Episodes
My guest this week is Andrea Martin, a fall protection specialist from 3M. Fall protection has been on my list of topics for quite some time now and I have finally tracked down the perfect guest. Fall protection is important for anyone working above 6 feet. I have personally had a few misses in my career due to lack of training. So I wanted to bring Andrea on to provide some great info on equipment selction, inspection, uses and storage.  Check out the 3M Skilled Docuseries Here Follow...
Published 12/18/23
In this weeks episode of the Arc Junkies Podcast, I am sitting down with John Grdina and Ryan Eubank. John is an Author, Life Coach and Host of the John Grdina Classroom Podcast. Ryan Eubank is one of my good friends in mentors. If you’ve listened to the podcast, you’ve no doubt heard me talk about Ryan. He’s one of the main reasons that I am so passionate about welding education and motivated to share my knowledge with the next generation of welders.   In this episode, we talk about Ryan’s...
Published 12/11/23
This week’s guest is Michael Ewing. Mike is an Industrial Maintenance Technician out of Mississippi. Mike and his team do whatever it takes to keep plants all across the country up and running. They do a little bit of everything from welding, hydraulics, pneumatics, rigging, mechanical and anything else required to get the plants back up and running during failures or planned shut downs. In this episode, Mike and I talk about leadership, safety, welding, discipline and many other topics to...
Published 12/04/23
I have an awesome guest for you today, Eddie Alverez Rocha is a welder turned mechanical engineer, who got back into welding and then became a CWI and is now working on his masters in welding engineering. Eddie has an awesome story of how he used welding to continuously grow in this vastly diversified trade. I’ve talked about the welding skills tree many times on this show and Eddie is climbing all the way to the top. This industry has so much to offer if you’re willing to work for it, and...
Published 11/27/23
Welcome to another on-site episode of Weld Wednesdays with AWS brought to you by the American Welding Society. This recording took place at the AWS Inspection Expo and Conference November 8th-10th in Austin Texas. This was by far my favorite event of this year because I got to network with so many legends in our Industry  like Dr. Rick Polanin, Bill Newel, Richard Holdren, Richard Campbell, Brent Boling and many more. The opening ceremony kicked off with the presentation of colors by the...
Published 11/15/23
As many of you know, I had the amazing opportunity to go to CANWELD 2023 in Moncton New Brunswick with the Canadian Welding Bureau. This was a great event full of awesome speakers and presentations on pre and post heat, modes of metal transfer, automation and a slew of other topics. I had the esteemed opportunity to be invited up to the conference as a Keynote speaker on the last day of the conference. My buddy Max Ceron and I took to the stage in a between two ferns type of setup to discuss...
Published 11/13/23
This is a bonus episode of the Podcast. While attending FabTech 2023 in Chicago, I had the privilege of chatting with some of the folks over at the ESAB booth. They have some really cool technology coming out this year to include updates to their cloud based data system, new advances in the Warrior line, a new battery powered welder and more. Tune in to hear all about it!   For more information on ESAB and their products click Here
Published 11/07/23
Alisyn Palla is a litigation Attorney in California who has had a long time interest in metal work. After attending Underground Metal Works in New Jersey, she came back to California and started to get heavily involved in metal artwork. She recently completed her first commission pieces, a massive family tree shaped into a grape vine for a local Italian restaurant. Alisyn has a very interesting story. Tune in to this episode to hear more.   Arc Junkies Podcast: Instagram:...
Published 11/06/23
In this episode Max from the CWB Association Podcast and Kevin from the Welding Business Owners Podcast and I do a Crosspod in front of a live studio audience at FabTech Chicago 2023. This is a 3 part series with this episode being number 1. You can find part 2 at the Welding Business Owners Podcast on October 30th and part 3 at the CWB Association Podcast on November 6th.    Arc Junkies Podcast: Instagram: @Arcjunkiespodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arcjunkiespodcast9253 Email:...
Published 10/23/23
In this episode, I am chatting with Corey Mays, owner and operator of CM Welding and machining located in Midland Texas. Corey and his team serve the Oil and Gas Industry. Corey started to adopt the use of cobots in his shop several years ago to help out his team and decrease wait time for his clients. As you all know, the oil and gas is a fast paced  industry and when something goes down or they need to redirect resources, it needs to happen yesterday. Corey knew that to remain a solution...
Published 10/18/23
Joining me this week is my buddy Dusty James from Pacific Arc Tig Welding. Dusty and I have formed a great friendship over the past couple of years. We both quit or day jobs around the same time and bet on ourselves to do life on our own terms. In this episode we catch up on what we've been up to this year, we talk about some of the pros and cons of running your own business, what we've been doing in our free time, we talk a bit about welding and also chat about Dustys new Online welding...
Published 10/16/23
In this bonus episode of the Arc Junkies Podcast, I am chatting with some of the masterminds at Fronius USA. In this episode we discus some of their new equipment, manual welding, automation, skills shortage solutions, and training and growth opportunities.   Check out Fronius USA here
Published 10/13/23
Jonathon Herrera brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the world of welding. As a skilled welder with a passion for problem-solving, Jonathon has spent years perfecting his craft and mastering the art of adaptability in the field. His ability to think on his feet and find innovative solutions has earned him a reputation as a go-to expert in the welding industry. Jonathon's friendly and approachable demeanor makes him relatable to fellow welders, and his willingness to share his...
