INSTRUCTOR // David Voetmann
David, a lifelong designer and maker, spent his childhood in Africa. This formative experience instilled a conviction that it’s better to create your own solutions than to wait around hoping someone else will solve your problems. To this end, he earned a BFA in Industrial Design at the University of Washington. This study deepened an enduring conviction that solving problems and making things is deeply coded into our humanity. Over the last few years he has explored the transformation of our economy as new technologies begin to democratize opportunity. He now runs The Facility Makerspace where ordinary people with extraordinary ideas gain access to an 11,000sf sandbox for innovation with all the tools, training, and community people need to turn thoughts into things. He still believes that, while technology is great, we need to focus on solutions not tools.
David lives in Shoreline with his wife Ruth.
OVERVIEW
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding enables you to quickly and easily join steel and aluminum. Whether you are fabricating a part or creating a prototype for discussion, the ability to join metal correctly and safely is a valuable skill to add to your repertoire.
MIG welding technology uses a consumable electrode to strike an arc and fill gaps with molten metal. It is used extensively in industrial fabrication because it is enormously versatile. In this 2-hour class you will learn fundamental skills necessary to make strong welds in steel. You will walk away with the ability to safely process appropriate metals and fabricate your own projects using our MIG welding rig.
After a short introduction, this orientation moves to our flex space where your instructor will explain safety concerns, describe how the equipment works, familiarize you with essential terminology, introduce you to basic joints, and demonstrate appropriate equipment operation. You will learn how to set up the equipment, prepare your material, fixture your parts, and understand what it takes to make a good weld. You will develop a working understanding of the benefits and limitations of welding so you are prepared to design with this process in mind. Your instructor will cover best practices including how to reset equipment to original conditions for the next user. Along the way you will gain the knowledge and confidence to process appropriate material safely and troubleshoot typical issues.
This is a hands-on training. You will have time during class to create a finished object to your instructor’s specification that demonstrates your understanding of the process and your ability to safely operate this equipment.
ACCESS
Pass this orientation, or a checkout, and you’ll walk away with access privileges to independently operate our MIG welding rigs. This class is also a prerequisite for our upcoming Advanced Welding trainings.
HARDWARE
-Lincoln 140 MIG Welder
-Fixture Table
-Angle Grinders
-Horizontal Bandsaw
SAFETY – PLEASE WEAR
-Eye protection (safety glasses and welding helmets are available on site)
-Leather gloves
-Natural fiber clothing (long sleeves and pants)
-Non synthetic closed-toed shoes
-Stow all dangling clothing or jewelry
-Tie back long hair
NOTE
If this is your first class at The Facility please arrive 15 minutes early for a short safety briefing and some paperwork.
Orientations start promptly at 6.00p.
This Orientation prepares you to safely perform basic operations on supported equipment. It is not intended to cover design concepts or comprehensive operation of this equipment. If you are interested in learning more about design or advanced equipment operation look for additional upcoming classes.
Safety and Basic Use (SBU) Orientations at The Facility are open to anyone over 18 years old. Please feel free to pass this invitation on to others. Minimum enrollment of 3 people is required to hold the orientation.