In his grandfather’s farm shop near Waverly, my youngest son, Andrew, known as Andy to most, first became interested in welding while helping repair worn farm equipment.
Surrounded by farm tools and machinery, he began learning the welding trade at age 10.
By 14, Andy was taking on welding projects for others.
“Once I got into welding, I knew that was the direction I wanted to go,” he said.
During his high school junior and senior years, Andy competed in the statewide welding competition at St. Cloud Technical College, winning second place in MIG welding as a junior and third place as a senior among nearly 100 contestants.
After graduating from high school in 2007, he studied welding and metal fabrication at what is now St. Cloud Technical and Community College, where he earned his diploma.
After working in the welding industry, Andy started the business he had wanted for years: his own welding shop, which he opened in 2009.
Today, Andy is the owner and operator of Ollig’s Custom Metal Works, which serves industrial, agricultural, commercial, and individual customers with routine welding needs, repairs, and custom metal fabrication services.
He currently does production welding for area and out-of-state businesses, working with mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.
One job led to another, and word of mouth helped him build a solid reputation for dependable, high-quality work.
Using programs such as AutoCAD, he creates detailed two and three-dimensional digital drawings that show size, shape, angles, holes, bends, parts, and weld locations.
AutoCAD gives him precise control over drafting, design, and documentation.
That level of detail helps whether the job is a small project or a full machine with many parts that need to work together.
For a welder, a digital drawing serves as a road map, reducing guesswork, improving accuracy, and giving customers a clearer sense of the finished product.
“When you can take an idea, build it, and then see it work the way it’s supposed to, that’s a pretty good feeling,” Andy said.
Before welding begins, supplies are ordered, and the metal is measured, cut, cleaned, and fitted correctly.
Andy said the strength and quality of the finished work depend as much on preparation as on the weld itself.
His shop is equipped for metal inert gas (MIG) welding, tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, and stick welding.
It also has grinders, saws, mills, plasma cutters, drill presses, lathes, clamps, welding tables, safety gear, a 25-ton computer numerical control, or CNC, press brake, and specialty production equipment.
Over the years, welding and fabrication equipment has become more powerful, efficient, and computerized.
Many modern machines use digital controls that let welders fine-tune heat, wire-feed speed, gas flow, and welding modes for different metals, thicknesses, and job requirements.
Those settings can help improve consistency, reduce wasted material, and produce cleaner, stronger welds.
Still, Andy said the basics matter most: preparation, fit, steady hands, and knowing how various metals react under heat.
He spends much of his time doing MIG and TIG welding.
MIG welding uses a gun that feeds a continuous wire electrode into the joint while shielding gas protects the molten weld puddle from contamination by the surrounding air.
It is widely used for repair, fabrication, and production because it is fast, strong, and efficient.
TIG welding uses a nonconsumable tungsten electrode to create the arc while the welder controls the heat and adds filler metal by hand, producing cleaner, more precise welds where appearance and finish matter.
“TIG takes more patience, but it’s rewarding because the finished product looks so nice,” Andy said.
The choice depends on the job, the metal, and the finish the customer needs.
Andy said projects completed in Minnesota sometimes go to other states and, through companies he does work for, some end up in other countries.
He has also seen the industry change as new processes, alloys, and machines have expanded what welders can do, and he pointed to pulsed MIG welding as one process gaining ground.
Pulsed MIG welding uses controlled current pulses instead of a single steady arc, giving the welder better control over heat input, weld spatter, and warping, which results in a higher-quality finish.
That added control can help when welding thinner metal, different alloys, or jobs where a cleaner weld is needed.
Andy stays up to date in the welding industry by reviewing manufacturer training and product materials, attending trade shows, and using newer equipment.
He acknowledges that robotic welding systems are becoming more common in factory production, where predictable conditions and repeated welds make automation especially effective.
These systems are set up and maintained by skilled welders and work best in controlled factory settings where parts and weld patterns remain consistent.
Human welders are still essential for repair work, custom fabrication, on-site jobs, and tight or awkward spaces where conditions can change from one task to the next.
In those situations, the welder assesses each job, determines the best approach, and adjusts as conditions change.
Human welders turn ideas and rough sketches into finished parts and products for customers and manufacturers.
Repair work can be especially demanding, as a damaged part may no longer fit as it once did, and the metal may be bent, rusted, cracked, worn thin, or too deteriorated to reuse.
That kind of work still depends on judgment, experience, and hands-on skill.
After 17 years of managing and operating Ollig’s Custom Metal Works, Andy still finds satisfaction in finishing each job.
Whether it is a large project or a small repair, Andy said customers appreciate getting the same level of care, attention, and quality as his larger manufacturing clients.
Andy believes the need for skilled welders remains strong, and he encourages young people to consider the welding trade because too few are entering it.
Welding can offer a solid career path for people who enjoy working with their hands, building things, and solving problems, he said.
“There’s a real need for skilled people, and if you like building things and seeing the results of your work, it’s a good career,” Andy added.
Looking back, he takes pride in completing each job well and sees welding as a craft that lets him solve problems, serve customers, build a business, and earn a living through skill, dedication, and perseverance.
Andy put it this way: “At the end of the day, it feels good to stand back, look at what you designed, built, and welded, and know it’s going to work for somebody.”
He makes his father proud.
