ummer is upon us but the usual bustle is muted this year, an inescapable new norm as the world adjusts to living through COVID-19. Those adhering to guidelines that are meant to prevent the spread of the virus are sheltering in place. As restrictions relax with time, the public will resume its usual activities. Amusement and public parks, zoos and other gathering venues sit empty as operations behind the scenes continue on in preparation for when visitors can return.

While some of the world stalls, fabricators like Petty’s Welding Co. continue at a steady pace. The two-man operation in Knoxville, Tennessee, is working on projects that will inspire as well as ensure the safety of animals and visitors at the Zoo Knoxville and Dollywood.

Petty’s Welding fabricates custom feeders, enclosures and artificial habitats for animals as well as decorative fixtures that serve other functional purposes. Dollywood projects vary from gates and hand rails to roller coaster repairs.

Andrew Petty is currently creating an expansive habitat out of steel and aluminum as part of the zoo’s 4-acre expansion project. A 17-ft.-tall steel tree will occupy the herpitarium, which houses amphibians and reptiles, the exception being sloths that will laze about at the top of the tree while crocodiles and tortoises bathe below.

Fabricating heavy angle irons to the right length would normally require Petty to manually notch and saw to length. After looking at various notching options, Petty purchased a Scotchman 50514-EC table that allows him to shear angles as well as notch, shear plate, cope and punch.

“You can switch back and forth,” Petty says. “Scotchman also made us a custom die set to fabricate the heavy stair steps we create out of 1/2-in.-thick plate. It bolts on in under 60 seconds and it transforms into a press brake. Scotchman customized the machine to meet our needs.”

Scotchman has evolved since it opened for business in 1967 in Philip, South Dakota, but it remains an American-made machine manufacturer. The 50514-EC component tool table design increases the ironworker’s different tooling options that can be switched in and out easily.

“With our tool table design, our end users can customize and add the functions or features they need when they need them, allowing the machine to adapt to users’ individual needs,” says Scotchman President Jerry Kroetch.

Unlike other machines that require optional tools be fastened in the punch station, the tool table on Scotchman ironworkers can be built to incorporate all functions a user needs in one setup. Tooling options include press brakes, channel shears, rod shears, tube shears, pipe notchers, V-notcher and picket tool. “A full-time custom tooling department makes these options nearly endless,” adds Kroetch.

Petty’s machine is capable of six different functions. “We change some bolts and we’re off doing a completely different task,” Petty says. “And it doesn’t take up much more space than a welding machine.”

In seconds, Petty can achieve a 90-degree fish mouth on a piece of pipe, a handy feature for a recent job. “We were able to come in from the construction site and cope the pipes we needed within minutes,” Petty says. “I’ve paid for my Scotchman with coping jobs alone. What would have taken three times as long with a saw and notching tool combination works instantly using the hydraulics on the Scotchman.”

Before, Petty’s team had to drill and magnetically drill plates and channels but now the material is punched. Instead of five to six minutes to cope, that time is whittled down to 10 seconds. It takes two seconds to punch 1/2-in. holes in 3/8-in.-thick plate compared to minutes. Overall, “it cuts hours off of jobs,” Petty adds.

Petty can now punch heavy-duty base plates and channel connections. “We can work on the thicker materials when we need to,” Petty says.

The capacity to cut 1/4- by 14 -in.-thick flat bar gives Petty Welding more flexibility. “We can cut flimsy flat bar by running it through the shear and popping the cuts. For one project alone, we were able to make 300 shear cuts in a matter of hours for Dollywood,” he says. “We’d mash down on the pedal and it was done compared to the loading and unloading and cutting on a regular bandsaw.”