Whether you are a high schooler yourself or a teacher looking for interesting projects for your welding technology classes, you’ll find many interesting and unique ideas in this article.
Many teenagers get their first welding experience in high school, sometimes even in junior high. Metal fabrication classes are typically more interesting for students, but the selection of welding projects matters a lot. So, let’s see some interesting projects ranging from scrap metal welding to more complex metal fabrication but with a focus on basic skills.
High School Welding Projects Ideas
1. A Standard Steel Cube
This is a very basic project providing the elemental TIG welding experience. It’s perfect for an absolute beginner student that has just joined a welding department. There is no wrong way to weld it – you can only learn from it. What makes this project interesting is the need to weld a uniform shape without too much warping and distortion.
2. Phone Stand From Scrap Metal
There is no teenager today without a smartphone. So it’s a good idea for a welding instructor to have their students make this simple phone stand. They’ll use it every day and it will show them that welding is an applied technology on a simple example.
3. Making a Welder’s Third Hand
Most welders use this helpful tool in their shop, and most people make it themselves. It makes a good project for high school welding program students because they can use it for the duration of the program. This small project teaches self-reliance in the welding trade. If you don’t have a tool, you can make it, if you have the necessary welding skill.
4. Welding an infinity Cube From Square Tubing
While this project looks intimidating, it’s easy to make, especially if you divide the welding process into multiple classes. It teaches patience and corner welding. Students love welding projects like these, and they’ll have something interesting to remember their welding program by. Additionally, they’ll show it to their friends and family, who’ll be stunned by their skills, further strengthening the students’ love for the trade.
5. Simple Industrial Pencil Holder
Making a small industrial pencil holder like this requires just the essential welding skill and a few square steel tubes. It’s a perfect project for high schoolers just entering technical education. It can be welded with a gas metal arc welding process because it doesn’t require a precise finish. Alternatively, you can instruct students to try TIG welding it and compare the results.
6. Welding Table
https://www.instructables.com/Welding-Table-1/
Creating a welding table is an excellent group project for high school welders. It’s unrealistic for a single welding student to make it themselves unless they are really motivated. But if everyone participates, they’ll learn the value of teamwork and create a table they can all work on for the rest of the welding program. Afterward, you can decide who gets to keep it; maybe it can be a motivation besides the grade.
7. Welding a Sign From Rebar
https://www.instructables.com/Rebar-Welcome-Sign/
Rebar is an excellent metal for welding technology and metal fabrication classes. It’s easy to shape and doesn’t require many welding skills to join rebar. Welding a sign can also be a group project. Maybe the students can weld the school’s or their town’s name.
8. Welding Table Torch Holder
This is a useful high school welding project focusing on plasma cutting and metal shaping. It’s relatively simple to make and remains as an item the welding student will use even after they graduate from the program.
9. TIG Weld a Pyramind
Instead of just running horizontal beads, which can get boring after a while, have your students weld pyramids. After the initial shape is completed, running flat beads will give the pyramids a beautiful look while making the learning process more fun.
10. Welding Art Portraits
If you have a particularly artistic student, giving them a task to “paint” with the TIG arc instead of a paintbrush may attract their attention. This project on Instructables was done by a grateful student who “painted” their instructors on metal sheets as a parting gift. It’s an excellent inspiration for high schoolers who are in the age of trying new things and learning as they go.
11. TIG Welding a Polygonal Steel Vase
https://www.instructables.com/TIG-Welded-Steel-Vase/
This is a project for a motivated high school welding technology student. It takes quite a lot of measuring, cutting, and welding, but the end result is fascinating, as will be their career if they successfully complete this project.
12. Welding a Chipping Hammer
Every welder needs a chipping hammer to peel off the slag. It’s an awesome beginner project because you can’t really go wrong with it. Plus, you can always upgrade your hammer by making a better one as your skills grow.
13. Creating a Welding Electrodes Storage Container
Making a rods container is an interesting welding project your students can use throughout their careers. Also, since it’s made of metal, it’ll be a reminder of their classes even years in the future.
14. Christmas Tree Star
This is a rather challenging project meant for high school students with previous welding experience. Welding pipes at steep angles is difficult, especially if the resulting joint needs a sharp tip like with the star.
15. Making a Rebar Clamp
Clamps are essential for the successful welding of complex parts. Making one from rebar is an excellent learning opportunity covering welding, metal shaping, and grinding.
16. Welding an Outdoor Bench
This welding project by Lincoln Electric is excellent as a group activity. It is relatively simple to make, requiring welding hollow steel tubes only. You can donate it to the school grounds after it’s complete, and it can stay as a testimony of the successful generation of welding students.
17. Horseshoe Cowboy Candle Holder
If you are looking for a fun little project involving welding, grinding, and metal bending, this might be it. It’s perfect for a metal fabrication class where a multi-disciplinary approach is taken, and the focus is not on welding alone.
18. Welding a Functional Guitar From Steel
If you have students that are a part of a band or the school’s music faculty, this could be a perfect group project. It takes much planning and work, but everything is possible with a helpful welding instructor.
19. Making a Hammer From Rebar
This very basic project requires little to no previous welding skills, but it leaves a great sense of accomplishment. It requires many welds, which don’t need to be perfect, making it a great project to motivate the students.
20. Welding a Metal Rug
Requiring nothing but scrap metal tubing cut at short lengths, it’s a cheap, practical high school welding project. It’s perfect for laying first tack welds by teenagers because it’s useful and allows for a lot of creative freedom.
Wrapping Up
If you are a teenager yourself, reading this article, make sure that you are welding with the appropriate personal protective equipment, in the presence of an adult, and with their permission. Welding is a fantastic trade, but it’s also hazardous. Welding fumes can be life-threatening if you are welding certain metals that the inexperienced welder can’t detect.
Arc flash can damage the eyesight permanently, while burns resulting from the molten metal spatter can leave scars. So, if you are not experienced, don’t do anything on your own.
If you are a welding instructor, we hope you’ve found some exciting project ideas in this article to inspire a new generation of welders!
