[Shop-talk] Welding Class Project Suggestions

[Mark J Bradakis]

This is just a story I am sure I've told before many times, but the experience has stuck with me.

Many years ago when I was at the U of U a couple of the profs and myself enrolled in an evening
auto body repair course at a local high school. First night's class was in a classroom and consisted
of covering shop safety, outline of the course, blah blah blah.

The old fellow who was teaching sat up there and read from notes in such a dull monotone for what
seemed like hours and hours.  The profs and I kind of looked at each other with a "what have we done?"
look. Mercifully the lecture finally concluded, and he asked "Any questions?"

My friend Gary had brought in a fender from his Model A truck project. He asked the instructor to
take a look.

I have never in my life seen a human being transformed in such a short time. When the "boring old fart"
got his hands on that piece of metal he was a completely different person. Excited and animated, he pointed
out where previous work on the metal had work hardened this area, resulting in some incipient cracks at
the edge, he pointed out some warpage over here and so on. I almost expected him to provide the mileage of
the truck and the original paint color codes.  

Never in my life will I be able to look at a piece of metal with that master's wisdom and experience.
It was amazing.

mjb.