Clover Field Services LLC

03/16/2026

Spending today remembering a project from 2018. We provided coatings inspection services for the historic 125th Street Station in NYC. This project had a few hurdles to work through, but in the end, the team got everything worked out.

The process of coating inspection monitors environmental conditions, surface cleanliness, mix and application, and the final product conditions, such as dry film thickness, coverage, and visual appearance.

Credit to the photographer
125th Street NYC Rail Station Viaduct – Ephemeral New York. (n.d.). Ephemeral New York. https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/125th-street-nyc-rail-station-viaduct/

03/01/2026

We spent the afternoon performing some calibrations in the lab.

This weekend, we had a Sonotest D-50 Ultrasound Machine and, as pictured, a few torque wrenches.

This wrench can apply 70-300 foot-pounds of torque. When it reaches the set range, there is a breakaway and a click sound. The trade name for this style of wrench is a clicker.

The photo shows the 150 ft/lb range being verified.

01/22/2026

We have had an interest in the cables we use for ultrasonic testing. Using our limited knowledge of electronics, we patched together this method for checking the cable.

We used a 50 ohm termination cap tied to the RG58 (50 ohm) cable, then a BNC-to-probe connector.

We have 50 ohms of resistance across the circuit.

Any “feedback” is appreciated.

01/12/2026

One of our side projects, our analog torque calibrator, moved on to greener pastures, so we added this digital unit to our calibration equipment collection.

We hope to have it fully operational by the end of February (procedures, software, etc.) But anticipate offering torque-wrench calibration testing up to 750 ft/lbs once we are done.

01/07/2026

Phase 3 Testing is underway. In this series, we are evaluating signal strength at known depths.

To create a separate dataset, we calibrated with an unadulterated gel but took readings with all blend types.

The next step is to perform the same series of tests, calibrating the equipment for each gel and blend type.

I thought this was only going to look at one couplant parameter, but here I am wondering if I can sneak a 4th phase into the work.

01/06/2026

Phase Two of the adulterated couplant work is in the books.

Shown is the 6.0-inch side of the DS Block on a 20.0-inch range. The 500-gram weight created consistent pressure from test to test. The second photo shows the 1.0-inch side of the IIW block. This was performed on a 2.5-inch range.

Up next, Phase Three, shear wave comparison of the SDH in the IIW block and AWS attenuation of a known indication.

12/30/2025

This project is about a year in the making. We are performing viscosity testing of adulterated ultrasonic couplant.

Pictured are the blends and ratios we came up with: Tap Water, Windshield Washer Fluid, Antifreeze, and RV Water Line Treatment. Each has a blend of 25% and 50%. We were able to obtain viscosity readings for each blend, but the couplant began structurally failing with each one.

Up next (2026) is physical and acoustic testing to determine whether there are any effects on sound transmission. The little bottles were created to have gel for future testing.

10/06/2025

We spent the day in the laboratory calibrating ultrasonic testing machines for a local client.

These machines are used to detect abnormalities in welds, allowing for non-destructive inspection of the part.

The term used in the industry is non-destructive testing, and ultrasonic testing makes up one of the methods we use at Clover Field.

Shown is the start and then midway through the evaluation.

09/13/2025

We spent the day finishing up the classroom. Being fiscally conservative (and currently short on funds), we took our time and made improvements as resources and time allowed.

We will post a video of the before in the comments.

This project started on December 11th, 2024. A total of 9 months and two days with zero debt. 🎉🎉🎉

07/20/2025

This past week, we provided classroom and hands-on training in Liquid Penetrant Testing for a laser welding facility.

The post we are sharing is from their page. It shows one of their welders using remote-monitored laser welding and viewing it on a big television screen.

https://www.facebook.com/share/16rbLvmkre/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/03/2025

We are on-site in Williamsport, PA, performing Quality Control of Sophisticated Coatings at a bridge manufacturer. As Clover Field likes to do (especially the day before a holiday break), we have ordered lunch for the shop employees we worked with all week.

Sure, it's just pizza, but we like to show our appreciation for each assignment we receive.

Have a great 4th of July holiday, everyone.

Our story began in the Spring of 1981 when Anthony Venieris struck out on an adventure with his daughter Kathy that would turn into a new job, new home and new life in Williamsport, PA. They left their lifelong home in Rochester, NY to open up a Pudgies Pizza franchise on Lycoming Creek Road. Anthon...

06/09/2025

We spent the day in the lab working with a new etchant to find details about welds. We tried 10g of Ammonium Percholate to 100 ml H2O. The first picture shows the process about halfway through the etch. We captured images of the etch, but they are on our microscope.

This etchant worked well for showing the dendrites but came out a little too grey for our liking. It shows promise, but the process needs tweaking, so we will continue to use Nitric Acid in Ethanol for now.

We also got time to install a permanent station for the digital microscope, temperature calibrator, and the anvil micrometer.

It is progress; the photo does not capture the time we have spent trying to get our macro etching to the next level.