Mid State Welding

06/02/2026

One of the biggest lies I believed was thinking welding skill automatically meant I was ready to run a business.

I thought because I had a welding truck, pipeline experience, tools, business cards, and made a page… the work would just start pouring in.

What I didn’t realize was:

* customers have to trust you
* business takes systems
* estimates take time
* overhead is real
* and driving all over chasing every “free estimate” will wear you out fast

Pipeline taught me how to weld…
business humbled me in completely different ways.

There’s a lot more I could go into on each one of these and I probably will in future videos because there’s honestly so much I wish somebody would’ve explained to me earlier.

If you’re at that crossroads between welding and trying to build something bigger long term… comment “crossroads.”

06/01/2026

Since getting back from pipeline we’ve already built 24’ and 16’ cattle guards — and we’re continuing to grow the fabrication side of the business here in the Black Hills.

One thing I wanted to show in this reel is the fabrication table/jig I built when we first started building cattle guards. It’s a finished adjustable table that helps us efficiently and consistently build multiple sizes of cattle guards including 12’, 14’, 16’, 18’, 20’, and 24’.

A lot of people only see the finished cattle guards, but this table is a big part of the process and helps keep everything accurate and repeatable during fabrication. I also know a lot of welders and fabricators enjoy seeing the setup and systems behind the work — not just the final product.

If you’re needing cattle guards for a ranch, driveway, lease road, or property entrance, send us a message. We can also help arrange shipping depending on location.

Appreciate everybody following along with the journey as we continue growing.

05/29/2026

One thing pipeline taught me was the importance of daily JHAs (Job Hazard Analysis), tailgate meetings, and actually slowing down long enough to think through the job before just jumping into it.

Whether it’s pipeline work, mobile repair, or fabrication in the shop, we try to take safety seriously around here.

Today’s JHA covered things like:

welding fumes

pinch points

slips, trips & falls

proper ventilation

hydration

PPE

hand & foot placement

At the end of the day, everybody wants to go home in one piece.

That’s something we’re continuing to build into the culture here at Mid State Welding both in the shop and out in the field.

05/27/2026

Finished up the pipeline job down in Cheyenne, Wyoming and now we’re back in the shop here in Spearfish getting after it again.

Spent the last few weeks out on the road and now it’s back to building, organizing, and focusing on the next chapter for Mid State Welding.

We’ve been cleaning up the shop, finishing a cattle guard order, and continuing to expand the mobile repair and fabrication side of the business.

If you’re in the Black Hills area and have equipment, trailers, structural steel, repairs, or fabrication work needing looked at, send us a message.

We offer both mobile welding where we come to you and shop fabrication/repair work here in Spearfish.

Appreciate everybody that’s continued supporting and following along with the journey. Excited to be back serving the local community again.

05/17/2026

Pipeline taught me a lot.

How to work.
How to weld under pressure.
How to fabricate.
How to solve problems.
How to show up every day whether you felt like it or not.

It also taught me relationships and networking because a lot of opportunities in pipeline come from the people you meet along the way.

But what it didn’t teach me…
was business.

Estimating jobs.
Cash flow.
Payroll.
Taxes.
Underbidding projects.
Managing employees.
Learning that welding skill alone isn’t enough to run a successful company.

And honestly, when I first started my business, I thought if I worked hard enough the work would just come.

There’s a lot I’ve learned the hard way over the last few years.

Still learning every day.

And there’s a lot I wish I knew before starting my business, so I’m gonna start sharing more of the things I learned the hard way in hopes it helps somebody else avoid some of those same mistakes.

If you’re a pipeline welder, rig welder, or traveling welder trying to figure out your next move and wanting to build something closer to home…

Comment “crossroads.”

05/14/2026

Most people think getting on your first pipeline is all about who you know.

Truth is… sometimes it starts with simply showing up and building relationships along the way.

After welding school, my welding instructor hired a few of us graduates to weld single hand on drilling rigs using his truck and equipment.

That’s where I met a guy who eventually became my connection to my first refinery job.

