I Made It!!

[jimmy seale]

outstanding job, good luck, jimmy

[Hillbillysmith]

Yesterday I went and competed at the regional contest, but I didn't place high enough to go on to state. My welds were good, alot better than most of them that were there, but I didn't finish two of my stations. I simply didn't have enough time. I, at first, was under the impression that we had 45 minutes to do each station ( GTAW, OFC, Written Test, SMAW, GMAW) but we only got 31 minutes per. I'm not sure of my final placement, but my instructor will have my results for me on Tuesday when I go back to school. My instructor was at the contest and told me after everything was over that I got first in the OFC and beat everyone by at least 20 points. He also said that he thinks that I placed 5th overall. I had to weld different parts according to a set of blueprints. In my TIG station, I had to make a Stainless Steel part. I didn't finish this station with 2-1/2 welds to go. My OFC (oxy/fuel cutting) was horrible compared to what I can do, but the regulators were junk and didn't work right. I notified them of this, believe me. LOL. But I can't complain too much about that since I got top score in that. The written test was a joke. It was 35 multiple choice test. I had 31 minutes to complete it but it only took me 8 minutes. The stick station was easy easy well, but I didn't have enough time. If we go the 45 minutes like we should have, I probably would have finished. Mig, I got that done in time and that looked pretty decent so I was happy with that. I also think that some of that parts that some of the kids turned in should have been thrown out of the judging because they didn't weld it according to the blueprint which should be an automatic fail. But I'm not the judge.

All-in-all, I was just happy to be able to compete. There are surely ALOT of things that I can complain about on how the contest was run and judged, but it doesn't matter. I will just go on welding & getting better and hopefully, one day, I will be fortunate enough to show someone else how to work and perform this great trade the correct way.

-Hillbilly