by Marty Baker

“I have been welding for 35 years and I’m still learning new tricks of the trade!” 

These words of H. Keith Davis of Quincy, Ohio, are heard frequently in welding circles and without a doubt, it is the challenge of continuous learning that holds the attention of so many welders.  Keith began working with his uncles at the early age of 15 and learned the basics of shielded metal arc (“stick”) welding and brazing.  The varied talents of his uncles who were involved in earth moving, building construction, and factory equipment installations provided Keith with hands-on experience and proficiency in working with steels and cast irons. 

“They were my catalyst in deciding to go into the machine maintenance field,” says Keith.   

For ten years, Davis worked as a Maintenance Coordinator for the Green Sand Foundry Division of Hobart Corporation where they made Kitchen Aid mixer castings.  “In the iron foundries you have a lot of heat and stress failures with the production equipment, so I picked up a lot more knowledge with different repair techniques required,” Keith continues.  “It was during this time in the early 1970’s that I also had the opportunity to take a welding and cutting safety class at the Hobart Institute.  I learned that I had picked up some bad welding habits over the years and I was shown a lot of pointers that I still employ today.” 

Keith currently works for a large automotive supplier as a Senior Maintenance Coordinator over utilities, facilities, and outside contractors.  “I have been here from ground breaking and supervised most of the construction and equipment installations and was exposed to TIG (gas tungsten arc) welding being used by the contractors.  I found this very easy to learn and to use,” says Keith. 

To unwind from the daily stress of work, Keith retreats to his shop and tinkers with scrap metal.  Deb, Keith’s wife, has inspired his artwork, such as the 15-foot dragon that resides on the back lawn of his home at 317 South Miami Street in Quincy.  

“I chose doing the dragon as Deb has a large collection of crystal dragons and I wanted to see if I could make a large iron one.  I had a lot of old porch railing I saved from scrap to incorporate,” Keith explains.  “I like using any type of metal heading for the scrap yard, but work mostly with old farm equipment, satellite dishes, old porch railings, iron pipes, angles and channels.  I look at it as doing my part to recycle.”

A giant black spider with great eyeballs that wiggle in the wind, and a dragonfly with a 3-foot wingspan grace other outdoor spaces on their property.  Keith rarely gives away or sells any of his artwork and generally makes one-of-a-kind items. 

Presently, his shop contains only a stick welder and torch set, but some day he would like to add a TIG welder and a plasma torch.  Deb is the artist and designer.  She draws the shapes on the floor of the workshop with chalk, giving Keith the template for size and shape.  He then bends, cuts, and welds from her pattern.

“Working with rusted metal is very challenging and I like the challenge,” says Keith. 

Keith obviously enjoys challenges in other areas of life as well.  He and Deb are volunteer emergency medical technicians with the Riverside / DeGraff, Ohio, Emergency Medical Service.    They are also American Heart Association CPR instructors and have been for the past six years.  Keith’s public service extends to the political scene where he has served the Village of Quincy as Mayor, Chief of Police, Councilman, and a member of the Board of Public Affairs. 

The past six months are the first time in 31 years that Keith has not been a village official.  Perhaps because it is time to just spend some time meeting the mythical beasts that await him on the floor of his shop and making them come to life through the talents he brings to the torch!