3 week Internship
What Is LINK?
LINK is an opportunity for Juniors from AHS to pair with mentors who are professionals in their fields. During the three week internship (30-40 hours a week) students do not attend classes in order to focus all their attention on their internship, where they promote community involvement and connect classroom learning to the outside world. We get to choose the businesses and organizations in Durango and anywhere else that gives us the opportunity to intern. For more information go to https://ahsinternships.weebly.com/.
Steel Burner Welding
My internship was with an independently owned business in Mancos CO. It is a metalsmithing, fabrication, and welding shop. He brings his artistic mind and creative imagination to build ornamental metal work and custom fabrication.
STEELBURNERWELDING Address: 38808 Road H, Mancos, CO 81328 |
Project Description
The week before my internship began, I was given the opportunity to brainstorm ideas for an "End of Link Project". I choose through research and multiple ideas of doing a bed rack with the idea of it being the skeleton of a camper shell. With this idea I was able to then start working on a CAD design with my Dad.
With the finished design I was then needed to get measurements and amounts of material for if I needed to buy anything myself, lucky enough I was able to use materials and tools of his without needing to buy any of my own.
I was then ready to work on the largest cuts and simplest cuts, being the ones squared off, then moving onto the main structural aspect; the struts. This was done using table saw and an angle finder getting everything lined up and cut to size. The angles used are on the bottom left of the image seen to the left.
Then I got to move on to welding, this was a very exciting and interesting leaning experience to have gained when working there. Before hand I had gotten to have practiced with ARC welding bits and parts of a metal plate rack for organizing a bit of material. But for the project of mine I got to use a MIG welder practicing on welds that were to be less visible and/or sanded at some point.
I then got to learn and practice using a hand held plasma cutter for diamond plating bed rails. This was one of the harder tasks to do with the capabilities of a plasma cutter and similar practices to welding with practicing my speed, placement, and angle to cut at. Once done with that I got to working with placement and tacking together the plates and bolting the top plate into place.
After that I was then able to put everything together and flushing everything and double checking right angles, and making sure everything still looked aesthetically pleasing when adding in final touches.
I am very pleased and proud with the final product, I am still seeing about adding on more additions to the rack.
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