Welding Workshop -az

My father once suggested I should get into welding and in a burst of nostalgia, I agreed to take a MIG welding workshop when Karin invited me.

After being given a thorough explanation of safety, the tools, and the process of welding, Karin and I set to work. We were supposed to make a critter but when faced with an array of materials, I decided to make a heart instead.  My mind went blank when I was picking out materials. Fortunately Terrence, our instructor, was helpful in this department. I cut, bent, & joined the bars with a weld to make the heart shape, and then added the chains with more welds.

Andrea's metal heart.

Welding is fun but it requires practice. The auto-darkening helmets surprise you when you are welding because they go dark the second you start welding and and briefly you cannot see what you are doing. They adjust accordingly but that doesn't mean you have. Because for that moment I couldn’t see, every time I thought I had a good weld, I didn’t.

I have two welds- the dark grey spots-  where I should have one.

Karin is more familiar with welding so nothing fazed her. She picked out materials with her usual enthusiasm and got to work. When she chose an unusual garden implement, Terrence made the observation that her work looked like a parrot fish, which it did although I don’t think that was her original intention.

Karin's creation. 

We finished our projects early so we were lucky to get a demonstration of, and a chance to try a plasma cutter. You can almost draw with a plasma cutter (and cut through ½” of steel), which is pretty cool.

Andrea's plasma cut heart. Karin did a moon. 

So as long I don’t need to weld a bridge, I am not a threat to society. Although, Karin and I are considering world domination with a plasma cutter.

One of the windows on the Stonybrook Fine Arts Building.

Our class was held at the StonybrookFinearts studio. Our instructor was Terrence Wong who is an excellent teacher, could not have been more patient, and to whom we give our many thanks.  

Unicorn in the parking lot of the Stonybrook Fine Arts Building.