The CWB Association Welding Podcast
The CWB Association Welding Podcast
Episode 230: Vet Technician to Welder with Daniela Torelli
The CWB Association brings you a weekly podcast that connects to welding professionals around the world to share their passion and give you the right tips to stay on top of what’s happening in the welding industry. Subscribe, listen, and stay connected to the people who keep the world welded together.
Today's episode marks a full‑circle moment as Kevin Roy takes the host seat with our Podcast Manager, Daniela Torelli. Daniela wears many hats, but her most prized work is with the CWB Association, Canada's largest welding community. With over 10 years in the welding industry, Daniela focuses on providing resources, education, and community connections for our members and chapters across Canada. This episode highlights the importance of networking and following a welding journey that took chances.
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Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Wak. Let's flip up the lid and spark some conversation. Attention welders in Canada. Looking for top quality welding supplies? Look no further than Canada Welding Supply. With a vast selection of premium equipment, safety gear, and consumables, CWS has got you covered. They offer fast and reliable shipping across the country. And here's the best part. Podcast listeners get 10% off any pair of welding gloves. Use code CWB10 at checkout when placing your next order. Visit Canada Weldingsupply.ca now. Canada Welding Supply, your trusted welding supplier. Happy welding. Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Wah. This is the first episode with me as a host in English, and I'd like to welcome my first guest, Daniela Torelli.
SPEAKER_03:Thanks so much. Happy to be here.
SPEAKER_01:So Daniela, um, for the people that don't know, tell us like a little bit about yourself.
SPEAKER_03:Hi, everybody. I'm Daniela Torelli. I'm a welding technical advisor here at the CWB Association, and I'm also the podcast manager. I'm now your boss. Sorry, not sorry.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, that's okay. You're the perfect person to have as my first guest, so that if anything ever goes wrong, you could be like, no, don't do that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and you know I will because listen.
SPEAKER_01:Listen. See, we're not doing video. Yeah, we're not doing video anymore until I get really good at this thing. Uh, but Daniela was doing the the the the Italian hands, yeah. Listen.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, if you see me in person, you know I do it all the time. I talk with my hands, it's just how it goes. But no, we're super happy to have you here, Kevin. And uh um, you know, it's gonna be a great time, and I know you're gonna do well at it. And I hope you are excited as we are.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, it'll be interesting to say the least. Um, so you know, we'll see exactly how this goes, but like like I'm just trying to bring a sense of like myself, some realness to it. I've been in the trade for like 20 years. Uh, I've started at the bottom, worked my way all the way up to the top, and you know, I've got a ton of things, a ton of experiences that I can share and and relate to people with. So it'll be interesting. Yeah. We might get a little, we might, yeah, we might get a little sideways.
SPEAKER_03:A little rowdy sometimes, yeah. That happens with welders. We're we're used to it, we're ready for it. But this is a full circle moment for you. I mean, you were the first guest on the podcast, and now look at you. So, how does that feel? Like, how are you prepared? Are you ready?
SPEAKER_01:Um like most, like most things I do, I'm a little under prepared, but uh I am prepared. I have notes. I actually wrote wrote some things down, so it's good. Um, but yeah, it's kind of weird. I was the the first guest on this podcast, and I did another episode as the hundredth um guest.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you understand?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, exactly. So we're yeah, we are really coming full circle, which um you know I gotta I gotta address the uh pink elephant in the room here. Sorry, I saw your pink wall. Usually it's just an elephant.
SPEAKER_03:Everything with me is pink.
SPEAKER_01:Pink pink welding. Yeah. Um, so yeah, I I just wanna throw it out to uh Max, um, who's been the host of this podcast for the longest time. Um you know, I owe a lot to Max uh for putting me on and and showing me what can be done uh with welding. So just big shout out to Max. Um he's left he's left some big shoes to fill. He's a short dude, but he's got some big feet. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03:We yeah, many people in the industry owe a lot to Max, and you know, he's been a mentor to me, and we're super thankful for his leadership and all that he's done for us, and uh, you know, we just we're gonna make to him do him proud. So that's all we can do next.
SPEAKER_01:I hope so, because like I have to see him tomorrow. We've got a a CWB uh Regina event tomorrow. So I hope I hope we make him proud. I'll never live it down.
SPEAKER_03:You got some time for this episode to go out.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, that's true. It's a big delay. Big delay.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, no, but uh we've we've had a lot of fun on the podcast, and uh, I'm excited to see, you know, what's next and and where we're gonna take it. And uh, you know, I have I have no doubt that you're gonna do a great job at it and and bring your own flavor to it, right? So um it's uh thanks.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks very much, boss lady.
unknown:No problem.
SPEAKER_03:No problem. Even though I was late today, I really yeah, I showed you what guess what can happen with podcast guests. And sometimes there's technical problems, sometimes they're a little bit late, or sometimes they forget.
SPEAKER_01:I think I'm not one of those, so no, no, as as the podcast manager, you should know when the podcasts are happening, but you know what? You you get busy, right? Like you you're uh you're kind of a one-woman show, right?
SPEAKER_03:Like you obviously in my entire life, pretty much.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so you know, we like I'm a parent as well, so there's always something going on. Like, yeah, I've got football, I got taekwondo, like it's just it's non-stop, and with you know, two kids, it's like okay, one's gotta be here now, and the other one's gonna be over there now.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I don't know how you do it. Uh, I mean, all my friends that have multiple kids, I've just like shaking my head. I'm like, I don't know how you do it. I barely can survive one, so that's my but I'm in my hockey mom era now, so we now live at the arena um every day, pretty much, until the foreseeable future. Um and yeah, we it's it's a lot of fun. I always remembered when I was pregnant with Dante and uh my son, and uh I really, really wanted him to play hockey like so badly. I was like, when he grows up, he is gonna play hockey because my school father. Yeah, my poor father had three sons, and my like my entire family is like diehard hockey fans, like go go Toronto Make Believes. Um, and not one of them played hockey and followed in his footsteps. So when I found out I was having a boy, I was like, I mean, girls can do it too, absolutely, but I was like, oh my god, like finally somebody in the family can take after my dad and play hockey. And now when the time actually came and I was like, oh how much time do I have to dedicate to this now? So live and learn, but no, and it's it's a lot of fun and it's it's cool to see him advance and and he loves it too. Oh my god. I'm I'm a cool hockey mom, and I took Dante to a leaf game on a Tuesday night during this week. So I'm still recovering from a late weeknight outing. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's really cool. Probably a really cool experience. Actually, like I've been following you for a while on social media, right? And I kind of feel like I've seen Dante grow up, and I remember like kid could not skate, you know, and it took a while for him to learn how to skate.
SPEAKER_03:I can't skate still to this day.
