Metal fabrication technology for agriculture

Metal

Fabrication

Technology for

Agriculture

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Metal

Fabrication

Technology for

Agriculture

Larry Jeffus

Australia • Brazil • Japan • Korea • Mexico • Singapore • Spain • United Kingdom • United States

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© 2011 Delmar, Cengage Learning

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Metal Fabrication Technology for Agriculture,

Second Edition

Larry Jeffus

Vice President, Editorial: Dave Garza

Director of Learning Solutions: Sandy Clark

Executive Editor: David Boelio

Managing Editor: Larry Main

Senior Product Manager: Sharon Chambliss

Editorial Assistant: Jillian Borden

Vice President, Marketing: Jennifer Baker

Executive Marketing Manger: Deborah S. Yarnell

Marketing Manager: Jimmy Stephens

Marketing Specialist: Mark Pierro

Production Director: Wendy Troeger

Production Manager: Mark Bernard

Content Project Manager: Christopher Chien

Art Director: Benj Gleeksman

Technology Project Manager: Christopher Catalina

Production Technology Analyst: Thomas Stover

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Preface .....................................................................x

Features of the Text ........................................xii

Acknowledgments............................................xiv

About the Author...............................................xv

Index of Experiments and

Practices ..............................................................xvii

Chapter 1 Introduction to Agriculture Welding

and Fabrication

Introduction .............................................................1

Welding Defined ......................................................2

Uses of Welding .......................................................3

Welding Processes ...................................................4

Occupational Opportunities in Welding .................8

Training for Welding Occupations ..........................9

Student Organizations ...........................................10

Experiments and Practices .....................................10

Metric Units ...........................................................11

Chapter 2 Safety in Welding and Fabrication

Introduction ...........................................................15

Burns ......................................................................16

Eye and Ear Protection ..........................................18

Respiratory Protection ...........................................21

Ventilation .............................................................24

Material Specification Data Sheets (MSDS) ...........24

Waste Material Disposal ........................................24

Ladder Safety .........................................................25

Electrical Safety ......................................................26

Electrical Safety Systems ........................................26

Voltage Warnings ..................................................28

Extension Cords ....................................................28

Safety Rules for Portable Electric Tools .................30

General Work Clothing .........................................30

Special Protective Clothing ....................................31

Handling and Storing Cylinders ............................32

Fire Protection .......................................................34

Equipment Maintenance ........................................36

Work Area ..............................................................37

Hand Tools ............................................................37

Hand Tool Safety ...................................................38

Hammer Safety .......................................................38

Power Tools ...........................................................39

Metal Cutting Machines ........................................41

Safe Use of Circular Saws .......................................42

Material Handling ..................................................44

Chapter 3 Oxyfuel Welding and Cutting

Equipment, Setup, and Operation

Introduction ...........................................................49

Pressure Regulators ................................................50

Design and Service of Welding and

Cutting Torches ................................................55

Welding and Heating Tips .....................................56

Reverse Flow and Flashback Valves ......................58

Hoses and Fittings .................................................60

Backfires and Flashbacks .......................................61

Uses of the Oxyacetylene Flame ............................62

Characteristics of the Fuel-gas Flame ....................62

Fuel Gases ..............................................................63

Acetylene (C2H2) ...................................................63

Liquefied Fuel Gases ..............................................66

Propane and Natural Gas .......................................68

Leak Detection .......................................................68

Types of Flames .....................................................73

Filler Metals ...........................................................74

Mild Steel ...............................................................76

Chapter 4 Oxyacetylene Welding

Introduction ...........................................................79

Mild Steel Welds ....................................................80

Contents

v

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vi Contents

Outside Corner Joint .............................................88

Butt Joint ................................................................88

Lap Joint ................................................................90

Tee Joint .................................................................92

Out-of-position Welding .......................................93

Vertical Welds ........................................................93

Butt Joint ................................................................95

Lap Joint ................................................................96

Tee Joint .................................................................96

Horizontal Welds ...................................................97

Horizontal Stringer Bead ........................................97

Butt Joint ................................................................98

Lap Joint ................................................................98

Tee Joint .................................................................98

Overhead Welds .....................................................98

Stringer Bead ..........................................................99

Mild Steel Pipe and Tubing .................................100

Horizontal Rolled Position 1G .............................100

Horizontal Fixed Position 5G ..............................103

Vertical Fixed Position 2G ...................................104

45° Fixed Position 6G ..........................................105

Thin-wall Tubing .................................................106

Chapter 5 Soldering and Brazing

Introduction .........................................................109

Advantages of Soldering and Brazing ..................110

Fluxes ..................................................................112

Filler Metals .........................................................115

Joint Design .........................................................120

