Seven years ago, Shamus Gamache completed the Structural Welding Program at Hobart Institute. 

 “Hobart provided me with the skills I needed to always make a living as a real professional welder,” says Shamus. 

In his first welding job, Shamus worked as a structural/field welder in Oregon, building high tech companies, churches, and universities. 

“I worked as a welder loving every minute and have Hobart to thank for the excellent schooling on what it's like to lay a perfect bead.  I got to the point where I could weld a bead virtually with my eyes closed,” says Shamus, “listening to a constant sizzle and flipping back my hood to see the flux curled up uniformly with straight edges like I was taught.  What a feeling that was!” 

It was also a strong first step to the beginning of his career.  In 2004, Shamus had an opportunity to travel with his wife to Zimbabwe, Africa, to share his skills. 

“I was sent to build an orphanage and teach Africans the skill of welding in the hopes that they could use their talent as welders to earn a living and take care of their families on their own.  Once again, I was able to put my Hobart training into practice,” Shamus relates.  “The two Zimbabwean gentlemen I worked with were the best.  They could lay clean, strong beads and held some of the only jobs as welders in the depressed ‘Zims,’ where the unemployment rate was 85 percent throughout the region.   I was amazed when they tapped directly off the live electrical line to power their stick welder!  They had no leathers or gloves because of extreme poverty.”

“When I left Africa in September 2004, I left a stack of lenses and my Leatherman™ Super Tool, knowing that I could easily replace them in the U.S.,” continues Shamus.  “The men were touched and displayed tears at that simple act of generosity.”      

In December 2006, Shamus took one more step toward his chosen career by completing more advanced education and graduating from Oregon State University (OSU) with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

“My focus at OSU has been refined to studying power systems,” explains Shamus, “mainly harnessing, renewing, transmitting, and storing of energy.”

As part of that work and a senior project, Shamus and a team of four other students developed a prototype of a wind-powered water heating system that was the vision of the late OSU professor Alan Wallace, who was at the forefront of the university’s wave energy research. The prototype is about three-quarters the size of a telephone booth, topped with a Savonius wind turbine made from a 35-gallon steel drum.  Conventional methods of heating water require electricity or natural gas.  This technology is powered by the wind and incorporates the use of magnets, copper plate and coils.

The group is hoping to patent their design that would be used for residential and commercial heating, particularly in developing countries. 

“We were on a limited budget, so the wind turbine, which I built, was welded at my friend’s farm,” says Shamus.  “The welding on this project was not nearly perfect, but will work for the intention of this project that was a lot of fun to work on.  I can see the technology working in Oregon, Alaska, and all over the world.”

“I thank Hobart for all the confidence my training and my working-family values has provided to me,” Shamus concludes.  “I believe in making each project the best that it can be.” 

 Further information about this project may be found at http://eecs.oregonstate.edu/news/story/1889

Shamus Gamache (right) worked with locals innovating ways to employ minimal supplies to repair equipment

Shamus Gamache and residents of the orphanage stand near a Baobab tree, common in Zimbabwe.