DEPARTMENT STEM WELDING
4-H entries must be made according to the printed 2026 Custer County Fair Premium Book and entered online by 5:00 p.m. on June 26. Instructions for online entries will be emailed to 4-H families on approximately May 15. Exhibits will be interview judged on Wednesday, July 22, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the 4-H Exhibit Hall. One entry per class.
A. The name and county of each exhibitor should appear separately on the back of each board, poster or article and on the front cover of the notebooks so owner of the exhibit may be identified if the entry tag is separated from the exhibit.
B. Each individual is limited to one exhibit per class.
C. All welds exhibited in class 1 or 2 must be mounted on a 12" high x 15" long display board of thickness not to exceed 3/8". Attach each weld on a wire loop hinge or equivalent, so the judge can look at the bottom side of the weld when necessary. Each weld should be labeled with information stated 1) type of welding process (stick, MIG, TIG, Oxy-Acetylene, etc.) 2) kind of weld, 3) welder setting, 4) electrode/wire/rod size, and 5) electrode/wire/rod ID numbers. Attach a wire to display board so it can be hung like a picture frame. No picture frame hangers accepted.
D. Fabricated board such as plywood, composition board, or particle-type lumber may be used for demonstration displays.
E. Demonstration boards should be sanded and finished to improve their appearance. The finish on a demonstration board will be judged as a woodworking exhibit.
F. Reports should be written using the scientific method whenever possible (Background, the Question or hypothesis, what you plan to do and what you did, Method used and observations, Results: what you learned. All reports should include the 4-H’er name and county, be computer generated and enclosed in a clear plastic cover. The reports should be attached securely to the display.
G. If no plans are included with welding art, welding article, welding furniture, or composite weld, item will be dropped a ribbon placing.
H. If the project is designed to be used outside, it may be displayed outside. All exhibits that may be displayed outside MUST have entry tag and supporting information placed in a protective bag to prevent damage from weather events such as rain and be ATTACHED to projects with string, zip ties, etc.
I. Entries must be labeled with exhibitor’s name, county, and years in the welding project.
Ribbons P. B. R. W.
$2.50 $2.00 $1.50 $1.00
CLASS H920001 Welding Joints - a display of one butt, one lap and one fillet weld.
1. All welds should be made with the same electrode/wire/rod size and number.
2. Welds should be made only on one side of metal so penetration can be judged.
3. Welds should be cleaned with a chipping hammer and wire brush. Apply a coat of light oil (penetrating oil) to the metal to prevent rusting. Wipe off excess oil.
4. It is suggested that all welds be of the same size and thickness as metal. These pieces, referred to as coupons, should be 1½”-2” wide and 3½”-4” long. A good way to get this size is to buy a new cold rolled strap iron and cut it to length. The extra width is needed to provide enough metal to absorb the heat from the welding process and prevent the coupons from becoming too hot before the bead is completed. Narrower coupons will become very hot, making an average welder setting too cold at the bead start, just about right in the middle, and too hot at the end. The correct way to weld narrow strips is to make short beads and allow time to cool, however this project requires a full-length bead.
5. Stick welding: Suggested coupon thickness - ¼” if using 1/8” rod. Suggested rod-AC and DC straight or reverse polarity- first E-7014, second E-6013.
6. MIG welding: Suggested coupon thickness - ¼” if using .035 wire and 1/8” if using .023 wire.
7. Oxy-Acetylene: Suggested coupon thickness-1/8-inch. Suggested rod 1/8-inch mild steel rod.
CLASS H920002 Position Welds - a display showing three beads welded in the vertical down, horizontal, and overhead positions.
1. It is suggested that all welds be of the same size and thickness of metal. These pieces are referred to as coupons. The welds can be on one coupon that is about 4” x 4” or on individual coupons that are about 2” x 4” and ¼” thick. Suggested rods for this class of position welds for AC and DC straight or reverse polarity is, first E-6013, second E-7014 and E-6010 for DC reverse polarity only.
2. Welds should be cleaned with a chipping hammer and wire brush. Apply a coat of light oil (penetrating oil) to the metal to prevent rusting. Wipe off excess oil.
3. 4-H Welding Project Tips and Suggestions: Class 3 & 4 1. All welds should be cleaned and protected from rust with paint or light oil. Plans are to be complete enough that if they were given to a welding shop, the item could be made without further instructions. Bill of materials should include a cost for all items used including steel, electrodes, paint, wheels, etc.
4-H Welding Project Tips and Suggestions for Class H920003 and H920004:
- All welds should be cleaned and protected from rust with paint or light oil. Plans are to be complete enough that if they were given to a welding shop, the item could be made without further instructions. Bill of materials should include a cost for all items used including steel, electrodes, paint, wheels, etc.
CLASS H920003 Welding Art - any art created using tack welds to hold the metal pieces together (examples include horseshoe projects). Type of welder, welder settings, all plans, plan alternations, and a bill for material must be attached to the article. Protect plans with a cover. If project is designed to be outside, it is required to have appropriate outdoor finish.
CLASS H920004 Welding Article - any shop article where welding is used construction. 60% of the item must be completed by 4-H member and notes regarding laser welding or machine welding must be included. Type of welder, welder settings, all plans, plan alternations, and a bill for material must be attached to the article. Protect plans with a cover. If project is designed to be outside, it is required to have appropriate outdoor finish because project may be displayed outside.
CLASS H920005 Welding Furniture - any furniture with 75% welding is used in the construction. 60% of item must be completed by 4-H member and notes regarding laser welding or machine welding must be included. Type of welder, welder settings, all plans, plan alternations, and a bill for material must be attached to the article. Protect plans with a cover. If project is designed to be outside, it is required to have appropriate outdoor finish because project may be displayed outside.
CLASS H920006 Plasma Cutter/Welder Design - Plasma cutters/welders allowed for detailed design(s) to butt cut into metal. 4-H members will create a notebook describing the design process to create the “artwork” to butt cut into the metal.
In the notebook include:
- A photo (front and back) of the finished project.
- Instructions on how the design was created (include software used), this allows for replication of the project.
- Lessons learned or improvements to the project.
- Steps to finish the project.
CLASS H920007 Composite Weld Project - 60% of the project must be welded and 40% made from other materials such as wood, rubber, etc. Type of welder, welder settings, all plans, plan alternations, and a bill for material must be attached to the article. Protect plans with a cover. If project is designed to be outside, it is required to have an appropriate outdoor finish because project may be displayed outside.