As a welder, you are required to obtain and renew several welding tickets depending on your type of work.

One of the tickets that I have is my 2″ high pressure pipe ticket. I am required to renew this ticket annually at a local testing centre.

When that time of year rolls around it is definitely quite stressful. I am usually okay until the morning of the test and I get shaky and nervous, which makes it incredibly difficult to weld at the best of your capabilities. This is however a part of being a welder and it eventually gets a little easier each time. All you can do is do your best and stay calm and relaxed.

My last pipe test went very successfully and I took a few pictures of what the test “coupons” look like once they are bent and tested.

Once you have completely finished welding the pipe, it is cooled, divided into four sections and torch cut. Once the sections cool again, you grind off the complete convex shape of the weld so the piece is flat. When they return to room temperature they are then strategically placed in a hydraulic press and bent. If the weld opens up more than 1/8″ it is a fail, if it doesn’t open up or opens less than 1/8″ it is a pass.

A welding ticket is a laminated card that you must keep on you when performing the work. This verifies what you are certified to do. Some procedures may also require you to stamp your “number” that you are issued when you obtain your first high pressure ticket, on the material you just welded, to verify that you, a certified welder, welded it.

Previously, the unit we took down for cavitation had a crack in the hub, so following our repairs we had a mechanical engineer come and perform Non-destructive Testing and Magnetic Particle Testing on the weld seams to check for any cracks or thin areas.

One method was to use a machine that would detect and beep/light display where a crack or thin area appeared.

The Magnetic Particle Method uses a dust that will gather in a location where a defect could be.

Following the testing the conclusion was that there was no trace of any deformities or cracks in the hub and we could end our repairs for this unit. We decided to throw a coat of paint on the hub to help prevent any more damage from the water once the unit is started up again.

This spring we ended up only taking down one unit for cavitation due to the excessive amount of water.

We began by craning down all of our material, welders, plasma cutters, job box and lights to the elevation (664) of the generating station. Following the de-watering of the unit, and after several permits and hold cards were in place, the utility crew installed scaffolding inside the penstock. We went in and installed more lighting on the scaffolding, and inspected and mapped out the unit for cavitation. There was no excessive wear on the blades or liner; however, there were a few places that could use a touch up.

We then hauled in our equipment and began the cavitation process. Our work experience student had never done anything like this, so it was definitely something new for him. We first began to gouge out the areas needing to be repaired, and worked our way around the blades. Due to not having excessive repairs to do we did the welding portion with arc welders and stainless steel rods.

Following the welding, we ground down our welds and polished them up to make them good as new.

When I first arrived in Grand Rapids, it was brought to my attention that there was a volunteer fire crew and I was welcome to put my name on a waiting list to one day be a part of the team. Even though the waiting list was fairly long, the idea and opportunity seemed wonderful and I couldn’t pass it up. After a few days of thought I decided to put my name down, not expecting to have the opportunity any time soon, or ever for that matter.

To my surprise the opportunity presented itself in what felt like no time at all. I immediately began training at the gym, attending our ERC meetings, received my own fire pager and the most challenging aspect was trying to find gear that came close to fitting me. It took awhile but eventually I found a jacket, pants and after robbing our rescue practice doll of his boots, I was all set.

I began training with the crew and enrolled in the level one fire fighter program that consists of several blocks and scenarios. Grand Rapids ERC tries to do one block a month. All blocks and scenarios need to be signed off and practised before you are allowed to go for your practical examination to obtain your level one.

After struggling through a few blocks in my “super-extra-large-on-me” gear, I was allowed to get sized up and get my own gear! No more grabbing the crotch of my pants at the knees just to climb a step! J

This is just another one of the many opportunities available to me by being at this location. It is a great way to gain well-needed knowledge and skills while still doing my everyday job as a welder.

A job recently brought into the shop was the gate of our compound. The inside post of the gate was bent out of shape and cracked to the point where the latch did not function properly; therefore, our compound could not be locked up. Being the end of the day, this job soon became a rush job as we could not leave the compound over night without the gate back on.

I began trying to fix it the good old-fashioned way, with a torch and a hammer, but nothing would budge. Instead, at the areas where the piping was bent, I used a zip cut to cut about half way through the pipe and take a notch out of it. I then heated it up with a torch and hammered away at the pipe until the pipe moved downward and closed up the notch I had just cut out. This allowed the pipe to go back into its original position. This needed to be done in several places. I then welded up the spots I’d cut out. On the one area where it was completely cracked, I notched and hammered it back into place the best I could but had to add a piece of larger pipe over the top to act as a cap to reinforce it.

Ideally, I would have liked to have replaced this whole piece of pipe on the gate, but we did not have the material or the time as it needed to be re-installed asap. Sadly, due to the rush I was only able to get pictures with my phone prior to the repair.