Building Up Surfaces and Filling Holes ...............127

Silver Brazing .......................................................130

Soldering ..............................................................132

Chapter 6 Oxyacetylene Cutting

Introduction .........................................................139

Metals Cut by the Oxyfuel Process ......................140

Eye Protection for Flame Cutting ........................140

Cutting Torches ...................................................141

Cutting Tips .........................................................142

Oxyfuel Cutting, Setup, and Operation ...............145

Hand Cutting .......................................................148

Layout ..................................................................152

Selecting the Correct Tip and Setting

the Pressure .....................................................153

The Chemistry of a Cut .......................................154

The Physics of a Cut ............................................155

Plate Cutting ........................................................158

Cutting Table .......................................................158

Torch Guides .......................................................158

Distortion .............................................................160

Cutting Applications ............................................162

Pipe Cutting .........................................................164

Chapter 7 Plasma Arc Cutting

Introduction .........................................................169

Plasma ..................................................................170

Plasma Torch .......................................................171

Cables and Hoses .................................................173

Power Requirements ............................................173

Heat Input ............................................................174

Distortion .............................................................175

Applications .........................................................175

Starting Methods ..................................................177

Kerf ......................................................................178

Gases ....................................................................179

Machine Cutting ..................................................180

Safety ....................................................................181

Manual Cutting ....................................................182

Straight Cuts ........................................................182

Beveling of a Plate ................................................184

Cutting Holes .......................................................185

Gouging ...............................................................186

Cutting Round Stock ...........................................187

Chapter 8 Shielded Metal Arc Equipment,

Setup, and Operation

Introduction .........................................................191

Welding Current ..................................................192

Types of Welding Power ......................................194

Open Circuit Voltage ...........................................195

Operating Voltage ................................................195

Arc Blow ..............................................................195

Types of Power Sources .......................................196

Generators and Alternators ..................................200

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Contents vii

Rectifiers ..............................................................201

Duty Cycle ...........................................................202

Welding Cables ....................................................203

Electrode Holders ................................................204

Work Clamps .......................................................205

Setup ....................................................................205

Chapter 9 Shielded Metal Arc Welding

of Plate

Introduction .........................................................209

Effect of Too High or Too Low Current Settings .....212

Electrode Size and Heat .......................................213

Arc Length ...........................................................214

Electrode Angle ....................................................215

Electrode Manipulation .......................................218

Positioning of the Welder and the Plate ..............219

Practice Welds .....................................................220

Stringer Beads ......................................................221

Square Butt Joint ..................................................223

Edge Weld ............................................................227

Outside Corner Joint ...........................................232

Lap Joint ..............................................................236

Tee Joint ...............................................................239

Chapter 10 Shielded Metal Arc Welding

of Pipe

Introduction .........................................................245

Pipe and Tubing ...................................................247

Preparation and Assembly ...................................248

Practice Welds .....................................................250

1G Horizontal Rolled Position .............................254

2G Vertical Fixed Position ...................................258

5G Horizontal Fixed Position ..............................260

Pipe Tee Joints .....................................................261

Laying Out a Saddle Pipe Tee Joint .....................263

Chapter 11 Gas Metal Arc Welding Equipment,

Setup, and Operation

Introduction .........................................................269

Metal Transfer ......................................................270

Filler Metal Specifications ...................................274

Wire Melting and Deposition Rates .....................274

Welding Power Supplies ......................................275

Molten Weld Pool Control ..................................277

Equipment ...........................................................281

Spot Welding .......................................................285

Chapter 12 Gas Metal Arc Welding

Introduction .........................................................291

Setup ....................................................................292

Gas Density and Flow Rates ................................298

Amperage and Arc Voltage Characteristics .........298

Electrode Extension .............................................300

Welding Gun Angle .............................................302

Effect of Shielding Gas on Welding .....................303

Practices ...............................................................304

Metal Preparation ................................................304

Flat Position, 1G and 1F Positions ......................305

Vertical Up 3G and 3F Positions .........................308

Vertical Down 3G and 3F Positions ....................311

Horizontal 2G and 2F Positions ..........................312

Overhead 4G and 4F Positions ............................313

Pulsed Arc Metal Transfer, 1G Position ..............316

Axial Spray ...........................................................319

Chapter 13 Flux Cored Arc Welding Equipment,

Setup, and Operation

Introduction .........................................................323

Principles of Operation ........................................325

Equipment ...........................................................326

