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