By Neil Mansfield
Metal Fabrication Lead Teacher
Assabet Valley Regional High School
Marlboro, MA

It’s no surprise that Tim Tyler, at the age of 17, is very comfortable around hot metal, since Tim’s great-great-grandfather was one of the original blacksmiths at the Norton Abrasives Company in Worcester, Massachusetts.  Norton’s was one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of grinding and cutting abrasives for the United States and other parts of the world for many years.

Tim is an inspiring young metal worker that is right on track to becoming an excellent craftsman in both the welding and metal fabrication trades.  Tim displays a great work ethic and a high degree of skill in his metal work.  It is very clear when you talk with Tim that he truly enjoys welding and building things out of metal.  Tim’s hard work and attention to detail in both his academic classes and shop work have earned him an award for the most outstanding welder and creative blacksmith artist in his class at Assabet Valley Vocational High School in Marlborough, Massachusetts. 

Tim’s academic grades have earned him a co-op job at the Orcianis Welding Company in West Boylston, MA.  Orcianis is a small metal fabrication shop that performs a broad range of welding and fabricating jobs to include fabricating structural steel components for buildings; repair and modification of elevator shafts; and the repair of everything from heavy equipment such as bulldozers, graders, and state highway plows to ornamental iron railings and fences.  With Tim’s background in blacksmithing, ornamental ironwork was on the top of his list of interest at Orcianis Welding.

Tim has taken the time to learn the craft of ornamental ironwork by specializing in hand railings.  Tim has developed his talents so that he can take an iron railing job from start to finish with field measurements, layout, fabrication, welding, expediting materials and cost to the customer.  Tim’s talents are not just in welding.  He has excellent interpersonal skills with outside customers.  This makes Tim a valuable employee to any welding shop.

Just recently, Tim has been able to take on his own ornamental ironwork at his small welding shop in his garage at home.  Tim’s welding talents have earned him several small jobs that he can accomplish after school and on weekends.  Tim feels that he will always have a job because he has developed well-rounded skills in welding and ornamental ironwork. 

In addition to Tim’s welding talents, Tim has developed a strong interest in the ancient craft of repousse.  This is a form of embossing and raising images into sheets of copper.  It was used by the Romans and Greeks over 2,000 years ago and is still used in today’s ornamental metal work.

Tim is a member of the American Welding Society (AWS), American Blacksmiths Association of North America (ABANA) and the New England Blacksmiths (NEB).  Tim is exploring pursuit of training at the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology to further his welding knowledge.  There is no doubt that Tim will go on to do great things in his welding career.  Tim plans to become a metal fabricator/welder as well as to forge his metal artwork to sell to local art galleries in New England.