Advantages ...........................................................326

Limitations ...........................................................328

Electrodes ............................................................328

Flux .....................................................................329

Shielding Gas .......................................................333

Welding Techniques ............................................334

Troubleshooting FCA Welding ...........................339

Chapter 14 Flux Cored Arc Welding

Introduction .........................................................343

Practices ...............................................................344

Flat-position Welds .............................................348

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viii Contents

Square-groove Welds ...........................................349

V-Groove and Bevel-groove Welds ......................349

Fillet Welds ..........................................................353

Vertical Welds ......................................................356

Horizontal Welds .................................................358

Overhead-position Welds ....................................361

Thin-gauge Sheet Metal Welding ........................364

Chapter 15 Filler Metal Selection

Introduction .........................................................369

Manufacturers’ Electrode Information .................370

Understanding the Electrode Data .......................370

Data Resulting from Mechanical Tests ................370

Data Resulting from Chemical Analysis ..............370

SMAW Operating Information ............................371

Core Wire ............................................................371

Functions of the Flux Covering ...........................372

Filler Metal Selection ...........................................373

AWS Filler Metal Classifications .........................374

Carbon Steel .........................................................376

Stainless Steel Electrodes .....................................381

Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys .......................384

Chapter 16 Weldability of Metals

Introduction .........................................................389

Steel Classification and Identification .................390

Carbon and Alloy Steels .......................................392

Stainless Steels .....................................................393

Cast Iron ..............................................................395

Preweld and Postweld Heating of Cast Iron ........396

Practice Welding Cast Iron ..................................397

Welding without Preheating or Postheating .......398

Aluminum Weldability ........................................400

Repair Welding ....................................................401

Hardfacing ...........................................................403

Chapter 17 Welding Joint Design, Welding

Symbols, and Fabrication

Introduction .........................................................409

Weld Joint Design ................................................410

Mechanical Drawings ...........................................414

Welding Symbols .................................................423

Indicating Types of Welds ...................................423

Weld Location ......................................................423

Location Significance of Arrow ............................425

Fillet Welds ..........................................................425

Groove Welds ......................................................426

Backing ................................................................427

Fabrication ...........................................................427

Layout ..................................................................432

Material Shapes ....................................................440

Assembly ..............................................................441

Assembly Tools ....................................................442

Fitting ..................................................................444

Tack Welding .......................................................444

Welding ...............................................................445

Finishing ..............................................................446

Chapter 18 Plastic and Other Nonmetallic

Fabrication Techniques

Introduction .........................................................459

Types of Plastics ...................................................460

Acrylonitrile/Butadiene/Styrene (ABS) ................461

Polyethylene (PE) ................................................461

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Chlorinated

Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) ............................461

Polypropylene (PP) ..............................................461

Polybutylene (PB) ................................................462

Plastic Identification ............................................462

The Welding of Plastic .........................................464

Heat Welding .......................................................465

High-speed Welding ............................................466

Filler Material ......................................................466

Hot-gas Plastic Welding .......................................467

Setup, Shutdown, and Servicing ..........................467

Airless Plastic Welding ........................................469

Welding Temperatures ........................................469

Plastic Welding ....................................................470

Hot-gas and Airless Welding Techniques ............470

Double V-Groove Welds ......................................474

Tack Welding .......................................................475

Pipe Welding .......................................................476

Solvent Welding ...................................................480

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Appendices ...................................................485

I. Student Welding Report ...............................486

II. Conversion of Decimal Inches to Millimeters

and of Fractional Inches to Decimal Inches

and Millimeters.............................................487

III. Conversion Factors: U.S. Customary

(Standard) Units and Metric Units (S.I.)......488

IV. Abbreviations and Symbols ..........................490

V. Metric Conversion Approximations .............491

VI. Pressure Conversion.....................................491

VII. Welding Associations and Organizations.....492

VIII. Careers..........................................................493

Bilingual Glossary.......................................495

Index................................................................534

Contents ix

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x Preface

Introduction

In much of our society, many items are considered to be disposable. On the farm or

ranch, however, that is not true. In addition to the replacement cost, it is not always

possible to simply run into town and pick up a new shovel because the blade on the

one you have has split. Replacement time, more than money, is often the controlling

factor for the farmer or rancher. The farmers and ranchers of today need to be profi￾cient in welding and fabrication for a number of reasons:

■ Time—The time it takes to go into town and pick up a replacement part during a

busy time can be more costly than the replacement part.

