Brockton Borelli (12) is making an aluminum pig scale for his last and final FFA welding project as a senior and aims to finish before the May Day fair.
At the beginning of the year, he was unsure of what to make, but he knew the AG shop needed a pig scale, so he took the initiative. Last year Borelli made a BBQ trailer that won him some rewards and ever since then he’s been striving to challenge himself even further. Making a pig scale was a perfect opportunity to do so.
It’s a harder project because it’s aluminum metal instead of mild steel. The difference between these two is that aluminum steel is much lighter, thinner and harder to weld on compared to mild steel which is much thicker, heavier and easier to weld on. Different equipment is needed so cross-contamination doesn’t happen and affects the metal. This means having to use a different welder, grinder, and blade for cutting and in all a whole different process compared to an average project. Borelli has to use a tig welder which is the most advanced welding technique only used for thin metal.
Borelli stated, “Aluminum steel is harder to weld and harder to work with just in general.”
Borelli has spent a little over a thousand dollars on this project but let it be noted that a brand new pig scale is about $3,500. Before starting his project Borelli had to make a blueprint and envision what he wanted. He had to find out how much material was needed for such a project. He has used angle iron, flat stock, a 4×8 sheet of aluminum metal which is 16 inches thick, C- C-channel, S-hocks, bolts, nuts, and a plate of diamond-plated aluminum for this project so far. He has spent over a couple of hundred hours on the pig scale and is expected to finish soon with the help of his best friend, Kolten Kanemoto (12).
“No matter what the size and cost, give it your all and try your best,” Borelli stated as advice to students in the AG welding classes.
Even with the size and cost of the project Borelli wants it to be known these things don’t matter; all that matters is finishing the project on time and being consistent while creating a fantastic end product.
