My name is David Hork, I'm 33 from Oakley, CA and I've been welding for 9 years.
My Early Jobs
I got into residential construction at 18 years old and my cousin got me into the San Francisco Ironworkers Apprenticeship program when I was 24. I've been mostly doing metal decking on commercial buildings since.
Spreading the metal decking requires a lot of physical ability, which is mostly what I've been doing but I've also done a lot of arc spot production welding, hanging, and stitch welding flashing that keeps the concrete from running off the building when concrete is poured.
I've welded studs, and anything and everything else that has to do with the deck.
My wife and I have 3 horses and we're good friends with our farrier.
He asked me if I wanted the used horseshoes to cut up and weld to make artwork out of them. I took him up on it and now I'm quite busy making name signs, boot racks, crosses, hearts, and many other projects.
Ironworks and Welding I Did
As an ironworker, I've built a huge Stanford hospital, the Apple campus, (a HUGE project in Cupertino, CA) a handful of Google buildings, countless schools, and many other buildings that range in size.
My typical workday as a welder varies, literally every day. The great thing about being an ironworker is that I'm constantly changing up tasks, doing whatever it takes to get the floors done on time.
My Advice to Future Welders
Some advice I would give to anyone looking into getting into welding is to join a union! There are so many great benefits to being in a union. The union fights for fair wages, great benefits for you and your family, paid maternity leave, vacation check every 3 months, a 4-year apprenticeship that is paid for with your monthly dues, retirement, and in the bay area you make $50/hr and change on the check!
Safety is big in the unions and there are a lot of Ironworker foremen that make safety a top priority. All the proper PPE is provided by companies to make sure you go home the same way you came in, just a little more tired at the end of the day!
How Has Welding Impacted My Life
Being a welder has impacted my life in a lot of ways. When I was younger I had the mentality of "work hard party harder" and that got me nowhere but in trouble and it also made me a pretty unreliable worker. It's been just over 5 years that I've been clean, and I've been with the same company for 4 years straight! That's a record for me!
In the future, I plan to get more welding certs from the apprenticeship so hopefully, I can be a steel production welder, that's my goal! And as for the horseshoe artwork, I'll keep advertising it and fill the orders as they come in! You are welcome to drop by on my Instagram page: @horkshoes
Thanks for reading my story!
Author: David Hork
Welder & Artwork Creator