SPEAKER_01:That is no good. But like now I see him like at practice and stuff, and he's like, he's doing it, he's really in there.
SPEAKER_03:And I think that's the greatest thing about social media, and like we can really praise that, is like the connections we make with people in the industry. And like I still remember, like I have a good few like people that I started following, like right off the top when I got into welding, and it's just so cool to watch everyone progress over the years, and you feel a part of their like their life, you feel a part of their family, their friend group. It's like sometimes when you meet people for the first time actually in person, it's like you feel like you know that person for years, but then it's like, oh, it's so nice to actually meet you in person. Like you forget, it's like, oh, we actually haven't even met each other yet.
SPEAKER_01:But yeah, I I feel the same way because uh yeah, just going to events and whatever, like skills or when we were in New Brunswick, which we can touch on. Um, like, yeah, you've been talking to these people for years and you already know each other, and then you're like, Oh, hey, how's it going? How's it going? You're like instant friends. It's oh yeah, you don't really have to catch up because you're right there.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And like people's kids grew up around the same time, and it's just like it's just really cool to see, and to see also the like ups and downs of everybody, not I mean, everything on social media is not, you know, rainbows and sunshine every day, but it's cool to see how people progress through that and how they, you know, battle through those challenges and they share it and they share their real life, you know, journeys online. Like I really uh give a lot of props to people who don't just post all the good stuff, they post the raw stuff and the bad stuff, and you know, had to switch jobs and had to, you know, move to a different area or had to do whatever it is and tried different jobs till they got to the the job that they loved and and or failed at school and you know started right back up at it, you know. It's it's really nice to see that and to you really respect those people that show it all and you kind of feel like you're going through that journey with them. Like I know it's a weird thing to say, but it's like you're a cheerleader from another country for somebody, and it's just like I love that. I really do.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, oh for sure, for sure. I'm I'm probably guilty of being the guy who just shares like the cool stuff. Well, the stuff I think is cool. The algorithm doesn't think it's cool, but no, but we love your welds, Kevin.
SPEAKER_03:We love the flowers and all the art you do. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's kind of yeah, it's funny. That reminded me of like we were trying to come up with a catchphrase for this podcast, right? And you know, I got turned down, I'll say it here, it might get blurred out, but uh one of my catchphrases was you know, my thoughts may be dirty, but my welds are clean. Welcome to the podcast.
SPEAKER_03:This is Kevin, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, then there'll be a few of those moments, I think, uh along the road.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's gonna be a learning curve, but uh it'll be a fun one for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So yeah, uh New Brunswick, we mentioned it. That was that was when you interviewed me. We were at the NAC meeting, and was it at the same time as the uh educators' conference?
SPEAKER_03:What was uh uh Canweld. It was Canwell. Canwell, yeah, in New Brunswick. Um yeah, I'm glad that you are introducing me and not the other way around because it would have taken us an hour to start. It's so different. I mean, it's maybe a little bit easier when you're virtual and you're not like face to face actually in person, but um it's you know, it's nerve-wracking. It's it's it's hard. It's it's definitely not as easy as it looks, and uh yeah, I'm glad I'm not the one doing it.
SPEAKER_01:Very true. And having like an audience and all that that audio equipment, it's just it's a bit of pressure, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, lights and cameras, yeah. Hey, it's gonna happen soon.
SPEAKER_01:Don't just just oh absolutely I it's like I'm ready, I'm ready. I I remember uh when we did skills in Quebec and uh just recently skills here in Regina, which was pretty awesome. But yeah, you're just you're just there and people are walking by and the speakers are blaring and everyone's listening to what you're talking about. It's uh it's a cool experience, it's nice, and it's always a good response to because oh like trade trades in general aren't really that promoted, so having a platform like this is awesome, and then when you bring it to a to a certain area, whatever an event, it's just that much better, and like that's a double set of eyes on things like what is this? Oh, it's a podcast, what's it about? It's about welding, what and then you get more eyes on it, so it's awesome.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, well, especially the Skills Canada national competition. Like, how was it for your sons? You brought your kids to the one last year, um, or this year in uh Regina, and uh how was that for them? Were there like eyeballs just like whoa, like this is unreal? This is so cool.
SPEAKER_01:It blew their minds, like in a in a very good way. And just the swag, too. Like, you know, kids are all about swag. Those kids. Oh man, I have one right here. I'm but I'm sad. Okay, we're gonna have to start doing video, but like I still have three of those buckets, and those those uh home hardware buckets were the most popular thing at Skills, and like kids were leaving with pallets of them, pallets like 20 buckets. They go to the bus, like all these kids leaving to their different towns or whatever with all these buckets, they couldn't even take them on the bus. Bus drivers like no buckets and no yelling on the bus. But yeah, so my kids were absolutely blown away with all the trades. Um, they really like all the virtual stuff too, because like you could operate tree-cutting equipment, you could, you know, uh work on boiler equipment, you could do the welding, which my son Logan he wants to be a welder, and he welded his first little coupon. I feel guilty because the first coupon should have been it should have been in my garage, but whatever. So, yeah, he welded his first little coupon. He did super good the whole time. He was just grinning from ear to ear. So yeah, skills is awesome. I always tell people go to skills, go to these events, because everyone that goes to these places are super passionate about it, and it really opens your eyes, it opens your mind up to not just what trades are, but the people that make the trades happen.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. Yeah, I like it's and like that specific event is just so large, and all the trades coming together is just so beautiful to see. And like I remember my first time I went to one, and it's just like this is unreal. Like, how come I never, you know, I wish I knew about it when I was in high school and like actually like competed or attended even like I didn't even know this even existed, like it was just so cool to see, and now you know, every year it's like I can't not want to go. Like I want to go every year, like I don't want to miss it because it's just you vibrate off of it, like the the passion that you see and you bring that home. It's just it sparks something in you that it's like okay, like what what can we do next? Right, like it just it's just so cool to see. And uh next year's national competition is in Toronto. So now I'm like, oh I'm like, I want to bring Dante. Like I'm so excited for that now. So that's yeah, that's gonna be in my neck of the woods. Well, two hours away, neck of the woods, but I'm a little more.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, the greater Toronto area.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so um, yeah, I know I'm super excited for that, and uh hopefully traffic won't be as bad for people, but um, no, it'll be a lot of fun. And uh I actually I have to say this, put it on the record. I really did enjoy Regina.
SPEAKER_01:Very good.
