Welding Merit Badge Workshop  
sponsored by Iron Workers Local 396

With the help of Welding professionals and apprentices, Scouts can work toward earning this skillful badge.  Watch the sparks fly and get educated on this rewarding trade.   Space is limited to 20 Scouts, so register today!

We appreciate the support of Iron Workers Local 396 for providing the volunteers and workshop space. 

Date: Saturday, December 1st

$10 per Scout, late fee of $5 after November 25th
Free for adult chaperone

Start time: 8:45-9:00am
End time: 2:00pm

Location:  Construction Training Center (6301 Knox Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63139)

http://www.ironworkers396.org/

What to bring:
Sack lunch, and snacks if desired
Completed pre-work assignments: Req. 1-5, 7 
Pen or pencil, notebook
Pre-filled Blue Card
Please wear full Class B field uniform
Sturdy boots/close-toed shoes

Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early and bring something to write with.   Scouts do need to be in the care of responsible adult while on site. 

Program outline: 

The workshop is a mix of group discussion, group activities, and welding projects done by the Scouts. They will review prereq. assignments & complete Req. 6 of the badge.

Requirements: 

1. Do the following:

a. Explain to your counselor the hazards you are most likely to encounter while welding, and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, or lessen these hazards.
b. Show that you know first aid for, and the prevention of, injuries or illnesses that could occur while welding, including electrical shock, eye injuries, burns, fume inhalation, dizziness, skin irritation, and exposure to hazardous chemicals, including filler metals and welding gases.

2. Do the following:

a. With your counselor, discuss general safety precautions and Material Safety Data Sheets related to welding. Explain the importance of the MSDS.
b. Describe the appropriate safety gear and clothing that must be worn when welding. Then, present yourself properly dressed for welding—in protective equipment, clothing, and footwear.
c. Explain and demonstrate the proper care and storage of welding equipment, tools, and protective clothing and footwear.

3. Explain the terms welding, electrode, slag, and oxidation. Describe the welding process, how heat is generated, what kind of filler metal is added (if any), and what protects the molten metal from the atmosphere.

4.  Name the different mechanical and thermal cutting methods. Choose one method and describe how to use the process. Discuss one advantage and one limitation of this process.

5.  Do the following:

a. Select two welding processes, and make a list of the different components of the equipment required for each process. Discuss one advantage and one limitation for each process.
b. Choose one welding process. Set up the process you have chosen, including gas regulators, work clamps, cables, filler materials, and equipment settings. Have your counselor inspect and approve the area for the welding process you have chosen.

6.  After successfully completing requirements 1 through 5, use the equipment you prepared for the welding process in 5b to do the following:

a. Using a metal scribe or soapstone, sketch your initial onto a metal plate, and weld a bead on the plate following the pattern of your initial.
b. Cover a small plate (approximately 3” x 3” x ¼”) with weld beads side by side.
c. Tack two plates together in a square groove butt joint.
d. Weld the two plates together from 6c on both sides.
e. Tack two plates together in a T joint, have your counselor inspect it, then weld a T joint with fillet weld on both sides.
f. Tack two plates together in a lap joint, have your counselor inspect it, then weld a lap joint with fillet weld on both sides.

7.  Do the following:

a. Find out about three career opportunities in the welding industry. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why the profession might interest you.
b. Discuss the role of the American Welding Society in the welding profession.

About the Iron Workers Local 396 - Building the World Around You

Have you ever looked up at a towering city skyline and wondered, “Who built that?” What about while you were gazing at the expanse of the Golden Gate Bridge, the gleam of the St. Louis Arch, or the massive height of the Sears Tower? Ever thought about who built those? Proud union ironworkers built every one of those structures. Along with just about every other kind of building, bridge or industrial structure you can name. Including vital structures such as the Oil Sands Plant Expansion in Alberta. That’s right, every day, hardworking, dedicated ironworkers put sweat, skill and savvy into the bridges that link us together, the stadiums where we watch our sports heroes play, and of course, the soaring towers that scrape the sky. We work among the clouds erecting the skeletons of structures; set steel rebar in concrete to reinforce structures; and ornament buildings with curtain wall and window wall systems. Ironworking is a multi-faceted trade, led by professionals with skill sets that are always in demand.Building the world’s greatest structures is an amazing feat, but our greatest challenge arose during America’s darkest hours. On September 11, 2001, ironworkers were among the first responders to Ground Zero. For weeks, they tirelessly persevered through a mountain of steel and rubble in search of survivors. Rising to the occasion when America needed them most.Our proud union has been working for employment opportunities, fair pay, health and welfare benefits, continuing education and other worker’s rights since 1896. And as proponents of a drug-free workplace, contractors can be assured that union ironworkers are always at the top of their game. We’ve accomplished a lot over the past 110 years, and look forward to building North America and serving our members and their families for the next 100 years and beyond.