■ Availability—Often the parts needed are not stocked and have to be ordered.

■ Cost—The replacement part will always cost more than the welding materials

needed to make the repair.

■ Convenience—Often the broken part on a tractor or trailer can be repaired in

place, so removal and replacement time and effort are not needed.

■ Size—Sometimes the part needing repair or fabrication is too large to be trans￾ported to and from the farm or ranch.

Studying Metal Fabrication Technology for Agriculture in the classroom or shop set￾ting will help students prepare for the challenges facing today’s farmers and ranchers.

The comprehensive technical content combines the basics of agricultural fabrication

with the must-know welding and fabrication techniques. The extensive descriptions of

equipment and supplies and the in-depth explanations focused squarely on their agri￾cultural applications will make the student familiar with their uses.

The book’s complete instructions for setup in preparation for welding make it

easier for students to be successful. These comprehensive instructions can later be

used as a reference book by graduates as they work on the farm or ranch. Up-close

shots of actual welding included throughout the book provide a realistic look at each

of the processes. Students can see exactly what their welding should look like, which

will enable them to make better welds.

Extensive coverage of brazing and specialized nonmetallic fabrication is designed to

lead readers step by step in developing the skills necessary for welding all types of

agricultural machinery. This book is an effective learning aid; it is a how-to and refer￾ence manual as well as a key resource for today’s farmers, ranchers, and students par￾ticipating in agriculture education.

Organization

Each chapter begins with a list of learning objectives that tell the student and

instructor what is to be learned as they study the chapter. A survey of the objectives

will show that the student will have the opportunity to develop a full range of welding

skills, depending on the topics selected for the program. Each major process is pre￾sented in such a way that the instructor can eliminate processes having little economic

value in the market served by the program. However, the student will still learn all

essential information needed for a thorough understanding of all processes studied.

In each chapter, Key Terms are highlighted in color and defined. In addition, the

new terms are listed at the beginning of the chapter to enable students to recognize

the terms when they appear. Terms and definitions used throughout the text are based

on the American Welding Society’s standards. Industry jargon has also been included

where appropriate. The Bilingual Glossary includes a Spanish equivalent for each term,

and many definitions feature additional drawings to assist all learners in gaining a

complete understanding of the new term.

Preface

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Preface xi

Cautions for the student are given throughout the text.

Metric equivalents are listed in parentheses for dimensions.

The metric equivalent in most cases has been rounded to

the nearest whole number. Numerous full-color pho￾tographs, line drawings, and plans illustrate concepts and

clarify the discussions.

Most of the chapters contain learning activities in the

form of Experiments and Practices. The end of each

experiment and practice is identified by the (♦) symbol.

By completing the Experiments, the student learns the

parameters of each welding process. Often, because it is

hard both to perform the experiment and to observe the

results closely, students will do most of the experiments

in a small group. This will allow students to perform the

activity and also to observe the reactions. In the experi￾ments, the student changes the parameters to observe

the effect on the process. In this way, the student learns

to manipulate the variables to obtain the desired welding

outcome for given conditions. The experiments provided

in the chapters do not have right or wrong answers.

They are designed to allow the student to learn the oper￾ating limitations or the effects of changes that may occur

during the welding process.

A large selection of Practices are included to enable the

student to develop the required manipulative skills, using

different materials and material thicknesses in different

positions. A sufficient number of practices is provided so

that, after the basics are learned, the student may choose

an area of specialization. Materials specified in the prac￾tices may be varied in both thickness and length to accom￾modate the supplies that students have in their lab.

Changes within a limited range of both thickness and

length will not affect the learning process designed for the

practice. A chapter-end Summary recaps the significant

material covered in the chapter. This summary will help

the student more completely understand the chapter mate￾rial and will serve as a handy study tool.