SPEAKER_03:I'd never been. It was my first time this year, and I heard so much about it. And I mean, this is just such an Ontario thing of me to say, but like I feel like we're born to just like hate that area or like just think of it as like, oh, it's so flat, it's so boring. Like, why would anybody want to go live there? Yeah, but I understand now.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'll definitely touch on that. Um, I I feel like people from Toronto are just and I'm not gonna say self-centered, but I'm gonna say self-centered, like just the center of the center of the universe. Um but yeah, I've been on both coasts of Canada. I moved around a little bit, um, and I will say that Saskatchewan wasn't the funnest place when I was a teenager, just because I came from the mountains and I love snowboarding, all this stuff, and you know, I moved to this flat land where it's minus 40, and it was just not the best place, but like the people are the friendliest. I feel like people are so welcoming here, and the pride in Saskatchewan is huge, especially the riders, go riders. I don't know about those Argos.
SPEAKER_03:Um I don't watch football, so I didn't tell you. Go leaves.
SPEAKER_01:Everybody knows the leaves will let you down.
SPEAKER_03:Just so you know, just so you know, I mean it is pre-season, so like it is what it is, but uh the leaves beat the Habs tonight.
SPEAKER_01:Uh so now you're you now you're attacking my home province. Okay, I get it.
SPEAKER_03:But yeah, throwing it out there, you know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Regina is fun. Um you didn't see your dog run away for three days, you know, like for the first hour, you're okay. You know where he's at.
SPEAKER_03:So Well, I think just the history, like I actually and I mean I will say it out loud now, but like I could actually see me booking a flight and actually going to Regina and like taking Dante with me and like exploring, like I could see that as like a little you know, trip to go to. Um, I learned about the dinosaurs and like there's actually so much history there with the queen, and like I had no idea. Like, I don't think they teach us this at school, or we just are oblivious to it, probably. Yeah, I will I will admit that, but yeah, no, definitely, yeah, it's definitely a ton of history. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Actually, my so my dad, he's retired now, but he was RCMP for 32 years, and I have a photo of him with the queen when she came to visit. And I want to say this was like 2000 2005, 2006. Don't don't quote me. But yeah, have it's like, oh, we're in the Queen City, and here's my dad with the Queen. Like, that was pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_03:That's yeah, I I would frame that one.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, when you were here though, we had a crazy, crazy wildfire, and it was so smoky.
SPEAKER_03:That was definitely eye-opening, and I was like, Oh my god, like is is my flight gonna get canceled?
SPEAKER_01:Like pretty sure you got delayed, hey.
SPEAKER_03:Um, I didn't, but I know other flights that were a little bit earlier in the day. I think mine was a bit later, so I learned like by the evening the kind of the smoke kind of clears out. Um, but yeah, that was interesting when you couldn't even like see out into the parking lot. It was so bad. So um I don't know. Yeah, I and but it was like the normal, like everyone was like, it's no big deal. It's just like every happens all the time. And I'm just like, I don't know how I feel about that. So um hopefully everybody, you know, was okay with those wildfires. And I know they're still, I mean, it was across Canada, um, which is bizarre, but uh hopefully um nobody lost their home or there was anything too too serious, but crazy for sure. That was the wildest part of the trip for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, out of yeah, out of control smoke. When it was starting to come into the building and it wasn't from the welders, it's like, okay, what's going on here?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, no, for sure. But uh yeah, no, it's I could see myself going back out there just for fun and and to explore. So maybe I'll come visit, we'll see.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, if you do, we'll keep you entertained for at least two days.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's like go back go. Piss off.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So, Kevin, what's been going on with you? Lots, not just the podcast, but lots of exciting changes.
SPEAKER_01:Um taken over. Yeah, yeah, podcast takeover. Um, as always, I take on way too much than I should. Um, I'm a guy that says yes to everything, and then I try to figure it out. And I'm so glad that I have the wife that I do. Shout out Mo. Um because oh my god, like I could not, I could not make any of this work. Um, but yeah, so I'm a full-time foreman at a welding shop. I uh oversee, I guess, 15 to 20 guys, depending on busy season and whatnot. Um, but that's you know, that's that's one side of welding. That's one side of my welding journey. But like I still love to weld, I love to fabricate, I love making things. So I can't do that during the day. So I kind of I branched out a little bit and I've been doing a little bit of welding with some friends of mine, which is awesome. Because like the work I do after work is like it's freeing to me. It's uh it's like it's like an escape, which is which is kind of cool. I mean, I'm I'm not like most people, but like welding is not just my job, but it's also my hobby. If I'm not welding, I'm welding. Yeah, so doing a bit of that. Um the social media stuff too has been popping off like crazy, and this was even way before um we even thought about me becoming the host. Um, so I formed up a partnership with BTH Sales, uh, which is crazy because I found out yeah, I found out much later that now BTH is partnering up with the CWB, and we're going to be uh giving away two tables, right, to a secondary program. Uh so that's awesome. But yeah, so I I now have this partnership, and I was able to get one of their Sigmund tables in my garage, which opened up even more doors for me because now I can fab stuff at home. Because like the people that have never had a fab table or use them don't understand how easy it is to like jig stuff up or to work by yourself. Oh, you know, I I would need somebody to help me tack this up. Well, no, I don't. I have a fab table, I have clamps, I have little jig tabs. So that's been going on. Obviously, my family life, we touched on that too. Um, kids are crazy busy. Back to school is nuts. Why do they pack so much into back to school?
SPEAKER_03:I know. September is the craziest month, I feel like, of the year.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah, so all that's going on. I'm also involved with my local chapter, the Regina chapter, and we've got events going every month. We kind of pride ourselves in being very active, being in the community. Um, ever since COVID, like things have been not so good. So, like throughout COVID too, is uh, you know, like all the old guard, all the um, you know, like we used to have this really core group of, you know, there's a salesman, there's a teacher, there's an inspector, there's an engineer. We had this core group of older people. Well, COVID happened, couldn't have in-person meetings, people retired, all this stuff. So when we, and I say we because there's a there's a kind of a core group of us that started out right afterwards, um, when we got together, it was really rebuilding. How do we actually start making people understand who we are, what we do? And we couldn't do in-person at first, so we did a ton of online events. Uh, but now we're back in person, and this year of all years, after I don't know, doing this for like the last five years or so trying to build this up, we're finally seeing like kids get excited again. Uh, we're seeing instructors get back involved. People from industry, yeah, people from industry are getting right in there. Like we've got repeat attendees, we've got companies that are buying tickets even before they have people interested in going. So that's good. It's it's really exciting.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's good to see like, and I think it's across the board. I think most chapters now, you know, across Canada, and also our our chapter in Chile as well, um, is starting to see better turnout for in-person events. And and I still think there is still value of online virtual events, you know, webinars and stuff like that, um, where you can reach a larger audience. Um, those are still still valuable, but that in-person, you know, that's our chapters with for the C CW Association, you know, our chapters are our boots on the ground. And for sure during the pandemic, every company, you know, faced those challenges of trying to connect with their members, their audiences, uh, their customers, you know, on an online platform. It was it was a challenge for everybody. Um, but it's great to see kind of things turning around and and getting more um of their local communities out in person and and connecting and networking. And and you know, that's that's the the value. That's that's what we do, right? That's as a you know, as a CW Association member and a chapter um member, it's that's the fun of it. That's you know, where you can share your passion with those, whether it's students or um a lot of our chapters donate a lot to high schools to the local high schools, and they'll go do demonstrations or presentations and they'll attend career fairs and and you're able to share your stories in person with anybody, a parent. It could be, it could be a uh another instructor or it could be a student, and you're promoting our trade, you're promoting the welding industry to that next generation and showing the different types of careers that are possible. So we really, you know, the association would be nothing without our chapters and our members, and and we value their time so much that they, you know, they're volunteering their time, and uh we we can't say thank you enough for that. And and it's great to see more getting more younger generation attending these events and and getting out there and learning from them because these are welding professionals, they're they're taking the time, they're volunteering their time to um to share their passion, and it's great to see those that are attending those events and and valuing it. So we appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, for sure. And I've actually seen uh more women uh come out to these things and actually yeah shout out, shout out, let's yeah, no, no, you know, like you know, I'm not that guy, you know, but like we've got so we've got so many like women coming out, and actually we've got a few on the board now for the Regina chapter, which is awesome, like brings so much new energy, a different mindset, and like women are so much more organized than than dudes are.
