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Maintenance Welding Training
at your site using your equipment, custom-designed training for your needs
welding, metallurgy & safety training for maintenance personnel
A HUGE thank you to Kratos Defense, Colorado Springs, CO
& TPC Training for hosting welding training - August 21-22, 2024 !
I always test the welder settings, base metal & filler metal to make sure it's all going to work well for the students. We weld samples of aluminum, carbon steel & stainless steel with all 4 processes.
We start with classroom instruction, then go weld!
The group of 12 gathered at Kratos near the airport to learn about stick, MIG, TIG & dual shield FC welding.
WOW!! That was the busiest July ever! HUGE THANKS to Town of Crested Butte (CO)
(2 days!) & Nebraska LTAP (3 days!) for hosting welding training in July, 2024
An awesome group of guys at Crested Butte Town shop had so much fun the first day, we convinced the boss to give
us a 2nd day!
Miller Dynasty TIG station
Lincoln, NE
With 1-day trainers in Ogallala, Grand Island & Lincoln, we covered arc gouging, TIG (Lincoln only,) and all the normal stick & wire processes, & managed to squeeze-in a lab on heat treatments (by special request.)
Congrats & many thanks to Utah LTAP, Colorado LTAP, Alamosa County &
Pitkin County Public Works for hosting welding training April-May, 2024
As usual, the West Jordan Public Works guys built a couple "mascots" for the class out of the welded coupons
Heat treatments is always a valuable part of the training. Here we're doing a "quench & temper" on coat hangars
(Aspen, CO) hosted the 2-day training, covering stick, dual shield, MIG & TIG, as well as cutting processes
Learning to weld can be fun & safe as we learned at the Otero County 1-day training
Congratulations Colorado LTAP & huge thanks to San Juan County (Utah)
Road & Bridge for hosting welding training in March 2024
Both San Juan County shops - Monticello & Blanding - participated in the welding training. And (for a change) I remembered to request that someone take photos!
As usual, I forgot to ask someone to take pix, so I had to go back the day after training & get this one.
Thanks for hosting, City of Glenwood Springs, CO!
The TIG station was very popular.
For many, it was their first time to try it.
Gouge rod was a hit, as many hadn't seen it used properly.
Of course, I broke out the thermal lance & let
the guys take turns piercing a steel block
Many thanks & congratulations to Arlington County (VA) for hosting
an awesome & fun 3 days of welding training, October 17-19, 2023
After learning to practice lap, T- & butt joints on coupons, creative "mascots" take shape when the guys weld those coupons (etc.) together.
A HUGE thank you to TPC Training for hosting 10 sessions (49 hours!) of
welding training over 6 DAYS at Carrier Collierville, TN! September 11-16, 2023
Carrier Corp. Collierville, TN
One of the biggest buildings I've ever been inside...
& it goes all the way across this panoramic photo!
Once inside, it's a long walk back to the maintenance shop (see red arrow pointing to orange overhead door)
Greetings from the TIG station!
A group from one of the 5 welding stations
(2 stick, 1 MIG, 1 "dual shield" & 1 TIG)
Congrats & many thanks to N. Dakota LTAP, the Dunn County Highway Dept.
& Minot Public Works for hosting welding training in August, 2023
Dunn County group. Killdeer, ND
As usual, gouge rod was a hit, as many hadn't seen it used properly.
Luckily, we had plenty to practice with!
Highly skilled &/or certified weldors can learn something new, because this is MAINTENANCE WELDING. We repair aluminum, cast
Minot City group. Minot, ND
iron & hard-to-weld steels & alloys
Congratulations Colorado LTAP & huge thanks to El Paso County & Gunnison County Public Works for hosting welding training in May 2023
We practice in the shop & outside, using metal
& machines provided by the host agency
Participants are encouraged to bring welders, rod, & wire from their shops to learn how to use them safely.
CONGRATULATIONS Richland County & Prairie County Public Works!
Hooray, Montana LTAP! THANK YOU for hosting welding training March 21-23, 2023
Prairie County
held both, the classroom & hands-on welding sessions out
in the shop. Cool!
Welding Safety training at Richland County.
We watch how,
then go practice.
Arc gouging with stick electrodes is always a fun element to add to the curriculum.
Watch the
sparks fly!
Wow! the busiest October ever: 2 Regional Roads Conferences & 2 weeks
of training workshops. Huge thank yous to Utah & Nebraska LTAPs
A local welding supplier brought 2 new machines for the group to try: 1 multi-process, & 1 a 200A stick welder weighing less than 20 lbs! - Thanks, Brian!
(below) let's see how it's supposed to look under the hood, and then go out there and practice running beads
SMAW (stick) is always a favorite process at my workshops, whether for brushing-up on skills or for new guys striking arcs for the first time.
this is what happens when guys at the MIG station decide to build a mascot for the class with the used lap & T-joint coupons
2 Roadway Management Conferences in October '22
Oglebay (W.Va) resort & Rapid City, SD
vendor booth at Rapid City conference
Guest speaker at Oglebay Resort, conference
(thank you, Robin)
Huge thanks & congrats to Virginia LTAP & Arlington County Department of Environmental Services for hosting 2 welding workshops June 22-23, 2022
Stick welding was the focus for everyone on both days, as several students had never struck an arc before
26 public works employees participated in the full-day welding & safety training
Unfortunately, this is a close as we got to a group photo.
Flux core (FCAW-s) was also available for everyone to practice
Thanks to solid waste dept. for providing their service truck & portable welder for a 2nd station
There's much to be learned from watching each other weld beads on plate or join 2 pieces together
Congratulations & many thanks to Gunnison County Public Works
and Colorado LTAP for hosting welding training March 23-24, 2022
Demonstrating technique for 2F SMAW.
