It has been a while, but I am finally settled in with my new job. I am now continuing my apprenticeship through Mazda here in town. The shop is very steady and I am always on the go. The technician is very knowledgeable and experienced. Every day, I am learning new tricks and gaining knowledge in a lot of areas.

The coolest part is working on new cars and seeing firsthand the new systems and designs they have. A few examples are push-button starts, rotary engines, or the double wishbone design in suspension.

A lot of systems may have already been out there, but as an apprentice, it’s all new to me. I have never worked on them before.  The learning curve is crazy as new systems and designs are always coming out. I’ve got a lot of learning to do! So I’ll keep you posted.

I have just got back from the east coast. Wow, what a difference from the prairies! I have never been to the east coast and it was a awesome time. We spent a week in Halifax, touring around and doing some sightseeing. They city is very neat; there is lots of young night life due to the huge university down there and such. The bars are wild, lots of little coffee shops, and being at the edge of the coast, lots of boats! I’m talking huge ships. I love boats and there nothing like I seen before. The city is very old and full of history, and the museum of the Atlantic has it all. The military also has a base there as well as a navy ship yard. The people down there are very friendly and make you feel at home everywhere you go. The city is all about the art of music, and Irish pubs can easily be found all over downtown within a block of each other. Every pub has live bands playing anytime day or time of the week. It truly is a blast. I can’t fit everything exciting in this blog, but I can say if you want to check out the east coast. Nova Scotia, Newfoundland ect.. are highly recommended from me. Well, that was my recent excitement. Back to learning, next blog will be the semi I’m working on this week.

The Canadian Welding Association also has a magazine called the CWA Journal. It is a great source for the latest welding equipment and gadgets, technology breakthroughs, employers and suppliers.

In the winter 2009 issue, they did an article on me, and they put a photo of me on the front cover of the magazine. It is definitely a crazy feeling to pick up a magazine and say “Hey, that’s me on there!”

The article was very well written and I would love to share it with you: http://www.cwa-acs.org/members/journal/01-2009.pdf

Last summer I was approached by a member of the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) to participate in a video targeted at students who are trying to decide what to do after high school. I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it because I thought it was a great way to show how amazing welding can be as a trade, and how many different areas there are in the welding industry alone.

A member of the CWA flew to Winnipeg with a film crew and came to the Hydro weld shop where I was working at the time. We did an interview and a welding demonstration, and they used portions of it in this video.

I hope you enjoy it:

As a welder with Manitoba Hydro, I’m required to get two pressure tickets after the completion of my Red Seal Journeyman Certification. To get the tickets, I need to pass a welding test with a two-inch mild steel pipe and four-inch mild steel pipe. I have already passed my four-inch, and I am in the process of obtaining my two-inch.

The work at Laurie River involved plenty of four-inch pipe. I have a few photos and videos I would like to show you of the four-inch pressure pipe procedure.

The root pass on the pipe is done with a 1/8” 6010 rod. This rod is known for its deep penetrating characteristics and it basically puts a weld on the inside of the assembly, which is why it is ideal for pressure work. It is good for all positions and all types of steel:

The second pass is done with a 7018 rod, which is a low hydrogen, low penetration rod that can be used in all positions. The low moisture make-up of this welding rod reduces chemical reactions in the weld itself, and it makes for the highest quality, x-ray perfect welds. This electrode must be kept dry, and if it is exposed to humid air or gets damp, it must be dried in a rod oven before use:

The third and final pass is also done with the 7018 rod:

Throughout the four-year apprenticeship program, Hydro has developed their own levels of schooling in addition to what Red River College offers. This training is called Competency Based Training, or CBT. There are four levels of CBT.  The instructors are Manitoba Hydro employees who have spent a number of years in the field prior to teaching.

The training centre is located in the rural municipality of Grosse Isle, Manitoba. The building is equipped with classrooms, shops, and a high bay.

The classrooms are where we report to each morning.

On day one, we are given a large binder of modules that we need to complete within the training period. These modules are a mixture of written and hands-on competency checks. We use the classrooms for written checks, reading through material, presentations from members of Manitoba Hydro, watching training videos, and reading prints.

The shops have decommissioned equipment from the field, as well as test instruments. Some of the equipment is out dated, but still applicable to our training, as we may still encounter it somewhere down the line in our careers. The majority of the test equipment we practice with is used on a day-to-day basis in the technician field.

The high bay is primarily used for the lines trade schooling, however, we do use a small portion of it. There is a second level where we have some apparatus and test equipment. We also use this area for hot stick training, and bucket escape procedures.

I haven’t said anything yet about one of the best traditions we have at my generating station! It’s our Friday night “Not pizza night” supper club.

A few years ago, my boss and I were talking about how some things can get in a rut very quickly. At our staff house, we have certain things for dinner on certain nights, steak night Sundays, prime rib night Tuesdays, and pizza night Fridays. I know, I know, it sounds very selfish that I am complaining about getting prime rib once a shift while I’m at work. But when you’ve been getting it for a couple of YEARS, it does tend to wear on you a little.

So we decided to forego Fridays’ pizza and take turns cooking for each other. We have had some really amazing things, like pork tenderloin, elk spaghetti, “kickin’ chicken”, moose steak, antelope, tuna casserole, fajitas, lasagna, Spanish chicken with pico del gallo, burgers, steaks and a whole bevy of other culinary wonders.

Some of the people who have participated are temporary workers just passing through, and others are here to stay. Like Fred, who sits at the table with a HUGE smile on his face and says every week, “I am the luckiest planner in the whole world.”

And I know what he means, because I feel very fortunate to have found this particular mix of guys that I work with. Fred makes one mean martini and D.W. makes a killer Caesar. Now who’s the lucky one, eh?

For our next job, we were required to perform modifications to the sump in Laurie 1. This consisted of entirely four-inch pipe.

We had to fabricate this unit.

Modifications were needed in the sump prior to inserting our new fabricated piece. The four-inch pipe you see on the right side of the picture needed to be zip cut down to specific height, and then our new pipe work fitted and welded to it. There was over eight inches of water in the bottom of the sump. Specific safety procedures were required during this job.

Here we are lowering the new sump modifications into the sump hole using an overhead crane.

Window Weld

A “window weld” needed to be done at one connection. This needs to be done when the piece needing to be welded is located to close to something, so you can’t get in and around it to lay a good bead. A piece of the pipe needed to be zip cut out to allow the pipe to be welded from the inside instead of the outside. It sounds crazy but its really cool.

After the inside is welded, the piece that was cut out is fit back to the pipe and welded on the same way as the rest.

I guess the plane ride to Laurie wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was given the opportunity to be “co-pilot” on the plane ride home. I jumped at the chance. It was definitely easier the second time around. You’re able to see everything, like wildlife and rapids in the waters around you. It’s especially visible when the plane flies lower. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. I look forward to my next plane experience.

Copilot

Taking Off

Laurie River from the air

Incredible Scenery

Breathtaking Views

INCO Nickel Mine in Thompson

Thompson Airport Runway

Plane Landing in Laurie

Plane Ride Laurie River to Thompson

To some up the “Laurie River Experience,” it was definitely a memorable one. The plane, the work, the location; everything was absolutely unforgettable. Working in the northern communities is so much different than what I’ve experienced in the big city. My favorite thing about being up north with Hydro is, by far, the remote locations and the land you get to see along the way.