While attending Hobart in 1979, I met some very interesting people and I would like to hear from them.  The first is Ali Uceff of Kuwait.  If anyone currently knows of Ali, or if you graduated from Hobart in 1979, I’d like to hear from you.

~ Mark Horgan   hsylvie@earthlink.net

I was recently at Hobart for the two-week CWI Preparation Course.  I had a great time in Troy and thank Elmer, Nelson, and Chuck [HIWT instructors] for making the two weeks not only very informative and professional, but fun as well.  I would recommend the course to anyone pursuing a career as a Certified Welding Inspector.  Thank you.                                                 

~ C. Cox, Iowa

I just wanted to send you an email and let you know how things are going. After I talked with Bob Fisher [Admissions Representative, Hobart Institute] about the job in Pennsylvania, I got in touch with the company.  It couldn't have been more than 2 days later and I was there for an interview. They were very impressed and I am now an employee of theirs.  Sept 5th was my actual first day of on the job. It has been a very long process to get everything squared away, but it is going to pay off in the long run. They sent me a very good offer to start.  Once I receive the certifications to weld on the pipeline, they will give me a raise… one that Tom says I will not believe!  I am very anxious to get started and make that big money!  It was very hard to believe that everything was true.  It couldn't have been done without the help of you (Bob Fisher) and all the teachers at Hobart Institute.  I am very proud to be able to say that I am a graduate of Hobart. Once again, I appreciate everything.                                                                 

~ Tyler C. Gandee, Ohio

 
Editorial note:  Tyler Gandee is working for Tennessee Gas Pipeline, an El Paso Company. Tyler will be running a crew in the near future from southern Ohio to northern Pennsylvania. He is going to be certified to their procedures and work on the line himself. According to Tom Hollingsworth at Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Tyler is expected to be groomed for a leadership position on that section of line.
 

I just wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful experience that I had at your school.  The Welding Instructor Course was very well done and covered all of the necessary aspects of being a welding instructor. The staff is very talented and up-to-date on the latest welding techniques, and I learned a great deal both in the classroom and hands-on lab.  I use your training materials in all of the welding courses that I teach at Altamaha Technical College and find them to be excellent in every way.  The materials contain valuable information for the welding students and for me as an instructor; it is also easy to follow. I look forward to taking more of your courses in the years to come.  Keep up the good work!  Sincerely,                      

~ Walter P. Brown, Georgia

As always, the World of Welding fall publication was no exception to your informative publications.  I’m delighted to see that you’re offering the AWS Certified Welding Supervisor program and I hope that it is just the beginning of many as the valuable information you teach can be used by all fabricators.

Also, I saw that you have an up-to-date Hobart Pocket Welding Guide.  It is probably something we should promote.  One other article that struck my attention is the one by Randall Rueff entitled “Push Vs. Pull.”  I assume he’s talking about Gas Metal Arc Welding.  Other processes like Shielded Metal Arc and Flux Cored we’ve always found to get deeper penetration by pulling the puddle using the back-hand technique with the wire pointed back to the puddle about 15 degrees from vertical on flat, horizontal and overhead welds. 

Thanks for having the magazine sent to me and we wish you the very best.  Regards,                

~ Ron Pierce
Chairman;
WESCO Gas and Welding Supply, Inc.;
Prichard, Alabama.

I am a student at the Eastern Region Vocational Rehabilitation Facility.  I have talked with my instructor about going as far as possible in welding.  He says within six to eight months, he can have me ready to go into the workforce, even with a limited amount of equipment in the shop.  I would really like to learn Welding Blueprint in more detail and would like to attend other schools. 

~ Edwin A. Gentry, North Carolina

Your journal is always helpful.  I hope to take classes this year and try for a certificate next year.  I would suggest you publish an analysis of costs of fabrication processes, especially for small business.  Thanks for everything!  Best regards,                                                                                                           

~ Mark Curry, Texas

Here is some advice for the person who likes welding, but doesn’t like what they see advertised for starting pay in the newspaper.  These jobs are typically for the less skilled welders, not Hobart (HIWT) trained welders who have the ability to out-perform probably 98% of most welders in the marketplace.  Good trained welders earn substantially more than what the local newspaper has to offer. 

~ Stanley Brock, Ohio
-        HIWT 1997

I want to give you an update concerning one of your recent students in the CWI  prep course [Preparation for AWS (CWI/CWE) Certified Welding Inspector/Educator Examination Course].  Larry Stewart completed the Welding Management Degree program at WVU Parkersburg and we sent him to HIWT (as we do all our prospective CWI’s) for the inspection training.  He became a CWI/CWE and works as a CWI for Kanawha Manufacturing Company in Charleston, WV.  Larry worked at Kanawha Mfg. as a welder for 15 years prior to graduating from WVU Parkersburg.  He recently became a permanent substitute welding instructor for Kanawha County Schools and may become a full time instructor at one of our technical centers.  We are all very proud of his accomplishments. 

We use Hobart Institute training materials at WVU Parkersburg and it would make for a smooth transition for the students when they enter our college for further training if the individual county schools would make a 100% transition to go with HIWT training materials.  I have been working with the WV State Department of Education in this direction but the choice is with the individual schools.

~ Prof. R. Carlisle “Carl” Smith
WVU Parkersburg

Thanks for sending copies of The World of Welding magazines to share with my students that worked on our community service project for the school for the blind [“Human Side of Metalworking,” Fall, 2006].  I feel that we live in a world of instant gratification and many young adults as well as older adults in our society are not taking the time to lend a helping hand to others that are in need.  Hobart Institute of Welding knows the value of community service as well as a strong understanding in the need to teach our next generation of welders and fabricators skills for them to earn an honorable career in welding. 

For many years, I have been using The World of Welding success stories of young adults with my students in our related classroom sessions.  Vocational high schools from around the country are required to have their students involved in reading and writing assignments to meet states’ standards.  These sessions build upon the necessary reading and writing skills that are needed to become successful in today’s welding work force.  So each week, I incorporate  one or two articles from The World of Welding on subject including weld quality, shop and OSHA safety, what welding and fabrication shop owners require in welding, most outstanding welding students, and even about perfect attendance in Hobart welding students.  This lesson is one that we have revisited countless times during their enrollment in our welding program at Assabet Valley Vocational H.S.  After all, you can be the best welder in the world, but if you do not show up ready to work each day, you will be out of a job.

As a retired Navy Seabee Chief, there are three main things welding teachers from around the country do from day-to-day while teaching in their shops: (1) Motivate their troops/students (2) Teach and develop their welding skills (3) Take care of their troops/students by going the extra distance in after-school sessions or just listening to them when they need support and encouragement to make sensible choices in life.                                         

~ Neil Mansfield,
Assabet Valley Vocational High School,
Marlborough, MA.

I currently teach welding (have taught welding for 23 years) at Maquoketa Community Schools in Iowa.  I pass out The World of Welding publication to my high school students and let them discuss anything interesting to them.  We often times get into detailed discussion on some of the interesting articles and photos in your Hobart publication.        

~ John Manson,
Maquoketa Community Schools,
Maquoketa, Iowa

I enjoy The World of Welding very much.  Just keep it coming.  I keep every issue and refer back to them.  I would like to give a big hello and thank you to my welding instructor, Mr. Fred Fenner at Southern Hills JVS in Georgetown, Ohio.                                                                            

~ Mike Dever, Manchester, Ohio