The platform built at this location made it difficult to operate a valve. I was asked to modify the platform by removing half of it and building a set of stairs or a ladder to get down to the floor level. This would make operating the valve easier.

Before Pictures:

I decided to build a set of stairs to access the floor as stairs would make the descent easier than a ladder would.

My first step was to decide where to modify the platform and come up with a design for the stairs within the area I had to work with, which was quite small.

Measurements were taken and I began to design the stairs, which needed to be built within certain specifications to meet the building code. Once I completed my design I verified it with the originators of the work order.

I then began fabricating the stairs, which I made out of steel grating. It was easier for me to fabricate the stairs in the shop and then take them to the work site. Once the stairs were complete, I modified the existing platform by zip cutting it apart. In some places I needed to torch cut pieces to remove them because the grinder would not fit in the location. However, I had to be very cautious with any sparks in the area. I used welding blankets and a fire watch were used to prevent any chance of starting a fire.

Once I removed half the platform, I relocated the legs and welded them onto the piece of the platform that was still there. Then I made a few more modifications and additions to the platform to enhance its strength.

Finally, with the help of a mechanic, we installed the stairs; I decided it would be best to bolt the stairs onto the platform so they could be removable in the future. We also concrete-anchored the stairs to the floor, as well as the legs of the platform, to keep everything in place. This made it sturdier.

After Pictures:

I was asked to fabricate a burn pan for the fire crew to use during their extinguisher training. I was given the measurements to make a 3’ x 3’ pan with a 2-inch edge. Two handles were needed on opposite sides for transportation purposes.

I cut out a 3’4” x 3’4” square out of 1/8” steel sheet, followed by 2” squares out of each corner. I half cut the steel along the 2” edge with a zip disc, which acted as a fold line and allowed a 90-degree bend. Once this was completed, I folded up the 2” lip on all four sides and welded all the seems to seal them. Then I fabricated two handles out of 3/4” steel rod and welded these handles onto the tray to complete this project.

This was a fun job to get to work on. I really enjoy working with aluminum and Tig Welding, so I was pretty excited to begin this job.

The Mechanical and Electrical crews both requested that I fabricate some tool boxes for their crew members. The ones they’ve been using are older wooden ones starting to fall apart.

I sketched  the design for the tool boxes with measurements and got approval to begin fabrication. I used a shear to cut the aluminum sheet, taking into account all the measurements so as to use the sheet as resourcefully as possible without wasting a lot of material.

I wanted a specific shape for the side panels, so I sketched  a design and traced it directly onto the material. Then I cut the shape out using a zip disc and cleaned up all the sharp edges using a flap disc.

When I had all the pieces I needed  I began to tack them together. I took the inside measurement of the box and cut aluminum tubing for the handle. After tacking the handle into place, I welded up all the boxes.

The crews wanted their department name on the box, which was GRME for electrical and mechanical. I carved the lettering into the box to be used as a guideline to weld over. After welding the names in, I cleaned up the sharp edges and polished all the welds and the handle.

Every year the Grand Rapids Generating Station hosts their own golf tournament. I have never participated in a hydro golf tournament before so I figured what better time than now. We played 18 holes at the golf course in Ashern followed by a steak dinner. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, it was a beautiful day. Believe it or not, even though I was on the team, we placed 3^rd J

As previously mentioned, I participated in the 2010 National Youth Leadership Forum that took place in Waterloo, Ontario. Two members of the group were selected by their peers to present our findings to the National Skills Board Members at their annual meeting which took place in Yellowknife, NWT.  Zachary Ball (Nova Scotia) and I were selected to make the presentation.

This was a four day adventure, a strategic planning session and a few “meet and greet” events including a gala dinner and a fish fry. Our presentation took place following the strategic planning session on the third day.

Neither Zach nor I had ever been to Yellowknife before so it was a wonderful experience for both of us, and everyone else that attended the meeting I am sure. We were welcomed with a beautiful snowfall the second day of the trip which made the experience even more wonderful!

This is my view from my hotel room.

This is a museum.

A monument in one of the parks that I discovered on a walk, perfect timing for a nice big plane to be overhead.

This is the tourist information centre… it was beautiful inside just as much as it was outside.

Zach and I outside, shivering in the first snowfall of the season with the city of Yellowknife in the background.

Zach and I after completing the slide show for our presentation.

The National Skills Board Members as well as the executive directors from each province.

The Explorer Hotel where we stayed during out trip.

The city of Yellowknife.

A view of the city from a pilot monument called the rock.

Zach and I at the Gala Dinner.

A fellow journeyman welder who happened to be a part of the National Skills Board group.

The whole Yellowknife experience was one I will never forget. Zach and I had a blast putting together our presentation and everyone seemed to enjoy it as well. It was wonderful to get to meet everyone and learn about the culture in Yellowknife. I look forward to hopefully making another trip there one day.