The multiple-choice Review questions at the end of

each chapter can be used as indicators of how well the

student has learned the material in each chapter.

Computers in Welding

As with every skilled trade in today’s ever-changing

world, computers are becoming more commonly used in

welding. Some of the basic programs provide a cross￾reference to welding filler metals, whereas others aid in

weld symbol selection. More complex programs allow

welding engineers to design structures and test them for

strength without ever building them. These programs aid

in proper design and make more effective use of materi￾als, resulting in better, more cost-effective construction.

The most commonly used programs are ones such as Arc

Works, published by Lincoln Electric Company, which

are used to help write Welding Procedure Specifications

(WPS), Procedure Qualification Records (PQR), and

Welder Qualification Test Records (WQTR). These docu￾ments are extensively used throughout the welding

industry.

Most of the welding programs operate on a variety of

platforms, but the most popular ones use a version of

Microsoft Windows. Having a good basic understanding

of the Windows operating platform will give you a great

start with these programs. In addition, you should

become familiar with one of the commonly used word

processing programs, such as Microsoft Word. This will

aid you in producing high-quality reports both in school

and later on the job.

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xii Features of the Text

Objectives, found at the beginning of each chapter, are a brief

list of the most important topics to study in the chapter.

Key terms are the most important technical words you will

learn in the chapter. These are listed at the beginning of each chap￾ter following the objectives and appear in color print where they

are first defined.

Cautions summarize critical safety rules. They alert you to

operations that could hurt you or someone else. Not only are they

covered in the safety chapter, but you will find them throughout

the text when they apply to the discussion, practice, or experiment.

Practices are hands-on exercises designed to build your

welding skills. Each practice describes in detail what skill you

will learn and what equipment, supplies, and tools you will

need to complete the exercise.

Experiments are designed to allow you to see the effect that

changes in the process settings, operation, or techniques have

on the type of weld produced. Many are group activities and

will help you learn as a team.

Features of the Text

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Summaries review the important points in the chapter and

serve as a useful study tool.

Review questions in multiple-choice format help measure the skills

and knowledge you learned in the chapter. Each question is designed

to help you apply and understand the information in the chapter.

Bilingual glossary definitions provide a Spanish equiva￾lent for each listed term. Additional line art in the glossary will

also help you gain a greater understanding of challenging terms.

An Instructor’s Answer Key combining answers to all

the text’s review questions is also available.

Features of the Text xiii

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xiv Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

To bring a book of this size to publication requires

the assistance of many individuals, and the author and

publisher would like to thank the following for their

unique contributions to this edition:

■ John L. Chastain, who worked with the author for

many long hours to perfect the photographic tech￾niques required to achieve the action photos.

■ Larry Maupin, for his effort and determination in

producing many of the welding photographs in

this text.

■ Dewayne Roy, Welding Department Chairman at

Mountain View College, Dallas, Texas, for his

many contributions to this text.

■ Special thanks are due to the following companies

for their contributions to the text: Red River

Stables, Road Runner Welding, D Z Welding,

Randy and Lance Glover, Zaijc Enterprises, Skills

USA-VICA, FFA, 4-H, Praxair, Miller Electric Co.,

Caterpillar, Inc., ESAB Welding & Cutting

Products, Frommelt Safety Products, Hornell

Speedglas, Inc., Mine Safety Appliances, Co.,

Lincoln Electric, Jackson Products/Thermadyne,

Thermadyne Holdings, American Welding Society,

Hobart Brothers Co., Concoa Controls Corp.,

Stanley Works, Rexarc, Magnaflux Corp., Buehler

Ltd., T. J. Snow Co., Inc., Victor Equipment, E. O.

Paton Electric Welding Institute, CRC-Evans

Automatic Welding, Cherry Point Refinery, The

Alumnimum Assoc./Automotive & Light Truck

Group, E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Philips

GmbH, Technical Systems, GWS Welding Supply

Co., Merrick Engineering, Inc., Reynolds Metals

Co., Liquid Air Corp., Alphagaz Div., American

Torch Tip, ARC Machines, Inc., FANUX Robotics

North America, Inc., Alexander Binzel Corp.,

Sciaky Brothers, Inc., Aluminum Co. of America,

National Machine Co., Leybold Heraeus Vacuum

Systems, Inc., Sonobond Ultrasonics, Foster

Instruments, and The Prince & Izant Company.

