WELD

In this week’s episode, Beau Wigington sits down with metal artist and part-time attorney, Alisyn Palla of Meraki Metalworks. She takes us through her unconventional journey from a 16-year career in high-stakes business litigation to discovering her passion for welding and creative metalwork. Alisyn shares the story behind the name “Meraki,” a spin on the Greek word “Meraki,” which means doing som...

In this week’s episode, Beau Wigington chats with self-taught fabricator and structural engineer Jake LeGrand about his journey from college research labs to hand-cutting custom metal signs and flatbeds in his Kansas City–area shop. Jake shares how learning a broad range of skills—from plasma cutting to welding—opened new doors and fueled his passion for “collecting” techniques. If you’ve been cur...

In this episode, Beau sits down with Lucas D’Angelo—better known as “MannMadeInMA”—to explore his one-of-a-kind path in fabrication, welding, and machinery rebuilding. Lucas operates a full-blown machine and fabrication shop right in the basement of his home in Massachusetts, turning small-run and often overlooked jobs into his specialty. He reveals how he got hooked on metalworking and why he nev...

In this week’s episode, Austin and Beau recap the past year, including trips across the country to check out different shops and schools and all the lessons they learned along the way. They talk about some of their biggest failures and learning moments, some of their favorite experiences, and some goals for videos to make next year.  Thank You To Our Trusted Partners Watch 3M Abrasives Clash Of Th...

In this week’s episode, Beau explores three different ways to learn how to weld: attending school, learning on the job, or teaching yourself. He begins by sharing his own experience of going through a welding program at a local community college, offering insights into what you can expect from trade school. Next, we dive into the world of on-the-job learning with a clip from Stan Sherwin, who hone...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Dan Lucianek & Jakub Stawinski from Markal celebrating 90 years in the marker business about the different types of markers they have to fit a number of applications. They talk about the types of feedback they hear from welders in the industry that have lead to them developing markers that can cut through grease or oil, show up under a welding hood, or e...

In this week’s podcast, Beau stops by the IPG Photonics booth at Fabtech to talk to Dean Brennan, the National Sales Manager for LightWELD, and Rex Alexandre, the President and Principal Engineer for The Handheld Laser Institute, about the future of laser welding in the industry and different applications that might become more commonplace. They talk about the benefits of laser welding, the pathwa...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Matthew Nix, President and CEO of Nix Companies INC., about scaling their family business from 4 people to over 200 employees. He talks about his company's history, starting in 1092, the unique strategies they used to grow through acquisitions, creating a workplace culture that attracts world-class employees, and his upcoming book, “Forging Ahead,” which wil...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with David Madero, a metal sculpture artist based in Torreón, Mexico who has created sculptures for ESAB, Miller Electric, IPG Photonics, UniWeld, and games like Activision’s Call of Duty & Diablo. He talks about catching the welding bug at the age of 5 by watching his father who was a sculpture artist, different techniques he uses to make his artwork, and gi...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Ryan Boyd from Walter Surface Technologies at their booth at Fabtech in Orlando this past year. Ryan talks about Walter's history and what they are implementing into their power tools to help cut down on vibration and keep you safe when using them. He talks about common problems people have and the tools that would help them, his experience growing in the co...

In this week's podcast, Beau sits down at the ESAB booth at Fabtech this year in Orlando, Florida with Scott Raabe to talk about the path way to starting his school Precision Welding Academy, and then Ian Johnson pops by to talk about what you need to get started in automotive fabrication.  Connect with Scott Raabe Instagram  @scott_raabe https://www.instagram.com/scott_raabe/ @precisionweldingaca...

In this week's podcast, Beau sits down with Ronnie Dunne, a regional sales manager for Gentex‘s PureFlo division at their booth during this year's Fabtech Expo. Ronnie talks about the long-term health risks of breathing in welding fumes, and ways to protect yourself from them with things like their PureFlo all-in-one PAPR system that delivers fresh air on demand keeping you safe from welding fumes...

