FRANKLIN TECHNICAL SCHOOL WELDING PROJECT

Local school’s new welding project
displayed at Cornerstone Ranch

Two hard-working students at Franklin County Technical School created the beautiful new wrought iron horse head decoration as part of a fundraiser to support the school shop’s Certification program. The students, Hunter Lanoue and Colby Merit, who raises and rides Morgan horses, built a total of five horse-head decorations over three days using one-quarter by inch-and-a-half steel, as well as tools such as a propane forge, scrolling dies, a 250 Amp Miller MIG welder, hammers, a tape measure, soapstone, clamps, angle grinders, files, and paint.

Students and their artwork at Franklin County Technical School

Franklin County Technical School is a chapter 74 Technical High School built in 1976. The school has experienced a dramatic increase in numbers and diversity in the past few years. Each grade has 16-18 students with about 30 percent non-traditional (which in this industry typically means non-male) students in Welding and Metal Fabrication. Their program, led by 11th and 12th-grade welding instructor, Lorin Burrows, includes sheet metal, structural steel, pipe welding, sculpture, robotics, a CoOp program, and the American Welding Society Level One SENSE certification. They are hoping for a new school in the next 5-7 years.

Hunter is on the left and Colby is on the right.
Colby is an accomplished rider.
Last year he competed in the Western Pleasure in Oklahoma City and took 2nd place.

The Ranch’s horse-head decoration has a special place on the pavilion wall, where it will be enjoyed by horseback riding students and their families, sleigh riders, birthday party guests, and group outings.