GAWDA Edge Editor’s Blog 
  

Now that I’ve taken over the GAWDA Edge Editor’s Blog, I’ve decided to start a new tradition. I’m calling it “Casual Friday.” Let’s face it, it’s the last day of the week and we all are turning an eye to the weekend. I’m assuming you’re not up for “heavy reading” and, heck, I don’t know if I’m up for “heavy writing.” Instead, I’ve scoured the Web for funny/interesting gases/welding-related videos and photos. Below are a few of my favorites.

I’m no “Consultant” but I think this is most likely an OSHA violation. A key fact to consider before sitting on a pipeline and cutting: Will this pipe blow up and send me flying into the air? If the answer is yes, find another strategy. Fortunately this gentleman was OK, so we can all laugh about it now.

I also wanted to give all of you a preview of the latest in welding mask technology. I’m not sure who manufactures this, but once I find out, I’ll let all of you know where you can pre-order!

1948 was the last time it happened. Since those games in St. Moritz, Switzerland it had been 62 years without a United States squad winning  bobsled gold. Last Saturday, the USA1 team changed all of that. With run times ranging from 50.89 to 51.52 seconds over four heats, the United States walked away with a gold medal.

If you’ve read this month’s issue of GAWDA Edge, you know that a GAWDA member helped make it happen. Lincoln Electric Company (Cleveland, OH) supplied the welding equipment that was used on the U.S. Sleds. It was part of an effort by NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine and stock car manufacturer Chassis Dynamics.

The two parties formed an alliance, calling it “Bo-Dyn,” and set out to build a better sled. A big part of building a bobsled is the welding that goes into the chassis. Bo-Dyn realized that it needed a partner that could provide it with quality equipment that would get the job done right. The Lincoln Electric Company had worked with Bodine in the past, so he gave his old partner a call. “We worked with Jeff Bodine on his NASCAR truck team for a period of time,” says Lincoln Sports Marketing Manager Mickey Holmes. “So when it came time for this project, he gave us a call.”

To help the cause, Lincoln supplied Bo-Dyn with several different welders. “They have a Precision TIG-275, a Power MIG 255xt and a portable Power MIG 180c that they take to the track with them,” says Holmes. Bo-Dyn engineers use the machines to perform intricate welds on the sleds’ chassis, suspension, steering, brakes and other internal components.

It looks like all the hard work paid off. Congrats to Bo-Dyn, Lincoln and of course the team! To find out more details about Lincoln’s involvement, check out the latest issue of GAWDA Edge at www.gawdaedge.org.

Since it’s been a while since this blog has been updated, I thought I’d fill all of you in on what’s going on with GAWDA Edge. In case you didn’t already know, last week the February issue of the magazine hit the Web. The title of the issue is “GAWDA At The Games,” and it features stories about how GAWDA members, and the gases and welding industry in general are impacting the Games.

One article that you might find particularly interesting is the piece on Lincoln Electric’s involvement with the United States’ Olympic bobsled team. Lincoln was an integral part of a partnership that also included Nascar racer Geoff Bodine and stock-car fabricator Chassis Dynamics. If you haven’t yet, head over to www.gawdaedge.org to find out more.

As far as next month goes, I’m working on a great article. It’s about Air Liquide’s Christopher Guest and his quest to climb Mount Everest. I’m nearly finished with it now and I’ll update in a few days with a longer preview of the article. As always, if there’s anything you would like to see in the magazine, don’t hesitate to let me know!

Throughout the last century, there have been some incredible comebacks. There was Elvis’ 1968 comeback show when the King returned and proved he still had it. There was George Foreman returning to boxing at the age of 45 and winning the heavyweight crown. Of course, who could forget when the woefully inept Boston Red Sox franchise came back from 3 games down to defeat the legendary New York Yankees in the ALCS? Well, gases and welding fans, it’s time to add another entry to that list. The GAWDA Edge Editor’s Blog is now back in business.

There has been one major change, though, it’s under new management. The previous author is no longer involved and I will be taking over. So, who am I? I’m glad you asked.

My name is Dan Vest, and as some of you know, I’m the editor of GAWDA Edge. At 25 years old, I—like most of you—qualify as a young professional. I graduated from The Ohio State University in 2007 (which explains my policy prohibiting comments from readers in Michigan), and I have been writing about the gases and welding industry since 2008.

Right now the plan for this blog is to feature news as well as opinions, observations, occasional insights and questions. I plan on updating this thing several  times a week as I’m working on stories and talking to members, so be sure to check in often!

I’ve been involved with the industry for a while now, but all of you are still the experts. That means there might be a time or two where I say something that doesn’t quite add up. That’s where you come in. If I say something ridiculous (and I will), let me know. If I’m ignoring a gas and or welding issue that deserves some attention, speak up. If you want to participate in the magazine or the blog, let me know. If you’re lonely and need someone to talk to, I’ll be here for that too.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that as wildly talented as I am, it’s still going to take all of you participating to help this blog reach its full potential. So sit back, enjoy the blog, and if you’ve got anything to say, speak up!

Two recent lawsuits have sought to establish this line. Employees of T-Mobile USA filed a suit against the company, claiming they were expected to respond to messages outside of work hours using company cell phones. It raises the question of when employees should be paid for what they are doing.

As the workplace has changed, so have the rules that govern what constitutes “work”. It used to be simple: if you’re in the office, you’re working. If you’re not in the office, it’s personal time. Customers in this day and age, however, expect service around the clock, and if your company wishes to remain competitive, it is often necessary to provide that service. This may not be a huge issue for salaried workers, who are accustomed to late nights without extra pay, but it carries heavy consequences for hourly workers seeking overtime pay.