SPEAKER_03:So somewhat, somewhat.
SPEAKER_01:Well, some.
SPEAKER_03:We have lots there. We have lots of female leaders that are you know chapter chairs or um have different positions in different chapters on their executive board, and uh it's really great to see. And I mean, I'm celebrating my tenth year this year being in the welding industry at Wow, congratulations. Thanks, thanks when I decided to, you know, change my career and take a leap of faith and never look back, but um it's so cool to see the opportunities that are available now for women or anybody in unrepresentative communities um across the board. It's you just didn't see it then. Like even I remember when I was in trade school, you know, there weren't posters up of women welders, or wasn't, you know, posters up of anyone from unrepresented communities. Like it wasn't promoted, but now there's like special grants, there's ways that they're doing the work to get those individuals into the trade and and offering resources available. Um, we see that with lots of different trades now. Um the the best thing that I love seeing when we go to like conferences and trade shows and you see other people on banners. It's just like the ones that you would not see beforehand. And it's I love seeing the diversity, diversity and the inclusion that's happening and and how we're changing the narrative um now. So it's really cool to see what's happened in 10 years, and uh I look forward to we're taking over the world, yo.
SPEAKER_01:Uh yeah, I've always said I don't care what's in your pants, can you do the job? And and we need people in the trades, we need more tradespeople. Let's let's get it, let's get everybody involved.
SPEAKER_03:I loved showing up on a job site and in the welding shop and all my tools I painted pink because they never went missing. Everybody else's tools would get stolen, but guess what? Mine were still in my toolbox, and and if someone took it, I knew where to find it because it was spray painted pink.
SPEAKER_01:And I'm I'm actually thinking of switching gas suppliers right now just for the home shop. And you know, I'd I've got this company and I got a friend there, her name's Jaslin, and uh their bottles are purple and pink and stuff, and they get made fun of all the time. It's like, no, man, I'd I'd I'd rock I would rock those in here. Like, I'll drop a shout out, you know, Weldcore. We've got sponsors, but you know, Jaslin at Weldcore here in Regina, get at her. She knows what she's doing. Uh but yeah, like who k who cares?
SPEAKER_03:Like how do I tell pig? Bottles in Ontario, I want one for my garage.
SPEAKER_01:Well, we can get you in touch with some people.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I know there's certain things that it's like, I wish like, can someone come out with a pink welding machine already? Like, come on. Like, I don't want to have to spray paint my machine. I don't want the fumes to go inside. But like, I would love for somebody to create one. Like, why has this not been done yet? Like, please, somebody listening, here you go. Here's an opportunity. I will be your first sale. Like, make it happen.
SPEAKER_01:Let's get you a thinkpink welding edition welder.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Like, yeah, I would I even thought about getting one wrapped, but it's just like, uh, like, do I really want to do that with the heat? Like, is that even and I'm like, oh, but I've had to mix in some green into my garage, and and that's okay. I, you know, shout out to Everlast. I love my machine. Um, and I've got their big banner. I've been harassing them for a banner. And then it's like, I got this big thing in the mail. Like, this tube was so long, and I'm like, what did I order? Like, what is this? Pull out the biggest banner ever. It takes up majority of my one wall of my garage. I love it. But I was like, oh, I was just thinking of like a small banner. So now I really represent and I love it. But uh awesome. The green, the green goes well with my Ryo Beak collection. So uh I'll accept some green now. It's green and pink. That's my new colors.
SPEAKER_01:JosephGases.ca, your one-stop welder superstore. Whether you run a welding shop or are just starting your welding journey, JosephGas, the Welder Superstore, is the best place for everything related to welding. Come to the site and browser topics of welders, helmets, and welding supplies specific to your industry. Even filter out the items eligible for manufacturers' cash rebates. Our intuitive search tool puts everything at your fingertips. And checkout is a breeze. Pay securely with your credit card. If you are ready to streamline your welding supply shopping experience, visit josephgasses.ca. That's Joseph with an F. As in family. Start filling your cart with welder confidence. Nice. Yeah, actually, Everlast, that's what I started with in the home shop. So, like big shout out, Everlast. Yeah, they they were affordable, they were quality. They're doing stuff that you know bigger companies are doing, but for less, which I can't be mad at that, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, no, and I wanna I got my eyes on a plasma plasma cutter. I need to up up my game in my home shop and might be my Christmas present to myself. We'll see.
SPEAKER_01:Cool.
SPEAKER_03:That's that's next on the list.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so while we're on the subject, because you you're celebrating 10 years of your welding journey. What did you do before that?
SPEAKER_03:I uh am still, but I was very much, you know, into animals. Uh I still am to this day. Uh big horse girl, ride horses, Dante ride horses now. We bought our first little mini miniature horse. Um Pink Lily is her name. And like that was her name. Like, we didn't name her that. Like, that's her name on our registration papers, and it was meant to be everything.
