Welding Students Prepare for Successful Futures
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Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #8A welding student made this easel for his little sister!
This class is a new experience with many lessons, allowing for experiences many may not have had. The combination of life and shop experience will be sure to carry students through life with an open mind and the willingness to learn. We learn to keep a professional and helping attitude inside and outside of the shop. An example of this is the Welding and Fabrication class bringing in 181 toys for the Toys For Tots donation at the school to help the less fortunate.
We start out with shop safety, which includes learning how to properly operate a multitude of heavy duty and important machinery, including the angle grinders, belt sanders, and any other machines and welders in our shop. With safety being our main priority, we watch demonstrations to prepare and ensure we will not be a hazard to ourselves and others.
First-year students enter the shop and start with Arc welding, practicing creating good habits and keeping their welds correct, as well as learn how to fix and redo any welds that are not up to standards. They do a variety of projects that test their skills in Arc welding as well as Mig welding. Daily skills we work on include pad welding, welding coupons in all positions and varieties of thickness, and practicing all types of welded joints.
Students also have the opportunity to do creative projects to take home to show their creative skills. Some projects we do are pumpkins, roses, and water boxes that test their ability to weld tight and secure enough welds to hold water without any leaking. Aside from a basic knowledge of shop safety and practice in Arc, Tig, Mig, and Gas welding, students also have the opportunity to get their OSHA-10 certification.
In the second year of the class, things start to pick up with students learning a lot of self-discipline and time management to meet deadlines on time. Second year students are expected to work collaboratively in order to keep each other in check and on task, mimicking a real work environment and preparing students for the future.
The second-year students also get the opportunity to participate in mock interviews and write their own resume. We get to have conversations and build connections with local businesses as well as collaborate with other classes to expand our knowledge and connections. We reinforce what we learned during our first year with many projects in Stick, Tig, and Mig. The first test we did was our D.1.1G Welder certification in stick, doing root, face, and side bend destructive testing. This test shows the welders ability to weld proficient stick welds that will hold up under pressure and not break, along with diagnosing weld discontinuities.
Students also have the opportunity to go to the SkillsUSA competition for a welding competition or they can create a sculpture. Many of us are preparing sculptures to enter in the competition in April.
All the welding classes got the opportunity to tour Fabtech and see all the latest welding and machining technology. Fabtech opens a door of opportunity to explore careers, meet new people, and expand your welding knowledge further. Also, guest speakers will be coming in to talk about business and job opportunities as well as their experiences with these jobs that provide opportunities and education in a variety of fields.
We will be taking more tests throughout the rest of the year to ensure we are leaving this class with great abilities and a hard-working attitude to match. Mr. Moody goes out of his way to make sure we are progressing in our work, and does whatever he can to ensure we will be prepared to leave high school and have a successful future for ourselves.