In this week’s episode, Beau and Austin recap their most recent trip where they visited The Maker Camp in the Catskill Mountains of New York and then flew directly down to Orlando for this year's Fabtech Expo. They talk about what it is like to go to Maker Camp and what you can expect to see and do if you haven’t had the chance to attend as well as recapping the experience of building a BBQ Smoker...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Sharon Guerrero aka Miss. Welds a welder and fabricator based in Houston about emerging leaders in the welding industry helping people learn though social media and YouTube. She talks about learning about different pathways outside of welding, it increase of women getting into the industry, sharing the struggles of messing up, and her future plans for her ca...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Rodney Ross owner of Midstate Welding about transitioning from pipeline work to running a custom fabrication company. He talks about working with his brother Austin Ross on organizing jobs, the balance welding business owners need to have between working for or on your business, custom fabrication projects he has built for the show Building Outside The Lines...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Brett McColl from Industrial Source who is coming up on 80 years in the welding supply business about ways they are helping make customers' lives easier by setting up delivery schedules, what the industry is like up in the Pacific Northwest, who would be a great fit to work at a welding supply store, and how they are trying to help the future of the industry...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Austin Hargett about what led him to teach instead of fieldwork. He talks about some of the first jobs he had and what you have to get a foot in the door sometimes, taking a job at a school to focus on honing his pipe welding skills, things that he feels would improve the welders coming out of trade schools, and the new teaching opportunities through YouTube...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with EJ Naegeli a welder and fabricator who moved across the country to follow her dream of building custom racecars. She talks about getting inspired by working on her first project car to get more involved in the automotive industry, learning to weld by the guide of a teacher Brett Fenning who got her started in TIG welding aluminum and stainless steel, and wha...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Austin Handel who started Maker Camp with the help of his friend Jimmy Diresta to give makers a weekend to come together and learn new skills in all kinds of disciplines such as blacksmithing, woodworking, leatherworking, power carving, and many more. This year Austin and I are going to be in the fabrication tent building a smoker with Chris Verde from Green...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Jason & Miranda Chiasson owners of Chiasson Smoke about building their business starting off making horse riding spur and taking jobs that came their way to making rocket stoves and BBQ smokers after finding an audience on social media. They talk about the dynamics of working together as husband and wife, tools that helped their business grow, utilizing...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Eric Pleil owner of Elite Welding Business about common pitfalls people run into when starting a welding business. He talks about breaking through limiting mindsets, having a 6-month emergency fund, setting up systems to help your business grow, and advice for people who are struggling to find success in their welding business.  Connect with Eric Pleil YouTu...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Brett Fenning owner of Fen Fabrication about welding custom car parts and the importance of building your welding foundations one step at a time. He talks about his approach to teaching someone to weld aluminum, his favorite equipment, working on a postioner, and starting his own business. Connect With Brett Fenning Instagram @fenfabrication https://www.inst...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Jason Hurst a metal sculptor, and artist that aims to inspire people to learn welding and metalworking by taking a slow approach to get little wins. He talks about how he first got the welding bug by restoring a Volkswagen Rabbit, getting inspired to try art after being encouraged by friends, finding a passion for building Star Wars models out of scrap metal...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Kevin Johnson, Owner Of JMW Specialty Welding And Fabrication, and host of the Welding Business Owners Podcast about September's second annual Fabricator Olympics. He talks about what makes someone a good fabricator, the most important skills that will make you a better one, what winning a welding or fabrication contest can do for your business, and some adv...

In this week’s episode, Beau chats with Adam Streich a CWI and welding instructor at Pellissippi State Community College about common misconceptions around welding from pushing vs pulling with MIG, welding downhill, what kind of welding can make you the most money, and where to go to find good information for those looking to expand their welding knowledge. Connect With Adam Streich Instagram @aks...