Stick welding & gouging were very popular lab topics for everyone, on both days
Chamfer rod (gouge rod) was on hand,
but hardly anyone knew how to use it.
We quickly changed that.
The fume extractor was very handy for the gouge station.
3 stations were set up in the welding bay:
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stick welding
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MIG welding
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gouging
My apologies to the Mar. 23rd group - I'm horrible at remembering to take photos!
Fall '21: GREAT to get back to in-person training!
Thank you, KS, NE, UT & CO LTAP agencies for hosting.
Also, it was great seeing everyone at the N. Central Div. Roads Conference in Sioux Falls!
Congrats & THANK YOU, (Chip) of the Colorado Division of Parks & Wildlife for
organizing & hosting MIG, FC & of training for the Pitkin and Roaring Judy Hatchery technicians!
Classroom in the shop.
Great idea!
Two stations with wire machines:
1 loaded with solid (MIG) wire, & 1 loaded with FC-g (dual shield) wire. Everyone got to weld with each type, & learn about their advantages.
In the classroom we discuss variables like stick out, gun angle & travel speed, & watch expertly-made videos showing proper operation & technique, as well as a few entertaining welding safety training videos.
HUGE THANKS to Town of Crested Butte
& congratulations on your SMAW & Welding Safety workshop!
Classroom in the shop - on a lift!
We placed a monitor at the front & gathered around for the SMAW discussion & safety videos.
It was great, after taking April thru November off from in-person training, to get back to "sparkin'-up" w/ the guys! We reviewed how to practice running several types of rods - including gouge rod.
Many thanks to NM LTAP for hosting the first virtual (online)
Practical Metallurgy 1 training program, November 12, 2020!
Click image to watch PM1 online intro
Congratulations & many thanks to Utah LTAP & West Jordan Public Works for hosting a 2-day welding workshops in November, 2019 & March, 2020
21 crew members from the Salt Lake City area gathered for 2 days of Practical Metallurgy, oxy-fuel & welding safety, process training (all 5!), distortion fundamentals, stick electrode gouging and thermal lance training.
Coach 'em up & turn 'em loose to practice.
(SAFELY)
We learn a lot from watching each other.
Small groups at multiple stations keeps everyone engaged & busy.
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Self-shielded flux core in a suitcase, powered by a portable welder is perfect for field repairs
TIG welding is always a favorite process to learn
The thermal lance was a hit!
Gouging, piercing & cutting
Huge thanks & congrats to San Juan County Utah for hosting welding training for all the county, city & school district maintenance crews October 30-31, 2019
Needing to send several crew members to the LTAP welding training scheduled for November, it was determined that hosting their own 2-day welding workshop was a viable alternative.
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this created opportunities for area towns & the school district to participate in training without travel expenses
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reasonable tuition was collected to cover expenses, including pizza & sandwich lunches both days
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participants were encouraged to bring their own welding machines, rod & wire to learn on their own equipment
Welding & oxy-fuel safety, practical metallurgy, stick, flux core, MIG & TIG (steel & aluminum!), distortion control, plasma arc cutting & gouge rod made up the curriculum.
Unfortunately, once again, I failed to remember to take photos of the guys while they were welding.
Congratulations & many thanks to Kansas LTAP and the Lyon County Highway Dept. for hosting welding training in October, 2019
Beads on plate, T & lap joints on coupons, then the table leg exercise to learn how to compensate for distortion.
22 crew members from area county, city and DOT maintenance shops gathered in Emporia, KS for classroom & hands-on welding training featuring stick, FC-s & MIG on both steel and aluminum, as well as oxy-fuel & welding safety.
Welding aluminum with a spool gun
Gouging electrodes (a.k.a. chamfer rods) were a hit! Most students had no experience using them, but everyone learned how useful they can be.
BIG THANKS to Colorado LTAP, El Paso County and Summit County Colorado
for hosting welding training in April and May, 2019!
Colorado Springs and Frisco, Colorado workshops
* I didn't get any photos, BUT we (40+ students) had a great time learning about
stick, MIG & FC welding, oxy-fuel safety and welding safety.
That's a lot of welding processes to cover in a 1-day workshop!
Thanks, Zach & Kacey, for assisting in the shop - extra eyes to keep folks safe.
A HUGE THANK YOU to the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute & the North Dakota LTAP for hosting welding training in April, 2019
Valley City, ND Welding Workshop
20 crew members from surrounding area city, county & DOT maintenance shops gathered for classroom & hands-on training featuring SMAW, welding & oxy-fuel safety, & Practical Metallurgy.
Below left: we always try to have a service truck set up outside with a gouging station.
Participants earn credit toward their
Road Scholar program.
Bowman, ND Welding Workshop
Crew members from several surrounding county & city maintenance shops gathered in Bowman for a 1-day trainer on stick, oxy-fuel safety, welding safety & carbon steel metallurgy.
Participants earned credit toward their Road Scholar program.
Thank you, NDLTAP!
HUGE THANKS to Eagle County Fleet Dept.
& congratulations on your Metallurgy, TIG, Stick & Welding Safety Training Day!
The Motley Crew put down some impressive beads on steel and aluminum!
L to R: Tyler Wilson, Kevin Zaiontz, Daniel Eachus, Talon Ortiz, Hugo Serna, Dillon Block
The ability to set & operate the machine correctly, then perform a weld repair safely are important parts of welding training. Here Kevin practices filling a groove he just gouged in a scrap blade.
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