SDSU student Beth Holst took home first place for Little International’s first-ever welding contest allowing students to showcase their innovative welding skills.
The winning project was an outdoor fire pit, made by Holst with tire rims, fence posts and horseshoes.
“Thankfully, I was able to find all my materials on our family farm and have the resources that it took to create the fire pit,” Holst said. “I wanted to create a fire pit that would serve a purpose such as a rack on the top that can be used for cooking purposes, holders for the roaster, as well as preventing burning wood from falling out of the pit.”
Holst used a 26-inch tire rim to cut the inside using a blow torch. She then cut a steel fence post into four sections before welding them to the tire rim. She then welded 13 horseshoes together on the top to be used for cooking or grilling.
After the fire pit was assembled, she grounded it down and finished it with flame-resistant black glossy paint.
Mitchell Vander Wal was selected by the executive team to put on this event.
“He was the leading man who could plan and carry through all of the planning for the contest,” Teigen Hendrick, the assistant manager of Little ‘I’ said.
The theme was outdoor use and there were three requirements. The first was that the material should be repurposed metal. The second was that projects should be able to be lifted by only one person. The third was that exhibitors must create project portfolios that demonstrate the process.
A total of six projects were submitted and made with various materials.
“Some of the scrap metals used were horseshoes, wheels, plow shovels and many more,” Vander Wal said. “Some of the projects that were submitted were a fire pot, horseshoe cross, large metal sunflower, tractor seat barstool, and many other things, just to name a few.”
The executive team, consisting of 18 South Dakota State students, chose the judges.
“Half of the judges came from the public, while the other half came from a select panel of agricultural mechanic professionals,” Isaac Berg, the manager of Little ‘I’ said.
The projects were on display at the Raven Corn Gallery, where people could cast their votes.