Welding/Expert Profile

Expertise

Questions about Oxy-Acetylene welding/cutting, MIG, TIG, Flux-core, Stick welding, brazing and soldering, bike frames, air frames, motorcycle frames, structural welding. Also questions about Welding Certifications. All questions about fabrication of metals (stainless steel, steel , aluminum, brass, bronze, copper). Basic questions about underwater welding. TIG is my strongest subject.

Experience in the area

Extensive background in most welding fields. 18 years fabrication of metal theatre scenery, 10 years structural steel, 2 years pipe welding, 9 years as a Welding Instructor at South Seattle Community College, and 4.5 years at the Divers Institute of Technology. 12 years Industrial Welding Consultant for fabrication shops in the greater Seattle Area. 11 years Architectural Metal Fabrication. 8 years in Film/TV; SPFX/construction/set-deco/props/. 27 years Blacksmithing.

Organizations

American Welding Society - Welding Inspector/Educator

Publications

Do a search on google groups for "Ernie Leimkuhler" in the rec.crafts.metalworking and sci.engr.joining.welding groups. http://www.stagesmith.com/ http://www.metalwebnews.com/ Blacksmith's Gazzette - Anvil Making

Education/Credentials

BA Theatre Technology - Purdue University.

What do you like about this subject?

All fabrication is based on using one or more of these processes to get your part made. Addition - Welding, Soldering, Brazing... Subtraction - Milling, Turning, Drilling, Sawing, Planing, Grinding, Punching, Shearing... Forming - Bending, Forging, Drawing, Rolling, Stamping, Spinning, Swaging... The trick is to know which one to use when.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

More NDT traing, especially Phased Array Ultrasound. Phased Array Ultrasound is very "Star Trek" future sci-fi stuff. Allows you to look right through solid metal and see a picture of what is going on inside in real time.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

People think of steel as hard, but the more you learn the more you realize it is more like clay than stone.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

I see no barrier between trade skills. Cabinetry, glassblowing, jewelry, blacksmithing, pottery, metal-spinning, machining, cooking, knifemaking, welding... They are all just variations on a theme, with 3 parameters : Materials, Skills, and Equipment. You can never have too many tools in your toolbox. I love having options, and sometimes welding isn't the right way to go and a rivet is better.