A true creative soul, Andrew Smith welded his latest art work without planning. The water work sculpture is both interactive and grand in scale, towering 15 feet above the ground. The piece is cleverly composed of steel pipes, joints, pumps and levers. Andrew’s work has been publicly displayed in several places including Provo, Orem, and Salt Lake City but the Park City Kimball Arts Festival is his first festival. His work is often a tense fusion of intricacy and spontaneity.

Arts fest 2009: Welding industry and art
Andrew Smith’s massive sculpture
Greg Marshall

An immense 15-foot waterworks sculpture composed of steel pipes, joints, pumps and levers is one of the centerpieces of the Park City Kimball Arts Festival, which began Friday with a locals preview and continues through Sunday.

Even amid the bustle of more than 200 artist booths and hundreds of visitors, Andrew Smith’s sculpture, as yet untitled, promises to catch the attention of spectators in the Kimball Art Center’s makeshift wonderland, the so-called Family Creativity Center, in front of the building on Heber Avenue.

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Bellingham Technical College hosts an elaborate metal sculpture competition annually. Ten amatuer highschool and college teams must capture their artistic visions in scrap metal sculptures in just eight hours. This exciting event exemplifies altruism in action as artworks are subject public auction, with the proceeds benefiting the BTC Welding Student Scholarship Fund, the Welding Rodeo, and participating artists. Visit their website for more pictures and information.

What have YOU built lately? What do you do with your scrap metal?

We were all so sad to see Jay Leno leave the Tonight Show, but did you know that there’s going to be a Jay Leno show?  No kidding – it premieres this September.  In the mean time, if you’re in need of a little Leno pick-me-up, watch this segment from WeldTv.  In it, Leno talks about his love of cars, welding, and going green.

Be sure to watch it in HQ – the quality is much better.

I’m not talking about the monster but rather the truck. Big Foot is regarded as the first monster truck ever made and still remains the most popular monster truck today. Big Foot is proof of how some of the most successful ideas emerge from the ability to see opportunities early and run with them.

During a trip to the West Coast, Bob Chandler, the builder of the original Big Foot, noticed a 4×4 frenzy which he predicted would head Midwest towards his hometown, Missouri. Based on this insight, he started his own business which would eventually lead to the development of the monster truck.

The anatomy of a monster truck

By Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal®

It drives right over nearly every obstacle in its path and splits nearly every eardrum in its vicinity. It’s supercharged, oversized, and extraordinary. It stands more than 10 feet tall, develops more than 1,500 horsepower, and can leap over a 727 jet airliner in a single bound.

It can be only one thing: a BIGFOOT® monster truck. And it contains an unbelievable amount of tube.

Just a Hobby

It all started innocently. Bob Chandler was a construction contractor by day, a 4×4 enthusiast by night, and a lead-foot all the time. His notoriously heavy foot led to a nickname-Bigfoot -and a continuous need for repairs on his truck.

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Tuscaloosa News / Robert Sutton

They say when you find a job you love, you will never have to work another day of your life. Although few of us discover that kind of workplace nirvana, Robert “Bob” Jones has. From when he grew up working on the farm until now, work has been his way of life and he even says he doesn’t want to retire because he enjoys work so much. Jones’ daughter, Anita Channell, looks up to him as a role model. She admires his honesty, industriousness, and strong sense of responsibility.

Welder, 77, loves work too much to retire

By Amelia Webber Special to The Tuscaloosa News
Published: Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 10:14 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | At an age when most children are just getting the hang of tying their shoes, Robert “Bob” Jones was strapping a harness on a mule and heading for the fields at daybreak.

That was more than 70 years ago, and Jones hasn’t stopped working since. Now 77, Jones is a welder at Southern Heat Exchanger Corp. — where he has worked for more than 42 years — and he has no plans to stop anytime soon.

“The company has been good to me so I like to be good to them,” he said at work Friday. “I’m planning on staying as long as they’ll let me, and I hope that will be ’til I get ready to leave.”

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A rather interesting trend has been sweeping across the lawns of Bell County in Texas. Residents have begun expressing themselves through a colorful array of metal yard art. Each creation portrays a unique story and conveys a sense of hospitality. One resident artist, Chris Lesinski, actually taught herself to weld over the last four years and continues to perfect her craft day by day. What a great way to enrich your community!

What’s that?: Yard art defines the home
by Tomie Lunsford | LifeStyles Writer
Published: June 28, 2009

From flamingos to toilets, all sorts of things decorate the lawns of Bell County.

The six-foot metal daisy, the gnome and mermaid statue: It could be homemade, store bought or a reminder of years gone by.

Each has a different story about why it came to be.

But they all have one thing in common: They make a place a home for their owner.

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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.

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!



Yohan Jonsson is a contemporary mixed media sculptor. He welds “outsider art” from broken items in a range of materials, including metal, wood, fabrics, tar, leather, wire, welding filler, and rust. He even creates retrospective works from barbed wire and cernit polymer clay.

How long have you been in business?

I began using welding for art eight years ago. And turned it into a business six years ago.

I see your company is headquartered in Norway, how long have you been there? How has the recent economic crisis affected your business?

Well I’m located in Luleå and Svarttjärn but my galleries are mainly in Norway. The crisis has had no effect so far.

Where/How did you learn about welding?

I always was fond of doing things my own way. So, I taught myself.

Who do you look up to? Who do you look to for inspiration in your business and/or your creative endeavors?

Inspiration is mainly music, literature, film, artists like Kelly Moore, von Trier, Drew Landry, Peter Hoeg, Shelton Hank Williams, Beckett…

How old were you when you first got into welding and what initially sparked your interest?

An old farmers smithy full of rusty old metal that needed to be put together [initially sparked my interest]…