In this episode we meet back with Beau from Weld.com. We had Beau on the Podcast last year at Fabtech and we were able to talk to him again this year. Last year Beau told us about the Weld.com App where you can go and learn how to weld with tutorials and find a job. This year he talks with Donovan about expanding a video series about welding applications and really showing what all there is in the unending world of welding.
Narrator: Welcome to the Dusty Jobs podcast from Imperial Systems. Industry knowledge to make your job easier and safer.
Donovan: Hello, welcome to another episode of the Dusty Jobs Podcast. We are still here at Fabtech again, but we have a friend from Fabtech back visiting us again this year, Beau from Weld.com. How’s it going?
Beau: It’s going well, going well.
Donovan: Now, Beau, you have your own podcast.
Beau: Yes.
Donovan: Now, is that, you find that at Weld.com?
Beau: Oh yeah.
Donovan: And where else, anywhere else?
Beau: You can find it anywhere. Anywhere you like listening to podcasts, we’re there.
Donovan: Everywhere?
Beau: Everywhere.
Donovan: Everywhere.
Beau: Except Stitcher, ’cause it doesn’t exist anymore. Did you hear about that?
Donovan: It doesn’t exist anymore?
Beau: Yeah, they got rid of Stitcher.
Donovan: Really?
Beau: Yeah.
Donovan: That’s, okay, well.
Beau: See, you learn something new every podcast.
Donovan: That’s right, learn it here.
Beau: Yeah.
Donovan: So, we were talking before this a little bit about how Weld.com is starting to do some new stuff. They’re shifting their direction a little bit. So let’s talk about what you guys used to do first, like where you guys were and then where you’re going.
Beau: Okay, so Weld.com, I love Weld.com ’cause when I was learning how to weld, it was an awesome resource because like, if there was a test or a process that I didn’t know much about, I had a video, I had a tutorial. But that’s the thing is like we have it. Like, Weld.com’s been around for since 2012, I believe.
Donovan: Okay, yeah.
Beau: So there’s a lot of information out there.
Donovan: Like a full library of back knowledge.
Beau: Yeah, and we talked last year about the Weld app that we put out.
Donovan: Right.
Beau: So the Weld app has an even more, like we have all that educational knowledge that you would want, you know? And so now, you know, I getting further to the industry I was like I want to see real world applications you know it’s like I want to see I want to see where this filler metal is made or I want to see how to repair something in person and so like that’s what we’ve started doing like I just visited Ivan Iler he’s a sculptor he was on the show Metal Shop Masters. I went up. We spent a day with him and his shop kind like talking about the process of being a sculptor and I helped him put a branch on this tree that we made together. And then the next day there was a scrap metal art festival. Like that was another reason I was up there. And so we talked to all the different builders that were there. We talked to the people that own the scrapyard that sponsors the event. Learned about like that industry. And but we’re just trying to do stuff that like gives you a better understanding of pathways because that’s what is missing in my opinion.
Donovan: Yeah, because it’s because you guys have education but now you guys are getting into application.
Beau: Yes, well that’s what it feels like people want. Like, they want a real-world application of like how do I – Austin Hargett, Dr. Weldz, he is like our main man dude out there explaining stuff these days and he just went there was a roller coaster that people needed a crack repaired on.
Donovan: I’m sure somebody wanted that fixed.
Beau: Oh, yeah. You probably want to get your cracks on your rollercoasters fixed as soon as possible. But yeah, he went and he repaired it showed you you know the steps of like let’s do testing to see how bad it is. All right let’s clean it out and do another layer of inspection of actually grinding away and seeing what the crack like how far it spread. But it’s not staged because like he gets halfway through this like cleaning out and he starts he found a drill bit and like a hole. The repair needed to happen because it was not done correctly so he showed you like how to fix all those things but that’s like something you can’t find in a book you know and but it also is more about showing where you can go with welding not just like how to weld. It’s like what what can I be like what kind of welder can I be.
Donovan: Right because we’ve got a lot of young people now. They’re looking to come into the field of welding to come into the industry and you know there are things out there that you know my guidance counselor never told me I could be a roller coaster repairman you know but but that’s what a welder is. A welder I can go out there and they can fix a lot of things and do a lot of things and it’s not just going to the auto body shop and welding the same seam every day anymore. There’s a lot more out there. That’s awesome that you guys are doing that.
