Preface to Welding Web Pages
Dialogue to the Reader
31 January 2022
It has been quite a while since I updated this page providing a relative status of the the web site. During the past ten years, I made slight modifications to the site, adding the Paypal code for Patreons of the Welding History Web Site. A link is established for the Facebook group. During the past eight years I have been trying to complete a book on the history of welding. This book provides greater details about welding history and during the past two years, I put a stop on further researching and focused on the actual words and story. One of these days I will complete my projects. See you then.
17 February 2012
This site is still alive. after all of these years. I am looking at a FACEBOOK 'Like' button on the main page. The code seems simple and yet difficult. It looks like the code will disrupt the flow. Go to Facebook and search for WeldingHistory and 'Like' the page. Another option I am exploring is putting the PAYPAL link. Yes, after four years I will start to put it together. Maybe I can get some operating costs funded...
20 December 2008
I have not updated this particulat page in several years, mainly out of neglect. What I have to report to my loyal readers and visitors is that I have written some articles about welding history and published in notable publications. In addition, I have collected more ephemeral writings about welding and procured more books and magazines. The house is getting full and I do not know where to put all of the stuff. Some have suggested I place a PAYPAL token on the site to solicit donations to support the out-of-pocket expenses I incur. My thoughts are simple: This site is out of the Love of Welding and something I want to share with the world. Someday I may beg for dollars and then maybe not. If I can no longer support this site, then maybe I will give in. Until then, this is what I am giving to the world. Enjoy...
28 May 2004
During the past year I have received many journals of vintage "The Welding Engineer", The Australian Welding Journal, and a BIG box of information that has been more than a treat to read through from Dr. K. Graff. I have also had computer (MS OS XP) problems and got so angry with the computer I went out and bought an HP450N, which has been a good machine, so far. Other personal event s have prevented me from updating this web site regularly but will try to do better in the future. I have received many requests for copies of the web site, and frankly, I am glad you like the site so well, but please respect my hard work in organizing, researching, writing and maintaining the site from no proceeds other than my personal paycheck. So if I decline your request, I hope you will understand.
17 July 2003
I have not written to my readers since September and thought it was about time to update my status. During the past 10 months I have procured many more books and articles about welding. So much, in fact, that I am having a difficult time finding the time read the material. The best part during the past months was the publishing of Robert Peaslees book about brazing. This web site is referenced within his book and I am deeply appreciative of his recognition of this site and my work. Also, during this time I have been fine tuning the CSS format and hope that the over all appearance is pleasing and inviting to the reader.
02 September 2002
Started going through my inventory of welding and brazing articles I have collected during the past year or two. A rough sketch of my inventory:
- 126 PDF files
- 46 RTF (Searches) files
- 154 patents images
- 95 RTF files (Articles)
- 29 Wordperfect files
- 100 + welding books
- db listing of 350+ books
- db listing of 250+ paper articles
- 60 years of Welding Journals
Thanks to the submitters of various articles on brazing, welding and welding books, Robert Peaslee and C. W. Smith. Thanks to Margaret Sondey for her thesis (unpublished) from The Ohio State University as a source of additional references.
27 May 2002
Welcome to the new URL for my web site. Given the number of hits and comments, I decided to take the plunge and own the domain name "weldinghistory.org" to manage my site better.
Now I have 200 MB of web space to develop some ideas I was working on but was limited to amount of web page space. I hope you enjoy the site.
9 March 2002
I am finally getting around to updating this section. Look at the new section on testing your knowledge of welding history. I have had some feedback so it must be working okay. This site is becoming easier to maintain since there is very little I have left to add or share.
Therefore, I am asking for ideas or some interesting items about some welding history from your community or country. Email those ideas or suggestions and if I use them, you will receive credit forever on this site!
25 September 2001
Hello. I had a busy summer painting the house, inside and outside, and did not have the time to update the web site. I did investigate VISIO and have not decided whether to purchase the program or use Wordperfect's Presentation Program to make up some slide shows. I have been receiving many supportive Emails and do respond to them all. Thanks for the input and support.
I added the QUOTES.html page. While reading some old text, I came across some statements about the practicability of welding. Given today's success and developments, I found the remarks so interesting, that I have begun to collect them and post in their own page. Enjoy.
Recently, I came across several articles from the late 1800's about welding and will share the highlights at a later date.