SPEAKER_01:Anything that's pink is meant to be for me. Yeah, they saw you come.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, they knew it. Um, and yeah, like in high school, I loved animals. I would wake up early in the morning and I'd be at the farm doing, you know, mucking out barn stalls at six in the morning, and then I'd go straight to class right after that. And uh, you know, I've always been a hard worker. I've never just sat around and and uh, you know, did nothing. So I worked at animal rescue farms, like I was always at a farm. Like that was my that was me. So um in high school, I hated school. I literally hated school so much. And I actually dropped out and I uh in my grade 12 year, I dropped out about probably about 12.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I was let me get second semester, you're like, I'm done.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, like I I only needed a few more credits. So but I didn't know it at the time. I was a hands-on learner, and and if I look could look back and if I could talk to my you know, younger self and or if I had a teacher that just recognized that in me, um, maybe things would have been different. Maybe I would have enjoyed high school more. Um, I also missed a lot of school. Some people may not know this about me, but I have severe scoliosis. So I have uh scoliosis is a crooked spine. So normally scoliosis is like an S spine, and I have like a C spine. So I when I was younger had like an actual hunchback, um, and my scoliosis just got worse.
SPEAKER_01:So spine is spine is crooked, but the welds are straight.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Oh that's good. That's a good one. I'm gonna write that down and trademark that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but uh mentioning too is like I think a lot of trains trades-minded people are like that, hands-on learners. So I I I was the same in high school too. Like I didn't really engage, especially in later years, so I can definitely relate to that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. And so like I I missed a lot of school because I actually had seven spinal surgeries from the time I was 12 till I was 19. So every year I had a surgery. So I missed also a lot of school, and I didn't, you know, make a lot of friends, and I wasn't I was kind of that weird one, you know, uh that would just shut down there. Yeah, total nerd. Um, but uh so I just didn't have good thoughts about school and high school. You know, we're young, we're teenagers, we're moody, we're you know, all the things, right? Sorry, mom, but you know, it it happens. Um, and yeah, grade 12, I just couldn't take it anymore. I hated sitting in class. I was failing math, I was failing this. I was like just I was in my emo stage, okay? It happens.
SPEAKER_01:Uh sorry, we all go through it. I still enjoy Screamo music to this day, so that's some stuck with me.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, Shadow Tinker Charlotte. I am like my inner child. I'm so happy. I'm loving every single band from like my whole high school era is coming back now, and I'm I'm living for it. But yes, dropped out. I I ramble. I dropped out, realized like you idiot, you need to go back. And I miss graduating with my year. I I missed I I didn't graduate with my other, you know, um fellow students that I went to school with from grade nine till grade twelve. And I went back the following year because it was second semester that I dropped out, like idiot, and uh went back second or for grade 13, as you would say, and I only needed a few qu credits, so I think I had to do like English, but then I got to choose some electives, and I am from a small hick town in the middle of nowhere called Tottenham. It's much bigger now, but at the time it was very small, and our high school was, you know, there wasn't a lot of offerings for electives, you know. There's a home ec, there's a drama, there's a woodworking, there's uh cosmetics, you know, the hairstyling, and then there was automotive. And like that's your options.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I've been there.
SPEAKER_03:And I think when I had like went back to re-register, most of the classes were full. And I think it was between drama and automotive I had to select. So I was like, I'm like, I acting like I'm not going on a stage, like there's no way, like that's not me. And then there's automotive, and I was like, well, you know, learning to change a tire, like that's a good skill to have. And and I was very much in like the mud bog off-roading kind of scene. Like I, you know, that was the thing where everybody with their you know, trucks were, you know, in the uh side streets going mudding and like Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So you were so you're yeah, you're emo, and you're going to mud bogs and you want to change tires. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. So, you know, I was like, hey, I'll do automotive. And I was like, at that point, I was a year older than all of these uh kids at that time, and I was the only girl in the class. So I'm the older girl, only one, and it was a the most funnest class I ever been in. But I was I was the boss, and then of course. Um, but you know, you learned a little bit of basic welding in that class.
SPEAKER_01:And I don't even I wish I could think back or wish I had like pictures, like that was you know, flip phone era, so like we didn't really I don't have any of those photos that I would have taken on my old flip phone, but yeah, I didn't I didn't have a cell phone in high school, so I don't want to date myself here, but yeah, I'm I got one up on you. I didn't even have a phone.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's the old uh walkie-talkie flip phone.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's cool. Like it's weird that you know we've known each other for a little while, but we've never actually talked about this because that's kind of where I fell into welding too, is in automotive's class, yeah, in high school. Yeah, yeah. Okay, carry on.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so yeah, like I um learned very basic. We did like, I remember like brazing and like uh oxycetylene fuel welding. Like I remember doing so much oxyacetylene. Yeah, like I think we had this little tiny like MIG welder, and we like had one welding table, like it was a small shop and it was mainly focused on automotive, but we did learn a little bit of basic stuff, and uh and I enjoyed that aspect. I loved oxy fuel cutting. Oh my god, I used to like bring home like so many things that I would cut up and make shapes, and like I lived for that and I loved it. And um my teacher was like, You're good at this. Like, like have you ever considered welding? Like, you know, you're actually like really good at it. I'm like, Yeah, this is fun. Like, I who doesn't love playing with fire? Like, come on, like that is so much fun, and especially in your like rebel like teenage years, like it's it goes hand in hand.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean I've set a few fires outside of uh welding class, but we're not gonna get into that.
SPEAKER_03:Well, your poor parents. Um it tracks, it tracks. But that's that's my new face phrase right now. That tracks. Yeah, I'm getting hip.
SPEAKER_01:Um yeah, and it just you can't you can't say hip. You can't say you're getting hip. That's cooked. You're cooked.
SPEAKER_03:Oh no. Okay, well, no, oh my gosh, I can't. Anyways, listen here. Okay. Um yeah, so never ever thought anything of it. You know, I got my credits, I graduated with that following year, and uh I wanted to be a vet tech. I wanted to work with animals. Like that was my my goal after high school was uh applying to uh a vet school program, obviously at the college level because I was nowhere near a university student. Um and yeah, I worked. I worked, I would always work like two or three different jobs. I'd be at like two different horseworms and I'd have I'd worked at uh like hardware store and like I would always be doing different jobs. And I learned very quickly that the vet program was super hard and I wouldn't be able to work and do the program as well because my friends had already done it for a year. So some of my friends I went off into it, they're like, you can't even work, like you have to dedicate full time to this program. And I was like, That's not me because I was very much trying to be financially independent. I wanted to move out for my parents right away. I wanted to like get out on my own. I didn't want to depend on nobody. So I'm like, that does not work for me. I need to like make a living and and work while I'm learning at the same time. So I worked at vet clinics on the side, I was like an unregistered vet tech, but I would still do odds and ends and stuff like that here. I did that for a few years and it just wasn't cutting it. I wasn't getting to where I wanted to be financially, and it was just like, what's what do I do? I can't go to school to get that credential. Um, and I'm not gonna go any further than I am where I am at now. And I just all I would hear from my my friends and you know, oh the trades, the trades is where the money's at, and you know, you gotta get in the trades, like if you're gonna make anything, you gotta get in the trades, and and uh and I was interested in that. I loved that. Like I, you know, would see my friends, you know, working on their trucks and and you know, building stuff, and I loved watching it. I loved, you know, learning from them. And uh so I was like, oh, one night I just you know, sitting on my laptop and uh, you know, on the very slow, slow speed. Mom, get off the phone. Yeah. And uh yeah, I just I went on the Ontario College of Trades website, whatever it was called at the time, and uh just started looking what what trades are out there and you know go through the list plumbing. Well, I don't want to deal with toilets and electricity. Well, that seems a little bit dangerous. I don't know if I want to deal with people's with uh lightning and like I don't know, I was going off on this whole thing and all the weighing all the pros and cons in my brain.
