In today’s industry, many welders not only learn how to weld, but also create or fabricate something from metal.
Owen Reinert, senior at Hamburg Area High School and Berks Career & Technology Center Welding program, was asked by his science teacher to repurpose old porch supports. Owen decided to fabricate a garden arch. This included deconstructing the porch supports, designing the arch, then cutting, bending, and welding the metal to transform it into a one-of-a-kind piece.
“I had an idea and a plan for the garden arch, but to be honest, parts of the design happened during the process. I worked on the arch in BCTC’s Welding/Fabrication lab and was having difficulty with peak of the arch. I experimented with the tools in the lab and found it looked better with a rounded shape instead of a point,” Owen stated.
Owen added some special features to the garden arch which includes hooks for hanging plants, in-ground supports, and ability for the arch to be separated in two pieces for winter storage. Owen added, “there are a few more steps to the project, sand-blasting and giving it a fresh coat of paint, but I am sure my teacher will enjoy it for many years. ”