Still Building America

At 16, Asher Weatherford built a 600-pound kinetic butterfly swing that went viral and sold for $14,500. In this episode of Still Building America, the Henderson, Texas student breaks down how he designed and fabricated the steel-and-wood piece in his school shop over 130 hours, using hand-bent steel, a CNC plasma table, and a lot of trial and error. The project earned Grand Champion in its category at the Rusk County Youth Project Show and placed seventh overall. Asher talks about learning welding hands-on, figuring things out in real time, and pushing through the challenges of shaping complex steel forms. He also shares how theater and music influence his creativity, and what it means to build something real at a young age. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Find more industry-related conversations at the FMA Podcast Network.

Caroline Del Giudice, a metal fabricator and artist, joins Still Building America to talk about building a career in welding and creating opportunity in metal fabrication. As manager of the art and product realization program at Newlab in Detroit, she works inside a 30,000-square-foot fabrication shop supporting startups in robotics, mobility, and advanced manufacturing, blending hands-on welding with modern tools like CNC and robotics. Caroline shares her path into the trades, how she built experience across different fabrication environments, and how welding can open doors to both creative and entrepreneurial work. Follow Caroline on Instagram. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Find more industry-related conversations at the FMA Podcast Network.

Jesse Oosterhouse is a welding instructor at the Muskegon Correctional Facility in Michigan, where he teaches incarcerated men skills that can lead to stable careers after release. In this episode, Jesse shares how his class of 30 incarcerated students designed and built Arc of Redemption, a welded sculpture entered into the Grand Rapids-based ArtPrize. The project highlights how welding education, American Welding Society certifications, and creative work can open doors to opportunity and second chances. Find more industry-related conversations at the FMA Podcast Network. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Becca Robertson, a welding instructor at St. Clair TEC in Michigan, shares her journey into teaching. She started welding at age 2 from her father, a welder himself, and has now passed on that passion to her own daughter who also began welding at age 2. Becca's program at St. Clair TEC is known for producing talented high school welders, with her students excelling in state and national welding competitions like SkillsUSA. She talks with Darla and Josh Welton about her belief in letting students explore welding at their own pace and discover their natural strengths, rather than sticking to a rigid curriculum. Becca also talk about how she finds great fulfillment in watching her students develop a love for welding and exceed her own expectations. Find more industry-related conversations at the FMA Podcast Network. Email us at [email protected] with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

In this episode of Still Building America, father-son duo Matt and Maverick Graham join Darla and Josh Welton to talk about the importance of introducing kids to welding at a young age. Matt runs farm and fabrication business called Graham Industries in rural Ohio, taught his now 10-year-old son Maverick how to weld at a young age. They talk about how Maverick learned to weld by helping Matt with projects around the farm, their participation in 4-H, and Maverick winning welding competitions at the Ohio State Fair. They also discuss why there should be more proper-fitting welding PPE for kids.

In this episode of the Still Building America podcast, Detroit ironworker Kyle Tripp shares how she went from having zero welding experience to working on iconic construction projects, all thanks to a Women Who Weld, which helped jump-start her career. That single opportunity led to an ironworking apprenticeship and a passion for building structures that last. Kyle talks candidly about overcoming imposter syndrome, earning respect in a male-dominated field, and why grit and work ethic matter more than background. She reflects on welding at job sites like the Hudson’s building and the University of Michigan football stadium, and why more women are joining the trades than ever before.

John Ditkof is a Navy veteran, medic, welder, and deep-sea diver who has had an extraordinary career in a variety of unique and challenging environments. John joins Darla and Josh Welton to talk about how, after initially pursuing a career in planetary sciences, he discovered his passion for welding and later became a commercial diver, working on projects ranging from salvaging a World War II bomber to clearing ordnance in Antarctica. Throughout his career, Ditkof has amassed a wealth of diverse experiences, including serving as a diver medic on a medical trip to Rwanda and finding remains of a bomber crew during an underwater recovery operation. He now shares his expertise as an instructor at Waukesha County Technical College, inspiring the next generation of welders and fabricators. John, Darla, and Josh also talk about their experiences working in and traveling around Alaska.

Kris Albro of Meltdown Metal Art joins the Still Building America podcast to talk about going fulltime as a metal artist, managing a small business, her unconventional career path from serving in the military, working in education, and working in fab shops. She also talks with Darla and Josh Welton about overcoming a learning disabilities, graduating college, learning how to weld, focusing her metal art on nature, marketing on Instagram, managing stress, listening to music while welding, and collaborating with Nate Bowman.

Emily Soloby and Kelly Franko of AWSAM (Alliance of Women's Safety Apparel Manufacturers) join Darla Welton on the Still Building America Podcast to talk about awareness, access, and advocacy for women's PPE across all sectors of manufacturing and the skilled trades. AWSAM was founded in 2024 with the mission of elevating women in the workplace while supporting safe and appropriate protection for them on the job. Soloby is also the founder of Juno Jones Safety Boots, co-owner of AA School of Trucking, and host of the Hazard Girls Podcast. Franko is the founder of Seraphina Safety Apparel, which manufactures garments for heat, fire, and molten metal protection. Find the Equity in Safety report from The Safety Rack here.

Forrest Davis, the shop foreman of Griot's Motors, joins Darla and Josh Welton to talk about his nontraditional journey into the automotive restoration industry. He shares how he began working at Griot's Garage as a retail employee and eventually transitioning to work on the owner's car collection in in Tacoma, Wash., which led to the creation of Griot's Motors, a full-service restoration shop that specializes in restoring a wide variety of vehicles. Davis emphasizes the importance of developing a systematic restoration process, thorough documentation, and comprehensive testing to ensure a high-quality final product for customers. He also discusses the challenges of building a skilled workforce and the apprenticeship program he is establishing to mentor the next generation of automotive restoration technicians. He also talks about his love of Volkswagen, photography, travel, and expanding his worldview. Davis hopes his passion for cars, creativity, and commitment to training the next generation of fabricators and metal workers exemplify the innovative spirit of the American manufacturing industry.

Peyton Rey, a 23-year-old lead fabricator at America's Most Wanted 4x4, shares her inspiring journey into welding and fabrication. After discovering her passion for hands-on work at a young age, Peyton attended WyoTech's motorsports chassis fabrication program and quickly excelled at TIG welding. Despite being the only female fabricator in her shop, Peyton has taken on challenging projects like customizing Jeep beds and coilovers, and even built a roll cage for her own Jeep. Peyton's advice to younger people, especially girls, is to never give up and always give new skills a chance, as one may discover an unexpected talent. Her portfolio of hands-on projects from school helped her land her current position, where she continues to push the boundaries and inspire others in the industry.

Still Building America is back! This time in a podcast format. In this reintroduction episode, Darla and Josh Welton talk about the origin behind Still Building America and what's in store for upcoming episodes. They reiterate the mission behind SBA, which launched in October 2014 and aims to share stories of the diverse range of individuals in the skilled trades, from welders to entrepreneurs to metal artists. Stay tuned to future episode and check out previous interviews on thefabricator.com.