SPEAKER_01:And then you pick the most dangerous one, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:You get down to that bottom of that list there, and there's you know, in the W it's welding. And uh I just remembered my experience in high school. I remember my teacher saying I was good at it, and I was like, huh. Welding.
SPEAKER_01:I could I could see so crazy. I can't believe we haven't talked about this before. Because that's it's almost the same. I mean, I wasn't into horses, so whatever, but that's like literally the same thing that I did. Uh that's not a jab, I just wasn't into it. Um, but yeah, I uh I wanted to be a mechanic, and I went for a year of school to get my pre-employment mechanic, and um I was good at welding, and even my teacher in mechanics was all like, Wow, you're really good at this! Like, how long have you been welding? Well, in high school, oh, really cool, awesome. And I was a mechanic for like three or four months, like a tired and lube joint, and I absolutely hated it. And it was like, What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do next? Right, and like my dad was definitely like, Hey, what are you gonna do next?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, get out there.
SPEAKER_01:Um no, my dad's cool. Um, but yeah, uh, I fell back onto that welding thing. It's like, oh, I was good at this, it's fun. I also liked oxy fuel welding, which was crazy, they don't do that anymore. Uh, but yeah, signed up for that welding course just like you did, and here we are now, never looking back.
SPEAKER_03:The rest is history.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I I literally had a month to prepare myself to be in a class for welding because I just randomly looking at the website of you know all the different programs and what was available, and there was one starting in literally in a month, and it was still showed accepting applications because they were struggling even then, like they were struggling to get people into the into these programs. And uh I applied and within a week got accepted. And it was like you start like less than a month. Yeah, and it was like what okay, like I had to tell my family, and like I was like trying to figure out my life because this program I applied to was like over two hour drive away from my house. Oh and it was a it was a big drive every day. I was driving like four hours.
SPEAKER_01:Two hours there, two hours back every day.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, from Tottenham to Oakville, because um I went to Sheridan College, which at the time now their campus is actually a lot closer to my house. Well, it was uh it's in Brampton now, but their trade campus used to be in Oakville, and that's a stretch. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, but it was uh that's dedicated and working in in between that. So some days it was only half day, so I'd go to the barn in the morning or I'd go be at the vet clinic in the morning. Um, and I'd race down, you know, to Oakville, and then I was working weekends, I was working anytime I could because I had to pay myself to go there. Like I had to fund myself um to go there because my family didn't support it. They were like, This is a joke, and like we're not helping you.
SPEAKER_01:So, like, yeah, so literally all your all your friends are all like, trades are where the money is, you gotta get into the trades. And your parents are like, No, no, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:What do you're like, their only daughter, they have three sons, and their only daughter is gonna be a welder, like what when all of their friends' kids are going off to university, they're gonna be teachers, they're gonna and it's like their daughter's gonna be a welder. Who has a lot of you know, yeah, didn't play hockey, now's gonna be a welder.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:And you know, then they were they were like it's different now when you're a parent and you look at some of the choices you maybe your parents made, and it's like at the mo in the in that moment you don't understand it, but now I find as you're a parent and you're looking kind of back and you're seeing some of the the choices, I didn't fully agree with some of their, you know, words and choices, but as a parent, you want to protect your child, you want the best for them. And yeah, for me, you know, seven spinal surgeries, and I want to get into a trade and put myself in danger, I guess you could say. Um that was really hard for them to accept that. And and they just thought I would just give up. They thought, oh, she's trying a new trend, or you know, it's a it's a new phase, or you know, and and and now I mean, my gosh, my parents like I I don't like talking poorly because they're so proud of me now, but it took them some time to warm up to that and to um accept it that you know I was serious about it when I got my first job. They're like, Oh, when I paid off my schooling, they're like, Oh, and you know, it's just it took them a a while to warm up to it, but now I'm so proud of that because we're an old school Italian household. I mean, there's nobody in my family, no, you know, uh, I mean, I do come from a line of strong women, but nobody in the trade that that was a female. So I got to be that first one to show my family, my grandparents, you know, cousins, um, what's possible, what's uh out there, what's we can accomplish, you know. It's uh it's such a rewarding feeling to have that and to be able to do that. So uh no regrets.
SPEAKER_01:For sure. Yeah, it's you touched on something there. You don't you don't know what your parents were going through until you become a parent.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And you have kids and you know, you go through that full cycle. They say youth is wasted on the young. You don't understand that until like you get old and your knees hurt and your back hurts and you sneeze wrong and you can't work for a week, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and now, you know, even though I'm not welding every day anymore, I'm still serving the industry and a whole other different, you know, specter, and and uh and I love it. I love working for the association, I love working with the chapters, I love attending, you know, conferences and events and and speaking, you know, um the automic it to you know speak to students and stuff like that. And I I love it. So it's uh it's cool to see those full circle moments that uh people go through. And uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01:No, I feel the same way, like like I said when we open this thing up, is I don't weld during the day very much at all unless like we're super shorthanded or there's a rush job and I throw the lid on, right? Yeah, but yeah, so as far as welding, because you still have the art side of things, like I've seen all the stuff you make, it's one I know you can't see the video, but you got my horse head behind me. We're gonna get back on this video thing. Yeah, your horse head, like everything that you've made, and I've I've seen you share it, and you've been to you know, craft fairs and all that stuff. So are you still doing that? Are you still pretty involved in it?
