EWI hosted a welding merit badge clinic on Saturday 13 April for Boy Scouts in Columbus and the surrounding areas. The welding merit badge is one of the newest in scouting. It is the 128th current merit badge and was released on Feb. 24, 2012. The event was held at the EWI facility in Columbus and utilized the high bay lab in the OSU Welding Engineering side of the building. Twenty four scouts participated in the all-day event and all but one scout, who had to leave early, went home at the end of the day meeting all of the requirements to receive the merit badge.
After receiving initial safety instructions, the scouts were divided into four groups. Half of the scouts, assisted by Tim Moore, Steve Massey, Randy Dull, Doug Clark, and Aaron Shira, were given hands-on instruction on gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Doug Clark also instructed the scouts on using the RealWeld trainer. The other groups of scouts were instructed in welding processes (Warren Peterson), first aid and accident prevention (Rich Minshall), cutting processes (Seth Shira), and careers in welding (Dave Phillips of OSU WE dept.). These activities represent all of the skill areas required to qualify for the merit badge. Following lunch, the groups switched so that everyone could have the opportunity to meet the requirements for the welding merit badge.
Everyone attending had a good time and came away with a better appreciation of welding – toward the end of the day, one scout even asked how expensive weld power supplies were and where he could go to buy his own welder!
Besides letting the scouts try their hand at GMAW (making welds in both butt, lap, and t-joint configurations), they also got a chance to try out the RealWeld trainer, see demonstrations of Drop Tower Testing, Oxyfuel Cutting, Plasma Cutting, Robotic Welding, Resistance Welding, Data Acquisition, and Metallurgical Examination.
Thanks for all who helped with this successful event!!! We look forward to hosting it again!
We would like to thank the following volunteers for graciously taking the time to support this event:
- Rich Minshall
- Tim Moore
- Paul Zelenak
- Steve Massey
- Angi Cox
- Seth Shira
- Aaron Shira
- Steve Levesque
- Randy Dull
- Warren Peterson
- Doug Clark (RealWeld)
- Leah Kohr
- Lynn Price
- Rebecca Gurk
- Dave Phillips (OSU-WE)
- Mark Matson