Welding Class #1
Last night was the first meeting of my MIG welding class, which continues through Thursday. I had a great time making my first welds and within an hour it seemed pretty natural to me. My friend Bill and I decided to enroll in the same class, so we’re learning together and will soon (dramatic pause) WELD THE UNIVERSE! Or at least the parts of it that can be welded by a couple of boneheads. Bill has the unfair advantage of (1) having welded once before and (2) actually having artistic skill and training – talents of which I am thoroughly unburdoned. Nevertheless, arcs are flying.
I’ve wanted to learn how to MIG weld for a long time, largely because I have ideas for projects around the house or yard, and in order to address them I need this skill. I’m delighted that it’s relatively easy to learn the basics and that it’s considerably less dangerous than it sounds. Our final class will be focused on our “take home project” and I haven’t yet decided what I want to make. It would be wonderful to put something together that we could actually have on display but until I develop more skill my welds will be of the functional-but-unhandsome variety. Likely it will be a curious yard object, suitable for ivy to grow upon.
An ashtray! You need to make an ashtray!
That was exactly what my project was beginning to lean towards. I simply couldn’t get my smaller welds to look good and feared I’d wind up making an ashtray. Bill Cosby would be so proud.