OUR INSTRUCTORS

RUSTY OLIVER

Owner & “Chief Executive Lunatic” of the HazardFactory. Rusty invents, experiments, and produces events. He often collaborates with local authors, engineers and scientists to produce new work. He is currently helping develop technology for competitors in the battle bots show and fooling around with plasma, hydrogen and high voltage as time permits.

Rusty has produced the Power Tool Drag Races in Georgetown for the past 12 years. He invented a sport, Flaming Tether-ball, which he debuted over a decade ago. Rusty also designed and built “Smash Putt” which was then stolen from him.

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Rusty is an artist and instructor with twenty years of professional welding experience. He has carried certification for Structural Unlimited welding.  Rusty welds and works every conventional material and has taught casting, machining, black-smithing, electronic, robotic and foundry-work. Rusty has developed and delivered federally funded curriculum. He has taught tens of thousands of students. His students recommend him for his ability to make technical subjects accessible and fun. Rusty has instructed at the Coyote School students, Pratt Fine Arts Center, and South Seattle Community College and his own fully equipped 3000 sq ft sculptural metalworking facility, Hazard Factory.

MCKENZIE SMITH

An outstanding instructor at HazardFactory, McKenzie started welding back in 2003, her Sophomore year in high school. She instantly fell in love with welding and became a teachers assistant right away. Mckenzie taught three classes a day for six years at Fort Vancouver High School.

Her junior year in high school she had the opportunity to take a “Running Start” class at Clark College. After she graduated she began taking a class called “IBEST Welding” at Clark College which she completed back in 2010. Mckenzie has learned how to MIG weld, Flux Core weld, ARC weld, Oxy weld, and is brushing up on her TIG welding skills to date.

She enjoys teaching others her passion and trade! Mckenzie has been working for Rusty since 2014 at Hazard Factory as a welding instructor.