Intro to Welding

This class is designed to introduce students to the process of MIG welding, an easy-to-learn type of welding most often used in the manufacture of sculptures, buildings, and other heavy metal weldments. You will learn how to weld different types of shapes and different types of joints together, and how to use the large range of supporting equipment (brushes, sanders, grinders, etc.) and processes that come with welding.

Please come to class wearing:

• solid, close toed shoes (boots preferred)
• long, durable pants such as jeans or Carharts
• long sleeve shirt that can get dirty
• something to tie back long hair, if needed

About the instructors:

Jo Remillard (they/them) is a service industry worker turned welder and welding instructor. Now an AWS Certified Welding Inspector, they have worked on bridges, ships, fabrication shops and finally, they spent the latter of their industrial career as a boilermaker. As a boilermaker they held 6G Tube certifications, as well as 6G mirror welding certifications. In 2020 Jo left their boilermaking job and has spent the last two years opening People's Inclusive Welding in South Portland, which is a welding school geared towards underserved and underrepresented communities looking to start a career in the trades.

Beau Cormier earned a certificate in Metal Fabrication and Welding from Blue Hills Regional Technical High School in Canton, MA, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Bridgewater State University. During college, he worked in a metal shop specializing in architectural/decorative metal pieces, as well as public art. An avid mountain biker and cyclist, Beau worked in the bicycle industry, and was instrumental in setting up Factory 3’s bicycle shop. He has been helping Factory 3 since before its opening, and did most of the welding for our work tables.

Athena Lynch (she/her) is a trans-disciplinary artist whose work bridges sculpture, communal/immersive installation, and placemaking. Athena attended Maine College of Art & Design as a sculpture major. As a student she learned artistic fabrication. As the former sculpture department’s studio tech, her experience includes structural fabrication, foundry and woodshop hand tool and stationary machinery demonstrations. She has been welding and creating for over 5 years.

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