Students from CQUniversity in Mackay recently tested their mettle in a workshop that challenged their metal fabrication skills. The task at hand? Crafting pot belly stoves from flat sheets of steel.
Courtney Pollard, a 25-year-old apprentice boilermaker at Mackay Sugar, expressed her delight in acquiring new skills and the gratification of seeing tangible results.
"To have something to bring home and be proud of is a huge highlight of being a boilermaker.
“I like the different variety of work we get to do in our training. It’s very refreshing learning new skills every day,” she said.
Meanwhile, Simon Nell, another student, brought some culinary flair to the workshop by treating his peers to sausages and a rack of ribs, cooked in his very own pot belly stove.
According to their instructor, Chris Weeks, the students approached the project with careful planning. In the initial week, they honed their skills in geometric development, learning how to draft various templates. In the following week, they put their designs into action, transferring the templates onto 5mm sheet plates and expertly shaping the steel through pressing and rolling techniques. The final stage involved assembling the parts and allowing room for creativity in designing doors, hinges, smokers, and lids for the stoves. Some students demonstrated exceptional inventiveness in their designs.
Weeks expressed his satisfaction in witnessing the students' progress and growth over the years.
“Once they see the finished product they are super proud and the best part about my job is seeing them progress over the years and ultimately transform into the young tradespeople of the future.”
The workshop not only fostered technical skills but also instilled a sense of pride as the students beheld their completed pot belly stoves, tangible symbols of their craftsmanship. With their dedication and creative spirit, these students exemplify the promising future of skilled trades.
Fourteen Metal Fabrication students built pot belly stoves as part of the final week of their training at CQU Mackay
Devlin Robinson
Joshua Urmson