After that refinery shutdown and another job in Borger, Texas… that same guy called me about a pipeline up in Wray, Colorado.

16-inch pipeline.
Over 100 miles.
10 hours away from home.

At the time, that was the furthest I had ever traveled for work.

I was nervous.
Didn’t know exactly what to expect.
But I took the opportunity anyway and went and took the test.

That job changed a lot for me.

The biggest lesson I learned through all of it is:
you never know who you’re gonna meet… or where those relationships might lead.

That’s why I always say:
Conversation rules the nation.

How did YOU get your first opportunity in welding?

05/11/2026

For over a decade I chased pipeline jobs, taking welding tests hours away from home, pulling my home — my camper — wherever the road took me, and trying to prove I belonged.

Later on, I was trying to figure out how to build a welding business… learning leadership, estimating, employees, cash flow, networking, and trying not to drown in the pressure of keeping it all alive.

Truth is… I’ve lived both sides.

Pipeline welding taught me how to survive under pressure.

Business taught me how to lead, adapt, and keep going even when things weren’t working.

And somewhere along the way I realized…

A lot of welders eventually reach a crossroads.

Some are trying to get INTO pipeline work.

Some are trying to get OUT so they can be home more and build something for themselves.

I don’t have everything figured out.

But I’ve learned a lot through:

hard lessons

failed decisions

good mentors

mistakes

taking risks

and figuring things out the hard way

So I’m thinking about sharing more:

how to get on your first pipeline

networking tips

welding business lessons

employee mistakes

pricing mistakes

leadership lessons

pipeline stories

and real experiences from both sides of the industry

Question is:

What would help YOU more right now?

1️⃣ Getting into pipeline welding

OR

2️⃣ Starting/growing a welding business

Comment 1 or 2 below.

05/09/2026

What welding machine are you running?

This Lincoln Electric SAE 300 has been with me since 2013. I bought it with 42 hours on it… and now it’s sitting at 5,576 hours.

Other than an alternator, batteries, and fixing an exhaust manifold, this machine has been solid for me.

And then there’s “Old Betsy” — my first Lincoln SA-200.

A 1968 Red Face that I bought back in 2006 and started pipelining with. That machine was there for a lot of miles, a lot of welds, and a lot of lessons over the years.

I’ve also got another ‘68/’69 Red Face that I ended up buying from one of my guys that worked for me.

No matter where the work has taken me — pipeline, fabrication, mobile welding, custom projects — Lincoln machines have always been a part of the journey.

Curious what everybody else is running these days.

What machine has been the best to you over the years? 👇

05/06/2026

IS IT WORTH IT? Nobody talks about how dangerous it is to get comfortable making good money…

Being back out on these pipeline jobs made me realize something:

For years, my mindset was simple—
work 60 hours, get a good check, maybe save a little money, then enjoy life when I got time off.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But becoming a business owner changed the way I think completely.

Now when I look at 60 hours…
I don’t just think about what I earned.

I think about what I could BUILD with those 60 hours.

Could I be growing the business?
Learning a new skill?
Building systems?
Creating opportunities for my future family?

That’s the difference I’ve realized.

And don’t get me wrong…
pipeline life gave me experiences I’d never trade for anything.

The places.
The people.
The brotherhood.
The grind.

But somewhere along the way I also realized this life is about more than just the big welding trucks, the super starched shirts and jeans, the drag-up mentality, or who can weld the fastest and throw on the slickest cap.

Social media has made a lot of this lifestyle look like it’s only about money, trucks, and good times.

And yeah—those things can be great.

But there’s a deeper side to this life people don’t talk about enough.

Your future.
Your mindset.
Your growth.
Your family.
And understanding that circumstances in life eventually change.

Because one day you may not want to travel like you used to.
Your priorities shift.
Your family grows.
Your body changes.

And eventually you start asking yourself:

“What did I build with all those years?”

Not just money.
Not just toys.
Not just a lifestyle.

But something REAL.

That’s why I tell younger guys getting into this industry:
Use the trade to BUILD your future… not just finance your lifestyle.

If this hits home, comment “BUILD” 👇

05/05/2026