Mobile welding rig for jobs that can't come to the shop. Farm equipment, fencing, structural repairs — we come to your location.
Our Work
Over 40 years of welds, fabrication, and repair — a few examples from the shop and the field.
More photos coming soon
About West Gardiner Welding
Veteran owned and operated since 1994. Dave Raftus — a U.S. Navy Machinist Mate turned career welder — has been putting torch to metal across central Maine for over three decades.
Before founding West Gardiner Welding, Dave trained at the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology and earned his AWS Section IX certification. He spent twenty years with UA Local 716 as a pipefitter and welder — nuclear plant work, industrial boilers, safety supervision — including the boiler install at Togus and a Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear certification. That work built the shop you see today.
Now, whether it's a structural repair on a piece of farm equipment, a custom railing for your front steps, or a full fabrication job from raw stock — the work gets done right the first time. No shortcuts, no upsells. Just honest metalwork from a shop that's been here since before most of the big-box stores showed up.
Based at 47 Adams Lane, West Gardiner, ME 04345. Call ahead.
★ U.S. Navy Veteran
AWS Section IX
Nuclear Cert — TVA
OSHA 30
UA Local 716 · 20 yrs
Hobart Institute
“Thanks for coming out!”
— Dave Raftus, to every helper on every job
From the Bench
Recent jobs out of the shop — the kind of work we do, in Dave's own words.
“Currently building up a ladder rack to legit heavy-duty specs for mid-sized pickups. Not your online ‘sturdy triangular design’ units, which ship for less than the cost of materials. Real steel, real welds, real gussets.”
“Been playing with some rocket stove designs and builds. Likely have a ‘twigs or pellets’ variation ready for purchase before fall. Modular modifications for pot heating and water jackets coming soon.”
“It's okay to fail… sometimes we all need to reset. Not all things should be fixed. Knowing when to back down from a project is key. I began working on a deadlined trailer in February 2026. This unit looked okay at first, but the more I ground in to prepare the material for improvements, the more the true condition of the frame was exposed. It takes skill and history to intuitively guess whether a part will fail under decades of unknown maintenance and exposure to the elements. Or it takes a disaster to confirm it.”
— Dave Raftus
Know Your Hammers
A public service announcement from the shop: a framing hammer and a ball-peen hammer are not interchangeable. Dave has opinions about this.
Framing hammer on metal leaves marks you can't un-see. Use the right tool.
“Also it's barbaric to use a framing hammer on metal!”
— Dave Raftus
Let's Talk About Your Project
No forms, no fuss. Call, text, or email — we'll get back to you quick.
