There's a new training center in the Rochester area that's designed to help you "release your inner fire". Arc and Flame Center, located at 125 FedEx Way in Gates, is a facility specifically for welding, glasswork, and blacksmithing.

Executive director Mike Krupnicki opened the training center in Saturday. He's president of Mahany Welding Supply located next door. The welding program there has trained more than 3,000 people. He saw a need to do more.

"In some cases it might just be a way to express creativity and have a little fun and have a hobby, but in the case of welding there are careers out there available for people and we are preparing men and women both for well paying careers in welding," said Krupnicki. "Nationwide there is shortage of about a quarter of a million welders."

Arc and Flame has a kiln shop, metal shop and flame shop. It is open for beginners to professionals to get creative. You can hammer it out in the blacksmith area, weld in the 16 station welding area and blow and mold glass in the flame working studio.

Candace Martens has been blacksmithing for five years. She is now president of the NYS Designer Blacksmiths.

"A lot of people, especially in my association; it is a creative outlet and something very satisfying to make something out of metal because it is so permanent," said Martens. "This allows us to open the experience to so many different people."

"We looked high and low for places in Western New York that do all this and there isn't anything. On the East Coast we haven't found any place that has all three of these crafts under one roof," said Krupnicki.

Arc and Flame Center