Hello pipewelder_1999,
What a great piece of writing. And all the follow-up threads. Very enjoyable reading.
I fell in love with this Profession when I met an old man, Hank, who had a small welding shop (garage) that I always walked past when I played baseball at the age of 15. One day, I stop in and was awed with the piles of assorted steel, machinery, and that smell, that lingered in the air was just like the cigar smell at the old ballparks. I found myself spending more time there eating up everything he was saying and doing. This man was a true blacksmith, that took me in and taught me everything he knew.
I can relate to your peaceful feelings when the hood comes down. Hank would talk constantly, but I noticed that he didn't say a word when he was burning rod after rod. Then he would step back, and always blurt out, "Damn, that's a good weld". It wasn't until Hank let me try my hand at welding some scrap pieces, that I felt the peacefulness and everything was just gone for that moment.
I spent most of my idle time with him for the next 3 years, never asking for a dime in return (but he always had a cold soda pop, 16oz. RC, waiting for me). One day my dad stopped over and they talked for what seemed like hours, because I was doing some of the cutting, fitting, grinding, and welding for Hank. Hank told my dad I was ready to take on some jobs, that required a truck and welding equipment, that he always turned down. That was my beginning of my mobile welding services. Other than my 4 year stretch in the service, some slow times in the 70's and the mid 80's, did I venture off to working in a fab shop environment to make ends meet. I've bought two other service trucks since then and racked up over 550,000+ miles, on my 4th generators, and probably burned more than a ton of rods.
I still, to this day, have the quiet, peaceful feeling everytime the hood (aka: Auto-Darkening Lens Helmet) comes down and I step back and blurt out, "Damn, that's a good weld". But, there is one big difference since I started in the 60's, I can't find anyone that's enthusiastic and wants to learn the art of welding. I feel it's my turn to be the old man Hank was.