Published 10/09/23
This weeks guest is Dabbswellington, while attending FabTech I got to hang out with Dabs in between our various events and other commitments. Dabs was just as busy as I was so to be able to sit down and chat with him for a few moments to catch up and relax was awesome. Dabs just has so much energy and its contagious.   Arc Junkies Podcast: Instagram: @Arcjunkiespodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arcjunkiespodcast9253 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: ...
Published 10/02/23
Matt Tyler, a welder and entrepreneur, joins host Jason Becker on the Arc Junkies Podcast to discuss the importance of diversifying skills in welding and fabrication. Throughout the conversation, Matt shares his own experiences and insights, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and expanding one's skill set.,He highlights the benefits of being versatile in the industry, mentioning how learning new techniques and acquiring new tools has made him more efficient and profitable. Matt...
Published 09/25/23
Join Jason Becker in this episode of Weld Wednesday w/ AWS as he engages in a conversation with Charlie Cross and Padraic Bean, two industry experts, about the importance of welding procedures and qualifications. This insightful discussion delves into the key elements of welding procedures, including code standards, contract documents, and procedure qualification records (PQRs), emphasizing the need for tailored procedures to meet project-specific requirements. The guests share their...
Published 09/20/23
Mark Winchester is a highly experienced welder who shares his techniques and tips for welding aluminum. He discusses the importance of heat management, filler metal introduction, and moisture control in achieving high-quality aluminum welds. By ramping up the heat when introducing the filler metal, Mark is able to push the weld forward and increase travel speed, allowing for welding thinner sheet metal without distortion. He also emphasizes the need for preheating aluminum plates to bake out...
Published 09/18/23
In this episode of the Arc Junkies Podcast, Jason Becker interviews Terese Ricard, a former Spanish teacher who made the bold decision to transition to welding as her second career. Terese shares her journey and the valuable lessons she learned along the way, providing inspiration and guidance for career changers interested in pursuing welding.,Terese's story resonates with individuals who are considering a career change or starting something new later in life. She emphasizes that it's never...
Published 09/11/23
In this episode of the Arc Junkies Podcast, Mark Wilson joins host Jason Becker to discuss the importance of safety in welding practices. Jason shares his personal experience of encountering a dangerous situation when asked to use a grinder with a saw blade. He emphasizes the significance of using appropriate tools and adhering to safety protocols to prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace. Wilson's dedication to ensuring the safety of his team is evident as he stresses the importance...
Published 09/05/23
Joining me today for the first time is David Kilburn, Director of Flexible Automation for Europe at Lincoln Electric and returning guest Nate Bowman. Nate mentioned David the last time he was on the show and since that episode, I was able to connect with him. David started his journey with massive thick sections of pipe running SubArc and is now on the complete opposite side of the industry doing thin fast laser welding. David also volunteers his time to weld up hospital beds in Malawi. David...
Published 08/28/23
Joining be this week is Mr. Gerald W. Brister. Gerald has been in this industry for 47+ years as a Welder, Supervisor, Inspector and most recently an Educator. Over his time in the industry he’s had the privilege of working on the pipeline, oil, platforms and even underwater. Gerald has some awesome stories as well as some tips for success that he discusses during the show. Follow gerald on Instagram Here Check out his YouTube Channel Here Arc Junkies Podcast: Instagram:...
Published 08/21/23
In today’s episode, I am talking with Sara Gardner, a welder turned Welding Engineer, Certified Welding Inspector, Certified Welding Educator, and a part-time Welding Instructor. Sara started welding back in high school and developed a passion for this trade. While working as a welder, she decided to pursue a degree in welding engineering at Ferris State. It just goes to show you, that welding can take you on a journey you may have never considered. All it takes is one little spark to light...
Published 08/14/23
In this weeks episode I am chatting with Mitchell Moore aka Dabndaddo on Instagram. We discuss his method  for stainless steel tig art, his process, some settings and chat a little about life in general.    Follow Mitchell on Instagram @dabndaddo   Arc Junkies Podcast: Instagram: @Arcjunkiespodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arcjunkiespodcast9253 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: ...
Published 08/07/23
In this month's episode, I am chatting with Sammuel Chance, a welding engineer with Vermeer. We talk about incorporating automation into large scale heavy manufacturing. There are several advantages using automation in heavy manufacturing, but there are some limitations as well.    For more information on how to become an AWS member, or to get involved with your local section, head on over to AWS.org  
Published 08/02/23
This isn’t a typical episode, it’s not about welding, but it is about some of the issues we as welders face. I feel that it’s a topic that many of us struggle with and therefore it’s a topic I wanted to address on the show, because I am sure many of you all are going through something. I told you all awhile ago, that my mission with this show, is to help, educate and inspire the next generation of welders. That doesn’t stop at welding. I’ve spoken with a lot of people in our community...
Published 07/31/23