11 March 2001
Welcome. I have made many changes to the web site as I implement Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) throughout. I hope it becomes easier to read. That is the intention. I have learned that not every style can be viewed in Netscape 4 or 6. I have not checked this site against Internet Explorer 6. Yet. Eventually, I will be eliminating the buttons found on some pages with some JS mouse actions. If you know of a good example, send the script for review.
I have not been able to find the time to put together a Course Outline yet. I will be investigating VISIO as the means to produce an outline. Until that happens, check here for the latest information and where it will be located.
Coming soon... I have started a new web page series "Interview with:...". In the line up are Robert Peaslee (Guru of Brazing) and Gasparas Kazlauskas (Founder of Astro-Arc). Check back and look in the menu block.
27 January 2001
I cannot believe the success of this site. Thanks to you all. I finally had the time to begin a review of the site, looking for ways to improve readability, ease of eye-strain and other things. Since I had written the code in various HTML editors, the code became sloppy. So when I took the plunge and began the journey into CSS (cascading style sheets), the errors or mis-coding stood out. Since the last dialog, I have had contact with Company Presidents, Sons of famous inventors, and everyone who searched the web for welding history. I also started to bring together a site for brazing history. Mr. Robert Peaslee, of Wall Colmonoy, provided material so that I may get started. Other projects planned will be interesting to present. I will spend a month reading articles in the welding journal on a subject, and like web browsing, I become side-tracked, finding little snippets, vintage ads of welding (WW II) and other things. When looking at the nights result, I learned a lot but collected little on the original subject.
A note: I had started a PPT presentation for the History of Welding, which I would make available to educators, but time chased me down and whipped me. The project is not forgotten, only faded. Will promise to complete the presentation.
21 July 2000
The web site has proven to be rather successful, receiving e-mails for information, permission, or contributions each week. I try to answer the e-mails promptly and I REALLY appreciate the fine graphics sent to me for inclusion, almost like Christmas morning. I have made some enhancements for material protection, or at least, based on one E-mail I received, a pure nightmare trying to copy the information into MS Word. E-mail a request and intention and we'll discuss the request. I am fair. Australia sure has been the leader for other than US domains. It turns out that the subject was part of the final grade!
I have just about completed reading and extracting portions of pertinent information from the current list of journal and magazine articles. Next will be the books. I have been thinking about developing a short curriculum for educators to use as a 30-45 minute class. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am currently developing a talking tour presentation to try on the local AWS chapter(s). I'll let you know how it turns out.
5 May 2000
I am providing to those interested parties this web site "A History of Welding". This site is to promote the history in note format so that through casual reading an understanding of the history is accomplished without excessive reading. I am trying to promote the Science, Technology and Craftsmanship of welding through this web site.
I have been asked if I have other intentions. The short answer is: Yes. However, that will not occur until I have completed an excellent outline, right now the outline is good.
As I have always written, any submissions will be explicitly recognized for the submission and a courtesy link follows as appropriate.
If this site is used for a term paper, please let me know which school (no, I am not contacting the school, so don't sweat it!) so I can keep track whether it is High School, Technical College, College, or whatever.
Any good stories from the past, let me know and include plenty of information I may contact you for additional information if needed.
21 February 2000
This brief summary of the history of welding is the result of nearly 14 years of work, collecting articles written in the American Welding Society's Welding Journal, various trade magazines and books. Currently, I have over 75 magazine references, a dozen old books on welding, and my prize collection of Welding Journals dating from 1943-1999 (I am only missing eight journals from this period). I saved these Welding Journals from the dumpster at my former place of employment. Using the latest in Internet searches from online databases, E-mail communications and good 'ol reading, I have located other articles published by the E. O. Paton Electric Welding Institute in Ukraine translated by Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, the Welding Journal and the ASM Journal to name a few resources.
All information that is presented on the Web pages have supporting documentation in my possession. I will not be presenting any information by any other means. Eventually, I will have a synopsis of the major events, in a time table format, that developed into new welding technology and some minor, but interesting anecdotes about welding.
Stay tuned to this web page for further developments for it will always be under construction. (p.s., Ignore my grammar and such, I will clean it up as time goes along, when I update each portion. I thought it was more important to get the sequences published, rather than spending time polishing my poor grammar.)
Comments? Anecdotal Welding History? Or something to add? Send me E-mail and I may add it to the Web Page.