SPEAKER_03:I would love to say yes, but I lately I haven't been. Um it's just there's just not enough hours in a day, as you know. I mean, there's I wear so many different hats now that I'm so grateful for, but it doesn't leave me a whole lot of time to actually go in my own garage and and uh uh put on my my helmet and and flip that lid. So I every time I'm like, I gotta get out there, I gotta make the time, and I and I do, I really do, because I consider welding like therapy. Like it's like there's that like just calming, even though it's like we're playing with fire and sparks and electricity and all this stuff. There is such a calming aspect to welding when you're just concentrating on that puddle, and nothing like when that helmet goes down, like you can't see nothing around you, like it's just you tone out everything that's going on, and yeah, and especially everybody needs to experience that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, especially when you're you're in your creative mind when you're starting to work on something. Sometimes I get out into the shop and like it's hard to get going. It's like you gotta find the motivation. I've been trying to make lilies for the last four weeks. Like, I have aunties coming to town, and I'm supposed to give it to them, and it did not happen. Whatever. Okay, moving on. Yeah, but you get out into the shop and it's hard to get going. But once you do get going and your mind starts thinking about what you're actually doing, it's like just like the ultimate focus, and that's all you're thinking about. And you put your favorite music on, and it's just like there's nothing else in the world, you're just in the zone.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, absolutely. Like when I did this horse head behind me of out of horseshoes, like I had a scribbled drawing of like what I envisioned, but like I made this in a week, I don't even think it was a week, and it was literally just me putting things together, and then that just appeared out of nowhere. Like I had no plan for it. Um, and it just came together, and I was like, once it was done, I was holding up, I think of a picture somewhere of holding up my scribble drawing and then the actual horse head. And I you could not, I don't even know how I even got there. Like it just happened because you just get into those grooves, those moments, and just magic happens. And yeah, it's uh we're gonna we're gonna make it happen. I wanna get back to welding. I love when you come to town and uh we get to do some videos and and I always try to I always bring all my welding gear with me because I'm like when we're not shooting, I'm gonna I'm gonna wanna do some welding. So yeah, I still got it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, last time I was in town, you got in there welding some coupons.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. Still, still got it, still got it. Doesn't matter how much time goes by. Uh I still can weld a coupon, so that made me happy. Yeah, but so tell what video just got released that you just did.
SPEAKER_01:So it was uh the aluminum video, aluminum stick and the push-pull gun. Um so it's been crazy requested the aluminum stick video because it's no one's favorite process, absolutely, and not that common, not that common. It's literally if you have nothing else available to you, you're going to use that. And it wasn't surprising to me because I've done it before, and a lot of people message me about it too, but like the amount of porosity inside that stick weld is crazy. So if you're thinking that you're gonna do something structural with these rods, probably not. Maybe if you put a couple passes on, like weave it wide and wish it well, but and then compared to the push-pull method, uh, it's like night and day, right? But you know, different equipment, maybe more expense, a little bit more skill, and then you go one step further into the TIG process or GTA W, I should speak correctly. Um now you have more equipment, more expensive equipment, um, skill, you have to worry about wind. So actually doing that aluminum stick weld was pretty cool, and to be able to show it to the world and you know, like actually, I had never seen one of these videos before. And anytime that I had seen one of these videos, they were cheating and not showing exactly what's happening. So I was glad I was glad to bring it uh bring it to the real world in a real way.
SPEAKER_03:What are some because maybe by then, by the time this episode gets released, some more of those videos will probably get released as well. What's to come? What are some other things that you had uh recorded?
SPEAKER_01:Um the layout video using triangles um to figure out basically how to get to point A to point B or build a ramp or do a reducer from one tube to the other, uh, that was cool. And like that's a video that could be like six hours long because you can use triangles or you know, Pythagoras' theorem, um, triangulation to solve a majority of layout problems or fabrication problems. If you have two angles and a length, you can solve it, or if you have two lengths and an angle, you can solve it. I'm just speaking about right angle triangles, but so that's gonna be an exciting video, I think.
SPEAKER_03:I learned something with that. Like, I I was mind blown. I was like, that's how people do it, like I had no idea. So yeah, I love that video.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, on like the last time we were filming in Hamilton there. Shout out iron workers. Um, it was so hot, it was like 45 degrees.
SPEAKER_03:We learned our lesson not to record in was it July?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, we're not gonna do that again. No more summer, yeah. Yeah, it was like let's film for the iron workers were laughing at us because yeah, we do this every day, yeah. Yeah, but yeah, it's like let's film for 30 seconds and then we gotta wipe off the whole face, wipe off the brow, maybe change the shirt.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, makeup crew had to come out, powder catch his face, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, the pampered princess. Yeah, like after that first night though, uh I think like I had brain fog. I think I ran out of electrolytes, honestly. Like I just wanted to give it everything I had, and no, the body said no, gotta shut her down.
SPEAKER_03:We we got it done at the end of it, so yeah, uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Another cool video too is like showing all of the um coupons involved with all the classes of welding with the CWB, right? And then you know, some of these they're not a replacement for other tests or yeah, testing I don't know what I want to say here, but like um, you know, if you've got different testing facilities or just different testing procedures, but the CWB's got all these different coupons and these procedures, and I don't think a lot of people know about them. So it was cool to show each coupon that you would typically test on and how they would be processed. I think that one's cool too.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and what industry like it relates to because that's the thing. I mean, if you're instructural, you're only gonna know the structural test. If you're in marine, you're only know the marine. It's it's sometimes, yeah, it's cool to see what else is available out there. So yeah, that was a good one.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:And what's next? What's what's coming up, Kevin? What else is uh uh cooking in the kitchen?
SPEAKER_01:Well, we're hopefully gonna keep recording these episodes. We'll see if uh we make it past this one. Um, but yeah, after this, I'm hoping to come back and film some more videos. Um again, since I've been a Luddite, and if you guys don't know that term, it's somebody who's afraid of technology or has not used technology in a while. Um, you know, I'm I'm excited about learning how to use this computer, learning how to use the audio equipment. Um, so that's something that we're gonna be doing. And then hopefully, once I learn all that, um the doors will open, it'll be crazy. I'd love to go to all these events and stuff and connect with all these people I've been talking to for years.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, um lots of people, which is great to see, so yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and a huge one, a big one, is uh I'm going for my level one welding inspector.
SPEAKER_03:No way, me too.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we didn't plan this at all. Yeah. No, it's uh it's one of those things that um I want to do for myself. I want to know more about what I've been doing for the last 20 years. I want to know the science behind it. I know what a bad well. Looks like. Can I tell you why? Well, sure I can, but can I tell you why officially? Well, I'm gonna have a little card that says absolutely I can. But yeah, I just I want to know more of the science. I want to know more about I'm I'm very interested in in growing. I'm very interested in opening different avenues uh in my career, uh in my mind as well.
