Neligh-Oakdale Welders Donate Project To Mosel Benefit

Neligh-Oakdale welding students continued to pay it forward over the weekend by donating a completed project to the Jolene Mosel Benefit. 

They were given a 580-pound bundle of steel from Nucor, which they used to create a fire pit and two Adirondack style chairs. The completed project was then auctioned off at the event on Saturday night. 

For the fourth year, Neligh-Oakdale participated in the Ken Iverson Project, which was started by the Community Outreach Team at Nucor Steel-Nebraska to showcase creativity and talent throughout the community using steel products. 

For this project, Nucor’s community outreach team donated a 580 pound bundle of steel that included channel, angle iron, round stock, square stock, and flat stock to area schools in 10’ lengths. Each participating school is allowed to add an additional “accessory” item, valued at $100, into their finished product. No other additional outside materials can be added to the finished product, per the contest rules. 

Students were allowed to heat the steel, weld it, hammer it, bend it, or manipulate it in any other way. In the past the schools were to build a structure or sculpture of their choosing to be displayed and auctioned off at the Norfolk Home Show. This year, Nucor donated the steel to the areas schools that were interested and the schools built structures or sculptures to be sold as the participants chose.  

The fire pit and chairs have been finished with a rusting technique and then had three coats of clear rust-o-leum paint applied prior to auction. Welding II class participants were Taven Cameron, Jordan Chelle, Casey Garcia, Connor Knievel, Zacharie Miller and Zachary Wright. Their welding instructor is Aaron Wilson.

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