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Oscar Santana
On Jan. 10, I started my ag mechanics projects for the 2024 North East Texas Livestock Association show at the Sulphur Springs civic center. My projects were 16-inch free-standing panels and a skid steer attachment for a tractor.
The building process for the free-standing panels involved a lot of physical and mental work. The project was constructed of 2⅜ inch pipe; it was cut at 16 feet, and the 5 middle braces were cut at 42⅜ inches. The spaces for the legs were cut and saddled at 2 inches and the legs were cut at 4 inches. We used cattle panels for the middle. The welding process was easy since I had my buddy Parker to help me out. We used a mig welder, and we used a stick welder, too. We used a 6013 rod as a filler, due to the gaps on the pipe, and a 7018 ⅛ rod for the cap pass. We capped the ends on the legs to prevent mud and water from getting in them and to help prevent the pipes from getting too rusted out on the inside. The painting process for the free standing panels incorporated rustoleum flat black. We used paint brushes for the pipe and a spray gun for the panels. The panels were painted with the help of my girlfriend, Constance, and my buddies, Parker and Jack.
The skid steer attachment was a much easier build, since it was built out of channels and angle iron and a steel plate. The welding process was much easier on this one since it only needed one pass for each weld because the material was much thicker and we used a 7018 ⅛ rod. For the steel plate, we had to do multiple passes since it had to be stronger because it was the main part for the attachment. For the painting process my friends, Jack and B-Bo, and I used a spray gun with a flat black paint.
Then, the day of the show came. I was so nervous, but my ag teacher Mr. Walker Wharton kept reassuring me that I would do great. Our project was the first to show. We started off by introducing ourselves to the judges. I explained what type of material we used and the cost of it. Parker explained the welding process and how it was built. Constance explained the painting process, what type of paint we used, and how much it cost. Our project won second for the category gates and panels.
The skid steer attachment was shown by Jack Jackson and B-Bo Self; they explained what material it was made out of and the cost of it and the building process, as well the painting process. They won fifth place for showing in the category tractor attachments.
Overall, the NETLA show was a fun experience, and I cannot wait to do it again next year for the last time, since it will be my senior year.