In highschool, the trades were pushed secondary to academics. I originally went the academic route, but it didn't last long. I always had an interest in working with metal, but never really had the chance too. When my old man was managing the Jasper Tramway, I recall as a youngeon watching a tradesman torch cut something, I thought it was the coolest thing! Later on, I took an interest in historical fencing I suppose, and had an obsession with wanting to make hilts. It wasn't until after I learned to weld that I got hooked! While I no longer fence, it was one of the things that made me want to weld! I still have the latest practice rapier I hilted with an Angus Trim blade.
Here's the first incarnation, with the visor I built for my helmet!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/helmclean.jpgThis is the second version, before I gave it a larger (3/4" x 2" with about 1/4" bevelled corners) counterweight and wrapped the steel cored handle with a black leather cord.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/guardnew002.jpgThe most elaborate guard I built took a lot of plasma cutting, grinding and patience. Sadly, I no longer have it *sigh* I hope it found a good home! On this one, I didn't build the handle or counterweight.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/agearts002.jpgThis guard I made for a friend. The rings were bent in a vice, and it was all cleaned with a die grinder. That was fun, lol.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/43-21.jpgThis guard was also made for another friend, not the prettiest, but it did the job at the time. Sadly, we no longer get along. S'funny that...Regardless, it was my first experience with forming sheet metal.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/2-1.jpgThis was a later project, which I gave to a friend for a case of beer, lol. It was one of my first successful sheet metal projects! My god, I have a lot of pics on photobucket, lol! A lot of research pictures, ironically! I rolled the edge using a pair of vice grips as far as I could, then hammered it over a piece of railroad track before bending it to shape over my knee, which was fun!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/targa6001.jpghttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/targa6002.jpgMemory lane, lol.
Back in "C" level, I made this one, lol!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/mb_welder/1s.jpg stick welded, if you could call it that!
Back on topic, I flunked out of Art School at the OUC North Campus (Art History, literature, and pop culture mainly! The studio stuff was great, except for the models...) and went into welding school at the OUC South Campus, which is now the Okanagan College.
Honestly? The trade has been uphill all the way, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop. Everytime I've left a place, the wage has gone up. I've learned a lot, and that's what keeps me going. I want to go as far as I can. Name a trade that in some form doesn't involve something made out of metal? *shrugs*
I don't miss welding truck parts for 12.80 an hour though! It was a fresh start out of trade school, I suppose! The wage has doubled since then, but even 4 jobs later, I'm still looking for something better. Show me a political free work environment where everyone works towards a common goal without the petty preschool indescrepincies, and I'll show you how I can breathe under water for five minutes without an air tank! ;)
But then, I'm stubborn. Some say I have a sarcastic sense of humor, but don't quote me on that!
But on a more serious note, I went on a trip back home to Jasper, Alberta last week with the girlfriend and her daughter. There's a pipeline in construction going through the park (North American Pipeline Project) and while I was going down the highway, they were distracted by the scenery while I was more or less obsessed with the pipeline. The thing that got me was the organisation. They had the trail marked where it was going with markers, the surveyor trucks at the front loaded with quads, the excavators excavating where the markers were marked, the pipe layed on angles to where they were to be located, the sections to be welded held off the ground on dunnage, the welding gang, some sections were dug to lay the pipe into the ground, where other sections were welded in smaller sections prior to being attached to the main line, and farther down, they had those side lifting crane's for laying the pipe. It was cool to see, and I'd give anything to start on a pipeline as a helper. It really put things into perspective. *shrugs*