Beau: I mean, I just want people to see see how expansive the industry is, you know. It’s like you don’t have to be XY or Z like when I was getting trained they’re like you can be this this this I was like no no no no. There’s got to be more than that. And so, you know, there’s laser welding you can work on spaceship. You can go work underwater. You can go work on ship vessels. Like there’s non-stop applications for welding. And that’s what makes for a great YouTube channel, you know. It’s like you never have a like you’re not gonna run out of ideas when it’s an endless field. You know, we can never know everything about welding. So let’s try. Like, let’s see how close we could get.
Donovan: When you say endless fields, I mean just walking around the show here. You can see how the industry it’s not getting smaller. It’s growing and there’s new things that people are coming up with that they’re innovating, that that there’s new applications in this every day and with jobs coming back – onshoring, there’s gonna be even more of a need for people to get in this field and learn more about how they can can help.
Beau: Yeah, and even like manufacturing is coming back. Like a lot of manufacturing and trying to bring… like making things. Like steel. Steel is a very big thing that we don’t make a ton of over here in America, except for the scrap industry. Like we make more out of recycled materials than like actually foundries, you know? So it’s like, but everyone was like, oh, we’ve been outsourcing all this different stuff. Like, and now we don’t have anything when the supply chain breaks down, you know? It’s like everything that went down during the pandemic, it really opened up everyone’s eyes of like, we should probably keep some stuff here in case we need it, you know?
Donovan: And that’s bringing more opportunity for people to come into these fields. And they’re good jobs.
Beau: Yeah.
Donovan: Yeah. It’s not like low paying. It’s not, you know what I mean? If you have a little bit of common sense and a little bit of work ethic, you can make it in this industry, make a good living at it.
Beau: Okay, say you’re not the greatest welder, you know? It’s like if you’re not the greatest welder and that’s what’s like stopping you from trying to chase your dream, be a salesman. Be a technician. Like there’s so many jobs in the welding world that need to be filled and if you know how to weld or even have basic welding knowledge like you’re qualified for jobs that pay you way more than the ones you’re probably looking at on Indeed, you know? It’s like the jobs where – the easy jobs to find there’s more out there like if you just do a little digging. Like the Weld app – another plug, sorry.
Donovan: That’s why you’re here.
Beau: So the Weld app, we do have a job board too. Like you companies can post their jobs but as a welder you can post yourself on there saying I’m qualified to do all these different things. This is how far I’ll travel and this is how much I would like to get paid. So it’s like there’s that aspect.
Donovan: That’s a really cool platform for for that. Yeah.
Beau: It’s all about just trying to help you know. Like we just want to help people be able to learn more. Help people get the jobs that they’re looking for because that’s what people ask about all the time is like how can I get a job you know? It’s like where do I go to get a job? It’s like, just look. Like, they’re there. They’re out there.
Donovan: They’re out there. That’s great. So is there is there anything else that’s coming up in the future are you guys just gonna continue down this path?
Beau: We’re continuing down the path man. Like we’re restructuring the content. Trying to be out and about. Show behind the scenes more and just want to hear what people think you know. It’s like so far we’ve gotten a really good response of being like no yeah this is this is what we want to see. We want to see more of this real world stuff.
Donovan: So you guys have a YouTube channel?
Beau: Yes sir.
Donovan: Is that just Weld.com
Beau: Weld.com
Donovan: Nice so if you want to see more of this information, see the scrap festival, things like that you can go on to –
Beau: On the Weld.com
Donovan:YouTube or find out on Weld.com
Beau: Yeah.
Donovan: Oh that’s great. So thanks for giving us a couple minutes to tell us what’s going on with you guys. We appreciate it.
Beau: What’s going on with you?
Donovan: Not much. We’re here at Fabtech. We’re showing, you know, trying to just help people stay healthy when you’re welding with your, you know, lung safety and trying to make a better work environment for people who are getting in this industry so they can be doing it for a long time and stay healthy while they’re doing it.
Beau: That’s the way to do it. That’s a great thing. I love, your industry is one of my favorites. Being a musician and singer, it’s like I’m very conscious about my lungs and my throat so like I appreciate what y’all do.
Donovan: Yeah, yeah. So that’s it. You know, just trying to help people get home healthier their families every night. We can do it.
Beau: Sweet.
Donovan: Well thanks for coming on like I said and you know you guys can check us out on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. So I’m sure you guys are on all those platforms too.
Beau: Oh, yeah.
Donovan: Go to over to Weld.com. Check out both stuff, and until the next time, stay healthy and stay safe.
Narrator: Thanks for listening to the Dusty Jobs podcast. Breathe better, work safer.
