Engineers of the Moment: LERA's Newest Welders

In order to gain a better working understanding of the steel they design and spec for projects, LERA’s Megan Lenz and Halle Doenitz recently attended welding classes in Staten Island. The classes were held at The Staten Island Makerspace. The classes took place every Tuesday for 4 weeks, and were 3 hours long. Megan and Halle were able to increase their understanding of welding processes by the end of the final class. They first began welding on a line drawn with chalk, but by the end of the class they were able to make their own wine rack.

Throughout the class, they were introduced to a variety of tools and machines. They learned how to weld and how to also use sanders, grinders, and cutters. They also learned the dangers of welding through experience. Megan burned her hand from sanding and Halle received a slight burn from sparks. This is a reminder to always wear your personal protective equipment when working on a project!

Their favorite parts about the class were learning how to weld and being able to create their own designs through welding. Both of them would recommend the class to others, especially to people who design welds but don’t know how to physically make them.