Page 287 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

REPAIR WORK: MACHINING AND WELDING
Peterson founder Howard Peterson was a skilled welder back in his late teens and 20s who took great pride in his craft. “Arc welding was still in its infancy when Howard started working for Le- Tourneau,” says Duane Sr., Howard’s grandson. “Riveting and braising were the common prac-
tices of the day. LeTourneau had a lot to do with the early development of arc welding.” One story tells of Howard and R.G. LeTourneau building a scraper together and running out of brass, the base material in braising. Undaunted, they went into R.G.’s house in Stockton and took all the brass curtain rods so they could meet their deadline . . . with a promise to Mrs. LeTourneau to replace the curtain rods when they were done.
Top, clockwise: SF-Oakland Bay Bridge repair job in 2009; Fieldmen Karl Sieber/L and John Kaszer work 100 feet above the water
CHAPTER 17 | 285