Meet Andrea Leone from Downers Grove, IL. She’s a literal Carmen. Or Car-man rather, since she works on commuter cars for the city of Chicago. When she’s not maintaining coach cars, she’s gardening or getting herself into some arts and crafts. We caught up with her to learn more about her history in welding and what she thinks we can look forward to in the industry! How long have you been welding and what got you interested in it? I’ve been welding for 7 years here and there. I just remember the sound when I tried it as an apprentice and fell in love. How did you train? And what welding proce ..read more

We were first introduced to Tiffany Orff via Instagram when she was a welding instructor out of Oceanside, CA. Here we are nearly a year later and she is now co-creater of the Welding Women Syndicate, a page dedicated to women in the industry regardless of the paths they’ve taken. “It started as a page, then a logo and a website and now a full on movement of not only women but men who support women in the welding industry,” Tiffany says. In the midst of of creating a place to “celebrate, discuss and provide resources for women in the welding industry,” Tiffany took the time to tell us more ab ..read more

Presented by American Welding Society’s Women in Welding Spotlight Once upon a time in Arc-Zone’s Metal Mashup we featured a story from the American Welding Society which showcased seven amazing women in the welding industry. From welding instructors and students to Presidents, NASA technicians and social media superstars, the AWS highlights fascinating women who share insight about the hardships and misfortune they face in order to overcome adversity and thrive in such a male dominated industry. Dirty Jobs One of the most common misperceptions of the welding industry is that it’s dirty, whic ..read more

Learning to step out of the comfort zone into a more fulfilling and creative career In a recent Instagram post on @thecarmenelectrode, we asked our followers to share a little bit about themselves. After reading more than three dozen comments, we were drawn to @the_arc_room‘s story and needed to know more. Meet Killian, a former bartender by day, stripper by night kinda girl. After years of working as a server, going to school full time, and stripping on the weekends, she finally decided to try something that would make her happy mentally, physically, and financially. “I am extr ..read more

The fairytale to tell your kids We all know that saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well this trady-lady looks that heat right in the eye and tells it she’ll be back for more! Meet Sharla Knight, a San Diego State University graduate who followed up her kinesiology degree with welding courses at a local continued education institute. In March of 2020 (you know, before things took a turn), Sharla was chosen for the “Ironworkers International Union Pre-Apprenticeship, a program designed to prepare more women to enter the rigorous profession.”  Accor ..read more

How welding impacts your pregnancy or likelihood of becoming pregnant One of Carmen Electrode’s most frequently asked questions is, “Can I weld while pregnant? If so, what additional safety precautions should I take?” While we highly recommend contacting your primary care physician for health related questions, we also wanted to share our preliminary research on what steps to take toward a safer welding experience.  Practicing safe welding techniques and wearing the proper gear is important at any stage of life, in any shop, and for every welding job ever. But for pregnant w ..read more

A brief encounter with metal artist, Sarah Stork We’ve been obsessed with Sarah Stork’s metal sculptures for quite some time and finally got the nerve to ask her to be a part of the Carmen Electrode community. To our absolute delight, she accepted and we are happy to share her insight into the welding industry. Instafamous Take one look at Sarah’s Instagram and you’ll see why we had to feature her here! Plus, Baileigh Industrial. Like, the Baileigh Industrial gave her a pretty rad shoutout, sharing her work with their 1m followers. So you could say she’s kind of a big deal ..read more

How professional fabricators jig up their jobs If you work at a production weld shop, we don’t need to tell you that Repetition-Repetition-Repetition is the name of the game. The key to a fabricator’s success is incorporating little tricks and tools that improve both efficiency and weld quality. Oftentimes, the right tools can turn a frustrating project into a “No Brainer”. Here’s a shot of a “No Brainer” Ultimate Accessory Kit all jigged up on a BuildPro Welding Table. While clamps and magnetic squares seem simple, they are key to improving efficiency. Here’s a few of our fav ..read more

Learning to step out of the comfort zone into a more fulfilling and creative career In a recent Instagram post on @thecarmenelectrode, we asked our followers to share a little bit about themselves. After reading more than three dozen comments, we were drawn to @the_arc_room‘s story and needed to know more. Meet Killian, a former bartender by day, stripper by night kinda girl. After years of working as a server, going to school full time, and stripping on the weekends, she finally decided to try something that would make her happy mentally, physically, and financially. “I am extr ..read more

The fairytale to tell your kids We all know that saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well this trady-lady looks that heat right in the eye and tells it she’ll be back for more! Meet Sharla Knight, a San Diego State University graduate who followed up her kinesiology degree with welding courses at a local continued education institute. In March of 2020 (you know, before things took a turn), Sharla was chosen for the “Ironworkers International Union Pre-Apprenticeship, a program designed to prepare more women to enter the rigorous profession.”  Accor ..read more