EVL Arc Custom Welding
EVL Arc Custom Welding
A passion for welding sparks creativity in Ellicottville artist
photo / @goodewelds
Adept at painting, drawing, graphic design, and so much more, for artist and Ellicottville native Sara Goode, it’s welding that sparks her creativity! This passion, which grew out of a class she took in Arizona, has since led Goode to build her own business, Ellicottville Arc Custom Welding, where she makes furniture, performs repairs, and creates works of art.
Upon graduating from Ellicottville Central School, Goode began studying graphic design in Buffalo. “It just didn’t feel right,” she recalled. “I desired a more satisfying life where I was truly happy.” She left to pursue new opportunities along the west coast, calling several states “home” along the way, including Arizona, Colorado, Montana and Oregon. She worked many different odd jobs throughout her travels, but “the only thing that really remained consistent was my love for art and creating things,” she explained.
While traveling in Arizona, she decided to try a creative welding class. “I’d never done that before,” Goode explained. “It never crossed my mind. I tried it and created a sculpture. After that two-hour class, I was just completely enamored - that feeling people get when they meet ‘the one.’ My true love!”
From that point on, Goode knew that welding was a skill she wanted to not only learn, but master. She traveled north to Oregon, where she enrolled in Webber & Walpole Nondestructive Testing Welding School. There, she learned and performed all kinds of welding and earned her certifications. Goode had one female welding instructor, and she was one of only two women enrolled in the school.
Just a couple of weeks after graduation, Goode got her first welding job at Myers Fabrication making hydraulic engines and engine parts. She said, “It was cool because I acquired a lot of knowledge fabricating and repairing. I really blossomed, and my techniques progressed immensely. I really got to know the trade, rather than the art side.”
There, Goode was the only female welder. “It was a little intimidating,” she recalled. “There were a lot of older guys who had been doing this for years. I was nervous, but I kicked butt there, and I learned a lot from them! They didn’t treat me very differently at all.”
Goode returned to Ellicottville a year and a half ago, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking of her return, Goode said, “I really, really wanted to expand and I really wanted to focus on doing my art. Instead of just doing one thing or the same thing that a company wants me to do, I want to do it all!”
While far from ideal, the pandemic provided her with time to lay the groundwork for Ellicottville Arc Custom Welding, which is located at 6550 Route 219 Unit J in Ellicottville. “After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, I finally got to open my welding shop,” said Goode. “It’s still very new, but the business has been doing well. I’m working on creating a lot of new things that I hope to offer to the public in time.”
Having worked for companies making everything from hydraulic engines to mass-produced furniture, Goode has acquired experience in many areas of welding. “I love making artsy things with scrap metal,” Goode said of her creative work. “Right now, I make sculptures, ornamental things, bird baths, door bells, fire pits, you name it! I’ve been really getting into abstract furniture lately, like tables and funky chairs.”
What really keeps Goode in business are the custom-fabricated parts and repairs. “I do trailer flanges and repairs, plus a lot of repairs on trucks, boats, grill frames, ATVs, and tractor parts. I genuinely enjoy doing the repairs! It’s nice to be able to do that from the knowledge from my previous employment. It’s a great feeling to be able to restore something, especially if it’s sentimental to someone.”
Goode noted that it’s very unusual to encounter many women in the welding community, but this hasn’t stopped her and many other women from pursuing careers in traditionally male-dominated fields. One of her plans is to teach creative classes where her goal is to give people an understanding of welding and share her love for it. “I want to give confidence to any young woman who wants to do it, too,” she added. “Sometimes there’s this idea of ‘I’m not strong enough,’ or ‘I’m intimidated.’ It doesn’t matter how strong you are. If you really want to do it, you can!”
Ellicottville Arc Custom Welding will have a booth at Ellicottville’s Fall Festival this year, and Goode also hopes to partner with area businesses who may be interested in carrying her work. “I’d like to collaborate with other artists, carpenters or stone workers, too. It would be really cool to create things together. I’m really hoping to find a group like that! I love creating with other people. It’s an amazing experience!”
Right now, Goode’s website is under construction, but those who would like to contact her for repairs or custom work can reach her by phone at 716-599-0064 or stop by her shop at 6550 Route 219 Unit J in Ellicottville. “If I’m not there, it’s because I’m on a job,” Goode advised,” but please feel free to call!”