It has been a busy day at the GAWDA Edge offices. I’ve been feverishly putting the finishing touches on the text for the next issue of the magazine. I just finished up and decided to share with you exactly what it is that I’ve been working on.

The April issue is going to be GAWDA’s “Spring Training” issue. It’s jam-packed with articles that will teach readers strategies for maximizing effectiveness and generally doing their jobs better.

There is an article on regulations and rule changes that every distributor should know. There is an article on maximizing you effectiveness and another on GAWDA’s many training opportunities. There is also a baseball-themed article by Jim Caple of ESPN fame that shows you what you can learn about co-workers at the company softball game.

It’s scheduled to hit the Web in two weeks, so be sure to head over to www.gawdaedge.org and check it out!

For today’s blog entry I wanted to take some time out to give a shout out to an underappreciated gas application—neon signs. They may not be as useful or as prevalent as they were a few decades ago during their heyday, but neon signs are an indelible piece of Americana.

 The signs are essentially glass tubes that are bent into specific shapes. Then, special machines draw out all of the air from the tubes and replace it with a specific noble gas to achieve the desired color. Argon glows blue, but it can be made purple by mixing it with phosphors, neon glows red and helium glows yellow.

After the gas is injected, the tubes are sealed with gas plugs. The plugs contain thin electrical wires that are connected to a power source and Voila! A sign is born. As an homage to all things neon, I found a picture of the country’s most famous neon sign.

For today’s “Casual Friday” post i want to take a look at something i find fascinating–welding art. The range of sculptures people have fabricated through welding is absolutely amazing. I’m going to share with  you a few videos that i think show the level of skill and art that goes into this trade.

First off is a video from welder Tom Gingras who shows how to “burn a bridge” using a Cobra torch. It’s  very informative and highly recommended.

Here is a collection of works from an artist named Daniel Keeper. The music is absolutely atrocious, but the sculptures are cool.

Finally, I don’t know if there are any Predator fans in the house, but here is an incredible welded Predator statue.

Well everyone, it’s getting close to that time of the month again. I turned in the text for the next issue of GAWDA Edge  and it’s currently in production. You’ll get to see it next Thursday. However, I wanted to give you a little bit of a sneak peak at one of the articles that you’ll be seeing. It’s a story about Air Liquide’s Christopher Guest, who recently climbed Mount Everest. It’s a gripping story in which he barely escapes several brushes with death. Here’s an excerpt:

“Guest was wearing a TopOut oxygen mask for his climb, but something went dangerously wrong. The bitter cold of per-dawn Everest was causing his mask to malfunction. The intake valve that brought in ambient air was failing–ice particles were accumulating on the valve, lodging it shut. As he was attempting a 50-foot traverse at a 70-degree angle on a narrow 6-inch ledge, just over 100 yards from the summit, Guest was suffocating.”

Want to find out more? Mark your calendars and stop by www.gawdaedge.org next week to see what happens!

Now that I’ve taken over the GAWDA Edge Editor’s Blog, I’ve decided to start a new tradition. I’m calling it “Casual Friday.” Let’s face it, it’s the last day of the week and we all are turning an eye to the weekend. I’m assuming you’re not up for “heavy reading” and, heck, I don’t know if I’m up for “heavy writing.” Instead, I’ve scoured the Web for funny/interesting gases/welding-related videos and photos. Below are a few of my favorites.

I’m no “Consultant” but I think this is most likely an OSHA violation. A key fact to consider before sitting on a pipeline and cutting: Will this pipe blow up and send me flying into the air? If the answer is yes, find another strategy. Fortunately this gentleman was OK, so we can all laugh about it now.

I also wanted to give all of you a preview of the latest in welding mask technology. I’m not sure who manufactures this, but once I find out, I’ll let all of you know where you can pre-order!

1948 was the last time it happened. Since those games in St. Moritz, Switzerland it had been 62 years without a United States squad winning  bobsled gold. Last Saturday, the USA1 team changed all of that. With run times ranging from 50.89 to 51.52 seconds over four heats, the United States walked away with a gold medal.

If you’ve read this month’s issue of GAWDA Edge, you know that a GAWDA member helped make it happen. Lincoln Electric Company (Cleveland, OH) supplied the welding equipment that was used on the U.S. Sleds. It was part of an effort by NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine and stock car manufacturer Chassis Dynamics.

The two parties formed an alliance, calling it “Bo-Dyn,” and set out to build a better sled. A big part of building a bobsled is the welding that goes into the chassis. Bo-Dyn realized that it needed a partner that could provide it with quality equipment that would get the job done right. The Lincoln Electric Company had worked with Bodine in the past, so he gave his old partner a call. “We worked with Jeff Bodine on his NASCAR truck team for a period of time,” says Lincoln Sports Marketing Manager Mickey Holmes. “So when it came time for this project, he gave us a call.”

To help the cause, Lincoln supplied Bo-Dyn with several different welders. “They have a Precision TIG-275, a Power MIG 255xt and a portable Power MIG 180c that they take to the track with them,” says Holmes. Bo-Dyn engineers use the machines to perform intricate welds on the sleds’ chassis, suspension, steering, brakes and other internal components.

It looks like all the hard work paid off. Congrats to Bo-Dyn, Lincoln and of course the team! To find out more details about Lincoln’s involvement, check out the latest issue of GAWDA Edge at www.gawdaedge.org.