GAWDA Edge Blog 
  

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.