■ The following individuals reviewed and contrib￾uted to the first edition, and their recommenda￾tions were invaluable to the author: Russ

Carpenter, Northwest Technical Institute,

Springdale, AR; Tommy Connelly, Coleman High

School, Coleman, TX; Jon Cookson, Paul D. Camp

Community College, Franklin, VA; Clay Corey;

John Didziulis; Ben Eisley, Mount San Antonio

College, Walnut, CA; William Heins, North

Hampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA;

Matt Hibbard, SUNY Cobleskill, Cobleskill, NY; Joe

Kaspar, Mary Carroll High School, Corpus Christie,

TX; Paula Kmetz; John Penaz, Dunwoody Institute,

Minneapolis, MN; Paul H. Plourde, New

Hampshire Community Technical College,

Manchester, NH; James W. Rumsey, UC Davis,

Davis, CA; Kenneth Setzer; Stuart Strader,

Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR;

Tom Trull, Mabank High School, Mabank, TX; and

Leonard Valaitis, Wilkes-Barre Area Vocational￾Technical School, Wilkes-Barre, PA.

The author also would like to express his deepest

appreciation to:

■ Tina Ivey, Marilyn Burris, and Bernice Nolan for

all the hours spent helping in the preparation of

this book.

This book is dedicated to

some very special people: my

wife Carol, daughters Wendy

and Amy, and sons Donnie,

Ronnie, and Brian.

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About the Author

I spent much of my youth working on farms. I have

planted, tended, and harvested crops such as soy beans,

cabbage, cherries, peaches, almonds, corn, apples,

grapes, and others. I have hauled and baled hay in

square and round bales. I have tended livestock such as

chickens, pigs, beef cattle, milk cows, goats, and rabbits.

I have built barbed wire fences with wooden posts and T

posts. I have repaired both round and square balers,

almond hullers, tractors, shredders, both side and back

minor spreaders, chicken feeders and waterers, gas lines,

and electrical service. I have worked fields and crops

from California to North Carolina and many states in

between.

Both of my grandfathers and my father were always

building things on the farm. At an early age, I shared in

these projects. By the time I was in junior high school I

had helped build sheds, fences, carryalls, barns, wagons,

and more. I learned how to use hand and power tools. I

could lay out a shed squarely and do everything from

laying the floor joists to putting on the tin roof.

My father’s primary job off the farm was as an elec￾tronics engineer. I learned from him how to wire build￾ings and put up lights. My grandfather’s farm in

Springdale, Arkansas, did not have electricity when I was

young, so over time we wired the entire farm. I got very

good with pole climbing spikes and could get up and

down a light pole faster than most.

Much of the construction on the farm was wood, but

there were the occasional welding jobs. My dad and both

of my grandfathers have some welding skills, and they

were my first welding teachers.

My earliest recollection of making “welding” repairs

was as an elementary school student. I worked with my

About the Author xv

grandfather as he used a blowtorch to make repairs in

water pipes that had frozen and broken. I now know

that what we were doing was soldering, not welding.

Over the years I helped make many repairs around my

parents’ and grandparents’ farms. My agricultural and

welding background helped me get a job in college. My

freshman year I started working for Weldwood Irons on

a dairy farm in Madisonville, Tennessee. My first major

job was to repair silage trailers. I replaced and repaired

the tracks and gears and built up shafts. My welding

skills were always being challenged.

At New Bern High School in New Bern, North

Carolina, I took welding as part of my shop program. In

my sophomore year, I joined the Vocational Industrial

Clubs of America (VICA), now SkillsUSA-VICA.

SkillsUSA brings together educators, administrators,

corporate America, labor organizations, trade associa￾tions, and government in a coordinated effort to address

America’s need for a globally competitive skilled work￾force. The mission of SkillsUSA is to help our students

become world-class workers and responsible American

citizens. Through my involvement in SkillsUSA, I

learned a great deal about industry and business. I also

learned the value of integrity, responsibility, citizenship,

service, and respect. In addition, I developed leadership

skills, established goals, and learned the value of per￾forming quality work. I learned things in SkillsUSA that

I still use in my life today.

I would strongly recommend that any student join a

professional organization like SkillsUSA-VICA, Future

Farmers of America (FFA), and/or a 4-H club. These

organizations help build character, citizenship, team￾work, and leadership—all essential traits that will help

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