More and more companies are adopting stricter policies concerning cell phone usage outside of the office. What’s your company’s policy? Do you have one?

In less than a month, Calgary, Canada, will play host to the world’s largest vocational skills competition. Workers from around the world will journey to the event for a week of trade and craft skills competitions that will display the technical and vocational prowess of each country’s representatives. And, of course, one of the skills that is put to the test at the event is welding.

A major goal of these games is to promote awareness of and education for skilled vocational trades throughout the world. Welding, along with other trades such as plumbing, IT networking and mobile robotics, is a skill set that will always continue to be necessary in the U.S. and throughout the world. WorldSkills hopes to promote the development of these skills from a young age. Participants in the competition must be under the age of 23.

These games seem like a great way to get young people interested and involved in such an important part of worldwide industry. Not only do they promote a unified international workforce, but they champion skills that are vital to the vitality and prosperity of our country and the global economy.

I’ve been busy all week finalizing the text for the August edition of GAWDA Edge. Being a roller coaster enthusiast, my favorite story is the piece on gases and welding work in roller coaster design and construction. However, the issue also includes stories from mentors and mentees in the gases and welding industry, a look at GAWDA’s upcoming Convention in San Antonio, some social networking tips and much more. With this issue off my desk and out of my way now, it’s time to begin work on the September issue. I’ll be sure to include stories related to the issue in the blog whenever I come across them and continue to keep my readers updated on the status of the publication. For now, I bid everyone a good weekend and look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions on the August GAWDA Edge which hits inboxes everywhere on the 20th.

I’ve spent the last few weeks researching the engineering and construction of roller coasters for a story in the upcoming issue of GAWDA Edge. I’ve found a lot of interesting information in that time and I’ve decided that being a roller coaster engineer should be every child’s dream job (they get to ride roller coasters all day).

I came across an interesting story this morning about a man who was tired of waiting in hour-long lines for a 30-second ride on a roller coaster. Therefore, John Ivers took it upon himself to build his own roller coaster in his backyard. He built a 180-foot-long coaster called Blue Flash that is both safe and exhilarating, and he did it all thanks to his background in auto mechanics and welding.

Most of the metal used to build Blue Flash was scrap that Ivers took home from work (he builds grain elevators). He did all the welding and metalwork himself in his barn and pieced the ride together one section at a time. Ivers is currently working on building a second coaster that will circle his garden. The frame for his latest attraction will be a welded box frame which will make the ride smoother and sturdier.

Ivers’ creation is a fascinating example of what a person can do with a little bit of welding knowledge (and in this case some engineering and physics experience doesn’t hurt either). Be sure to check out GAWDA Edge on August 20 for more roller coaster excitement.

I wrote recently about how compressed gases are used in the creation of artistic jellyfish sculptures, but now I would like to take a look at a more traditional form of art that involves this industry: welded sculptures.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC has announced a planned retrospective of artist Ron Arad’s work from October 2 to October 19, 2009. Many of Arad’s works are composed of stainless steel which he cuts and welds into massive, magnificent pieces of art. The majority of them will be displayed in a Corten and stainless steel cage called the Cage sans Frontieres. The cage is 126.5 feet long and 16 feet tall and was designed and built by the artist.

Since I’m not exactly an art connoisseur, I figured I’d include an excerpt from artdaily.org to best describe Arad’s work:

This exhibition celebrates Arad’s spirit by combining industrial design, studio pieces, and architecture…The structure [Cage sans Frontieres] is in the shape of a twisted loop and consists of 240 square cut-outs lined with stainless steel that act as shelves for the objects in the exhibition. The dramatic installation relies on the scale of the structure and on the reflectivity of the inner walls of the cut-outs which creates a ricocheting effect.

Arad uses a combination of sophisticated automated manufacturing techniques and low-tech welding devices to fabricate his works of art. These welded pieces will be displayed at the MoMA for two weeks as the museum’s featured exhibit.

To artists like Arad, a welding torch might as well be a paint brush or a chisel. Many artists, therefore, depend on their welding supply distributors to provide all their artistic supplies. Art work of this nature can often be found on display at gases and welding distributorships as an example of what is capable with welding. A welded sculpture adds a decorative touch to any distributor’s showroom.

Electronics retail giant Best Buy recently posted a job listing for a senior manager in Minnesota. The job requirements were a Bachelor’s degree, two years of social media marketing experience, a year’s worth of active blogging experience and at least 250 followers on Twitter.

The company seems to appreciate the importance of Internet marketing and social networking sites as business tools. No longer are these resources classified as minor projects that are delegated to entry-level employees with nothing else to do. Too often, upper management doesn’t want to concern themselves with something as seemingly trivial as Twitter or blogging. Best Buy’s approach, however, is a clear indication of the emphasis they place on online marketing.

The gases and welding industry is no exception to this trend. It’s easy to scoff at the retail industry and assume that you don’t need this social networking stuff because your business is different. This isn’t a trend that is going away, though, and the sooner you get involved, the more successful you’ll be in the long run. This doesn’t just involve telling an intern to start a Twitter account and make posts every now and then. Management should be involved and should have some sort of strategy. This should be a policy that permeates the company. All employees should be encouraged to blog and tweet and join LinkedIn in an effort to promote and publicize your company. The best part is, it’s all free.

While social media will never replace a face-to-face sales call, it can be used to augment current marketing efforts and give an edge over competitors. Even if you aren’t wild about doing business on the Internet, you can be sure that your customers are on there looking you up and looking up your competitors. Will they be impressed with what they find? It’s your job to make sure they are.