SEASONS GREETINGS FROM THE RED BENCH

Happy holidays to all of you in our amazing community! We have reached so many milestones in the past year and we can't wait for what 2022 is going to bring. We have so much to look forward to, including getting the shop open and running! #LightsOnDoorsOpen

As we head into the new year, we are working incredibly hard on our equipment drive and getting our shopped filled with the tools and equipment we need to open the shop to our members. Speaking of members, keep your eyes peeled over the next month for a membership onboarding email from us! We are opening our membership to the general public so we can start planning the numbers for our first DIY project set to run in a couple of months.

To update you on us, Jo is finishing off her work term and getting ready to start her final academic term in the new year. Come April, Jo will be graduated and out in the world as an engineer in training (EIT)! Mack is continuing her academic terms in the winter to close off her 3rd year in materials engineering.

ALCO GAS & OIL IS OUR OFFICIAL CORPORATE SPONSOR

After a blockbuster fundraising campaign, we are thrilled to announce that ALCO Gas & Oil Production Equipment Ltd. will be our official corporate sponsor! ALCO Gas & Oil has generously donated funds to cover the remainder of first year operating costs, meaning that we have officially reached our entire first year fundraising goal! With this partnership, we will be able to open our doors and get started on our first group DIY project. 

Formed in 1972, ALCO Gas & Oil Production Equipment Ltd is a privately owned Canadian corporation that designs and manufactures gas and oil processing equipment for both the Canadian and International marketplace. Product lines cover surface production equipment from wellhead to pipe line. ALCO Gas & Oil holds gender diversity in the skilled trades as a core value and is committed to increasing the number of women who weld. 
 

THANK YOU ALCO GAS & OIL!
 

OUR EQUIPMENT DRIVE IS OFFICIALLY ON

Looking to clear out your garage? Change over tools in your shop? We'll happily take your used shop items, in working condition!

We have already received fantastic donations from Blake Bailey and Ryan Buck. These items included welding googles, an air compression hose, a welding screen, a Makita drill, a DeWalt angle grinder, regulators, and oxyacetylene hoses with a torch head. Thank you to Blake and Ryan for these items. You could be our next donor!

For a list of items we are looking for, check out our equipment and supplies list here. Note, the list is only to give a rough idea – we don’t expect the same makes and models!

Shoot us an email to make a donation at donate@theredbench.ca.

AN EXCITING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE POWDERMILL


 

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with The Powdermill, a professional, top of the line powder coating facility in Edmonton.

The Powdermill has offered their time, space, and services to The Red Bench in the form of facility tours and the professional powder coating of our projects. Erin and Dale (pictured middle and left), founders of The Powdermill, are making great strides in the trades and technology landscape by creating safe, inclusive working environments for all, starting with their own. Their head powder coater, Leah (pictured second to the left), is a woman, mother, and total badass! 

You can view The Powdermill on their Facebook and Instagram (@thepowdermill) or on their website at thepowdermill.ca. More details on this great collaboration are to come!

OXYACETYLENE: THE FIRST WELDING PROCESS

Oxyacetylene welding and cutting (also known as oxyfuel or gas welding and cutting) was the first form of welding and cutting used in industry. After the discovery of acetylene gas, the oxyacetylene process was developed in the mid 1800's as a response to the industrial revolution - making it possible to join steels without the need for electricity [1]. 

The oxyacetylene process is the combustion of oxygen and acetylene to generate a flame with a temperature than is over 3000°C (for context, steel melts around 1500°C) [2]. This flame can be adjusted in three main ways - as a neutral, oxidizing, or carburizing flame which have different proportions of oxygen and acetylene to achieve the flame type. The neutral flame with a 50/50 mix of oxygen and acetylene is what is commonly used in welding and cutting of steels [2]. Pictured is the oxyacetylene cutting process.

Oxyacetylene is one easiest processes to set up and is why it is often found in all types of metalworking shops. All that is required is an oxygen and an acetylene tank, regulators, gas hoses, flashback arrestors, and the welding and cutting nozzles. No voltage or current required. That doesn't go without saying that although the oxyacetylene process is one of the most accessible, it still requites the utmost level of safety and respect while storing and using the equipment.

We are looking forward to having our own oxyacetylene welding and cutting equipment on the shop and can't wait to facilitate an environment where women can feel confident and comfortable using this process. We believe oxyacetylene is a key welding skill that allows the welder to learn weld pool control, heat input, and travel speed!  

To read more about the oxyacetylene welding and cutting process, check out these articles:

[1] - The History of Welding, https://www.millerwelds.com/resources/article-library/the-history-of-welding
[2] - What Is Oxyacetylene Welding?, https://www.uti.edu/blog/welding/oxy-acetylene-welding

WORD SCRAMBLE

Check out next issue for the answers (or you can email us for the answers sooner)!

ruatgerol     brsuseh     anspeosot  

Last issue word scramble answers:

voltage   oxyacetylene   equipment

WHAT IS THE RED BENCH?

We seek to create a low-barrier, membership-based space for women to explore a skilled trade on their own terms by providing access to a fully-equipped workshop. The Red Bench will provide tools, hardware, and consumables for use as part of a membership agreement. The first iteration of the shop will offer members access to basic hand, power, and metalworking tools with a focus on welding. 

The Red Bench aims to become a community hub that shapes a more diverse culture in trades and technology. We have a practical goal and a community goal. The practical goal is to inspire women to develop confidence in their technical ability, work with tools, make or build things, and pursue a hobby or career in a skilled trade. The community goal is to bring women from all walks of life to one place where they can be themselves, make new friends, mentor or be mentored, and share ideas.

Thank you very much for reading! Tune in next month for more from us at The Red Bench.

Sincerely,

Mackenzi and Jolene

P.S. Have you watched our introduction video? Check it out!