Who can say no to free? Especially if you can get training for a high paying job despite the economic downturn. Bryant Career-Technical Center, in South Mobile County, is offering free maritime welding classes to hundreds of Alabama residents. Adults can take a 10-week course during the day or a 12-week night class to learn skills that can earn them $10 to $16 an hour. What a great deal!

Free welding training offered for south Mobile County residents
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
By RENA HAVNER PHILIPS
Staff Reporter

After being diagnosed with diabetes, Andy Anderson of Irvington had to give up his nine-year career as a truck driver and look for work closer to home.

He scanned the newspaper’s classified advertising section, but the economy’s tough, and few jobs are available.

“It seems like the only jobs you see are for a welder or a truck driver,” said Anderson, whose father was a welder for 35 years. “Welding interested me.”

So Anderson became one of 33 people to enroll in new, free maritime welding classes at the Bryant Career-Technical Center on Padgett Switch Road in Irvington.

Hundreds of south Mobile County residents will get welding training over the next three years.

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I stumbled across this video on YouTube and I thought it was pretty cool to actually see welding art being created. It’s one thing to appreciate the finished product but it’s even better to see metal artisan, Shirra Wall, transform an old propane tank from junk to a beautiful piece of artwork. Enjoy.

Want to discover more awesome women welders? Check out our Carmen Electrode blog.

Photo By Matt Trombley

Brown Dog Welding is a one man welding and fabrication shop located just north of Detroit in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Josh Welton, of Brown Dog Welding, designs inventive home furnishings, sculptures, and accessories –from miniature motorcycles to belt buckles. Josh named his business after his beloved dog, Woodson, and he donates 10 percent of his profits to two organizations, Home Fur-Ever and Lifebuilders. I was excited to get a chance to interview Josh.

1. How long has your company been in business?

Just over 1 year.

2. I see you’re headquartered in the Detroit area. How long have you been there? How has the recent economic crisis affected business at this location? What drew you to the area?

My wife Darla and I have lived in the Detroit suburb of Mount Clemens, Michigan for almost 6 years. Her family has worked in and around the auto industry for decades, so the last few years has been pretty stressful. As a low seniority skilled trade worker in the industry, I saw the writing on the wall and started putting money away and building up my own shop. A lot of my work is kind of in it’s own niche, and since I started from nothing I have been steadily getting busier. I have seen several stores and galleries that had displayed my work fail, but the majority of my business is done either online or locally through word of mouth.

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There’s nothing like a movie on a Friday afternoon at work. Tsk tsk, I know I shouldn’t be watching movies at work but this one is about welding. And not just any welding movie, but an interesting and surprisingly informative promotional flick from the 40′s. This well made movie covers a variety of welding processes like Qxy Fuel welding and cutting, Stick (SMAW) Spot or Resistance welding, all done in a variety of settings from training schools to high rise construction projects, to ship yards. Enjoy!



Welding is a delicate art, but with the right skills, techniques and welding tools and accessories you can bridge the gap between your vision and your final product. The following article, from Popular Mechanics , provides a clear and concise overview of the welding process from start to finish. It includes an introduction to welding equipment needed, an overview of the process, information on different types of welding, and free print plans for creating a welding cart.

Master Basic Welding Skills: A Step-By-Step Guide

Welding is a delicate art, but once you learn it, ordinary steel becomes a blank canvas for invention. These steps will help you with any welding project.

By Mike Allen

A thing of beauty is a joy forever. And around our Saturday Mechanic shop, beauty often takes the form of a perfectly laid welding bead—one that looks like a tall stack of dimes laid on its side. Okay, welding has some practical aspects, too. Your world, as a tinkerer and fabricator, fundamentally changes when you can permanently fasten two pieces of steel together in seconds. Sure, it takes years of experience to perfect the craft, and an investment in welding equipment. But don’t let the cost intimidate you.

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And when you’re ready to get started, check out the Pro Gear Packages at Arc-Zone.com…. everything you need to stay safe, and look good when you’re welding!