SPEAKER_03:So yeah, that's something that's and learning the code books too, like that's a huge portion of it, is is understanding if someone asks you a question, you could be like, oh, it's section this and this and this, like you'll be able to point it out and stuff like that. So yeah, my biggest uh tip to anyone listening is don't let your tickets expire because I already had my level one welling inspector uh years ago, and I wasn't using it just in my role that I had started with at CWB and um it expired last year, which I'm like kicking myself now because it's much easier in any of your tickets, like your um S classification, whatever it is. Keep those tickets going, like as long as you can, because it's much easier just to renew it than it is to have to start from the beginning and work your way back up. So absolutely, yeah. But we're getting together, and I know some other people doing their level one as well, too. So um we'll all be studying together and learning together, and uh yeah, I'm excited.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you touched on like keeping your tickets up to date, absolutely, because once you've done your all position stick ticket, you just want to do that check test every time. Yeah, you know, like you're not gonna start over you do not want to do all four of those coupons ever again. And another one, so sorry, uh the another video we shot was the MiG flat video, the GMAW hardwire flat test, which 90% of people or more, don't quote me, fail it on their first time. It is very popular, yeah. Yeah, MIGs easy, Migs easy. I'm not gonna practice. Flat's the easiest position. Fail, fail. Yeah, yeah. So I never I never want to do that MIG flat again. So I'm happy with the the two tie-ins on the horizontal. Like I'll nail that every time.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, keep your tickets up to date because you'll get in trouble, you'll get yourself in trouble.
SPEAKER_03:And it's just good practice, like it's just good to have. Like you just you never know where you're gonna be next year. You never know what jobs are gonna come your way. You just never know. And it's better to have them than to not have them. And and like you said, to a check test is much easier than starting from the bottom and working your way back up. So um, yeah, I yeah, learned that lesson part time, hard way.
SPEAKER_01:That's okay. That's okay. You're you're already ahead of me, so you can help me along. Yeah, yeah. So I guess while we're we're on that side of things, um, so what are you looking forward to uh this year or coming up?
SPEAKER_03:We have a lot of exciting things. I mean, chapters uh take kind of the summer off, um, you know, spend some time with their families and uh enjoy the summer months. And now it's the fall season and chapters are ramping back up with lots of events going on. And make sure you follow their different chapter pages on social media. And if you're not, if you want to learn more and connect with more welding professionals in your local community, please reach out, go on cwbassociation.org website and uh find your local chapter and email them and connect with them and attend their events because that's it's a lot of fun and it's really great for your careers to connect with others in your local areas and and for teachers, get out there if you're a shop teacher or if you're you know um manufacturing teacher, like I encourage you and I strongly advise is to get out there and connect with the industry that's around the school outside, um, because that's gonna create more connections for you for your students. So um highly recommend that. And we have some exciting programs going on. Um, and the one I want to touch on is the Fabricating the Future program.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, there it is.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it just was um just released this week. Uh applications opened on Monday of this week, which is um September 22nd, because this episode is gonna get released in the future. So applications are open already. And uh it's we're empowering tomorrow's fabricators today. And this is really a groundbreaking initiative by uh BTH Sales in collaboration with the CW Association. And what this program is offering is for Canadian secondary and vocational schools um the chance to win one of the strongest and most durable welding tables made by Sigmund. And this is really gonna help boost your programs, fabricating skills. I mean, this is really state-of-the-art equipment that uh you could have in your in your welding shop for your students. And we're giving away two of them across Canada, including Quebec as well. Any province across Canada um has the opportunity to win one of two of these tables. So it's opened for secondary and vocational schools. Um, students or faculty can apply. They just have to be 18 years or older, and they have to make sure that they have faculty uh sign off with proper authority. But the way that it works is you um will have uh you'll see some ads or some QR codes, but you can go on the CWB Association uh website and uh you'll see the Fabricate in the Future uh link for the the page with all the information on it. But you submit your an online application with a bunch of questions up until December 1st is when applications are gonna close. All the applications are gonna be reviewed by an advisory board of industry and educational leaders from across Canada. And we get to select two schools to uh uh win. And uh super excited. Uh BTH Sales is such a great partner for this program, and we're so excited to be working with them and and can't thank them enough for uh dedicating their time for this program. And they're gonna help get those tables set up and provide you the training and all the tools that go with it. So, you I know Kevin have one of those tables in your garage. I'm just going to say, like, what can you say about it?
SPEAKER_01:Man, I can vouch for these tables, like I touched on earlier. Uh, it's amazing having one of these in my shop. Uh, the things that you can do with them, I never thought of half the stuff that I can do with it. And it's just amazing. You can jig stuff up, you can hold things on your own, you can weld on it, like they're nitride hardened. It's just it's amazing. And I got mine with casters, so I hope uh I hope those are included in the package. Um, but yeah, like all I have to do is crank these wheels, and then I can move it anywhere that I want. And if I want a solid base, I just drop the wheels, and here we are. Uh, mine came with a vice. Again, include the vice. Um and like, yeah, you can put the vice anywhere you want on the table. So if you want to hold something there, it it's just super convenient.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it comes with a tool package, so there will be some things in there that they'll be able to use for sure.
SPEAKER_01:I think going, you know, towards the future, every shop will have a fab table. Um, you'd be silly not to have one. So for students learning on a fab table and having those tools available to them and then going out in the real world and already know how to use these things is huge.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, absolutely. And if anybody has questions about the application or the guidelines or just any questions about the program, uh feel free free to email me at info at cwbassociation.org.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. And if you can't remember that, just look for me, Kevin R306 on Instagram. I haven't been thinkpink welding. Yeah, exactly. I have not been um media trained, so I might not know all the answers, but I'll point you in the right direction for sure.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, or reach out to BTH Sales or CW Group. Um, we're so excited for this program to kick off. We've already gotten some applications, so don't wait. Get your application in. You have until December 1st, and uh um in the new year, everyone will hear the status of their application. So we're super excited for that.
SPEAKER_01:Awesome. I think that's a great point to wrap this thing up. Um, so thank you, Demiella.
SPEAKER_03:You know, it is uh midnight in my time zone.
SPEAKER_01:So I was just gonna mention that I checked the clocks, like, oh my god, you probably have to be at work tomorrow and you gotta drive your kid to school and you gotta do all these things. So yeah, uh, thank you very much for being my first guest. Probably a great choice, and half of this is gonna get deleted, but anyway, it's okay.
SPEAKER_03:No, you did great, Kevin. You did great. I'm thank you so much for having me. I'm glad that you know I could break the ice with you. And uh I look forward to all the episodes to come. And if yeah, if anyone's ever interested of being a guest, just reach out to Kevin on his Instagram or reach out to the CWB group. We are on every single channel possible, so um, we'd love to have you and uh look forward to the future, Kevin. There's lots of exciting things to come.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks very much, and thank you everyone for listening to this episode of the CWB Association Welding Podcast.
SPEAKER_00:I'm Kevin, that's Daniela, and we're out.org to learn more. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions of what you'd like to learn about in the future. Please subscribe and thank you for listening.