork or hosting live music.

But for those who have visited Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City recently, the artwork will look familiar.

Dubbed “Missy’s Rocket,” a 10-foot stainless steel rocket created by Fuhriman and Arthur Taylor of Hyde Park is on display in the symphony hall’s plaza. Like “Missy,” all of Fuhriman’s work on display tonight is put together using salvaged pieces of stainless steel.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

I took my family to the opening night of the 64^th Annual Del Mar National Horse Show at the world famous Del Mar Fairgrounds, in Del Mar, Calif.  This event signals the start of the horse show season in this historic, beach-side arena.

As we approached the Del Mar Arena, I was surprised to see that a brand new roof had been installed on the open air stadium; the last time I had seen the venue had been at a Vintage Flat Track & TT motorcycle race not too long ago.

This massive project was completed in just 7 months by the Turner Construction Company.  For more information on the project you can check out this video from the San Diego Daily Transcript:  New Roof for Del Mar Arena ->

If you watched the video, you saw that this massive project featured tons of structural steel and miles of welding, cutting, fitting and joining.

The majority of the project was Stick (SMAW) and MIG welded, but a lot of the utility “high-pressure” piping, etc. was TIG welded.  This is yet another example of how the welding and metal fabrication market is involved in nearly everything that we do.  It’s just another reason why I love this industry!

So don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that the industry is in decline — hardly!  In fact, if you look around, you’ll find that there are plenty of opportunities to build some really neat stuff — now more than ever before!