Welding for Science!

[Handy Don 12,233]

14 minutes ago, The Freightliner Guy said:

i cant believe it im almost 14  and i cant even weld and ryle is im guessing maybe 12 or so im getting showed up by a GIRL!!! lol   Tell her that Kollin said nice work

Didn’t learn to weld until I was in my 60’s!

[Pullstart 62,905]

24 minutes ago, The Freightliner Guy said:

i cant believe it im almost 14  and i cant even weld and ryle is im guessing maybe 12 or so im getting showed up by a GIRL!!! lol   Tell her that Kollin said nice work

She turned 13 around Halloween.  She experienced welding when she was 10 or 11, but her size made it difficult to hold the MIG gun well.  Now, she’s big enough to do it well.  This isn’t a woke statement, but I believe that girls can do anything boys can, if they put their mind to it.  My FIL says most of the female welders in his fab shop are better than the boys, they have better control and steady hands, along with a sense of pride that comes from a mainly male dominant industry.  

Edited February 10, 2023 by Pullstart

[Handy Don 12,233]

3 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

...size made it difficult to hold the MIG gun well.  Now, she’s big enough to do it well.  This isn’t a whole statement, but I believe that girls can do anything boys can, if they put their mind to it.  My FIL says most of the female welders in his fab shop are better than the boys, they have better control and steady hands, along with a sense of pride that comes from a mainly male dominant industry.  

Good answer. 

Best suggestion i can offer is to aim for collaboration not competition.

[CCW 1,295]

BTW @Pullstart.  Great job to you both on a great team project.

[The Freightliner Guy 1,327]

12 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

She turned 13 around Halloween.  She experienced welding when she was 10 or 11, but her size made it difficult to hold the MIG gun well.  Now, she’s big enough to do it well.  This isn’t a whole statement, but I believe that girls can do anything boys can, if they put their mind to it.  My FIL says most of the female welders in his fab shop are better than the boys, they have better control and steady hands, along with a sense of pride that comes from a mainly male dominant industry.  

i can 100% believe that they do a better job I've witnessed it before from irl to on YouTube. and my aunt when she was working on stuff and as a little kid she always helped around the shop helping fix while her family would give her crap about how since she's a girl she didn't know anything or should be around this stuff but her family realized how helpful she was and how she could know whats wrong when everyone else was confused. so i agree they can do anything we can do if not better  

Kollin

Edited February 10, 2023 by The Freightliner Guy

[ri702bill 8,327]

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Good answer. 

Best suggestion i can offer is to aim for collaboration not competition.

Back in the 80's I took an Adult Machine Technology course for a year at night offered by the local Vo-Tech. We had 2 women in the class of 24 - their math and problem solving skills were superior to most of the guys there ( a lot were just squandering Uncle Sam's coin on the GI Bill - sorry IF that hits a sore spot on some....) they showed up prepared, not hung over...

[953 nut 55,281]

@The Freightliner Guy  i cant believe it im almost 14  and i cant even weld. You never know when an opportunity will come your way.

I had the good fortune to be mentored by the owner of a metal fabrication shop when I was 14. His shop was about a half mile up the road and he had seen me out in the barn working on a '31 Chrysler I was attempting to install a '53 Chrysler Hemi. He stopped by to check on it one day and told me I had good intentions but it was never going to last being bolted together with 1/4"-20s. The only power tool I owned was a 1/4" drill motor.

Long story short he called my parents that evening and offered to let me help out in his fab. shop on Saturdays. I was too young to get a work permit but could learn a lot and he figured I would be helpful to have around. When he got finished with the day's work we would take some scrap pieces of steel and he began teaching me to weld.

Over the next few months my ability with arc welding improved and he let me use the MIG welder too, wow, what a game changer. He would find some scrap with holes drilled in it and have me fill the holes using 6011. What I didn't know at first was the he was changing the setting on the welder before I started and I had to figure out what amperage was going to work best. Within a few months he had me running overhead beads and and figuring out how to run a bead where you couldn't see the joint.

Then came the payoff. He was repairing a tow truck and when he finished it he went down to my house and towed the '31 to his shop. We began prepping it for motor mounts and fabricated a cross member with very sturdy motor mounts and a removable transmission mount. Wow, that was a big day for me. Being fifteen I didn't have the finances to complete the '31 but did change out the rear end and we fabricated a drive shaft, got it running and drove it in the fields a bit, no brakes, loose steering but at 15 those are unimportant. Once I turned 16 and got a driver's license I worked in a gas station week nights and continued working Saturdays at the fab shop but now I was getting paid and working on customer equipment. 

 

[davem1111 2,030]

Kevin, I'm sure you are very proud of her, and you are building wonderful memories for both of you.  Priceless.

 

I think I may have shared this with some here, but I apologize if I'm repeating myself. 

 

My oldest daughter who is now 33 is a mechanic and restoration specialist apprentice at a shop in PA that works on classic Aston Martins. She has been there 2-3 years now I think, and loves it. Some of the cars she works on are worth over $1 million. They have been teaching her a bit of everything:  basic mechanics, welding, fabbing, bodywork, wiring, etc.  

 

Funny how she got the job - she has a 2006 or 7 Mini Cooper, and had been doing a variety of "light" work on it. The manual transmission started acting up, and she asked me if I thought she should try rebuilding it herself - I said "sure!".  I was in town to help her remove it, then she took it in her basement for the rebuild. She took her time and did it right, very meticulously. She had someone else to help her re-install it. Worked great.

 

She was attending some Mini Cooper road rallies/meetups and started chatting with a guy there about doing the repairs, and he asked her if she'd like a job. She had been working as a DJ but wasn't elated with that career choice, so she went for it. 

 

She made me this as a gift, welded out of scrap aluminum. She said her welds "weren't too bad", but she was still learning.  I say, it's awesome.

 

 

As you can probably tell, I am very proud of her, and actually a bit envious... When she was young and still at home, I was often working on a car or computer, and she would watch and ask questions. I think she built her first working PC from parts I had lying around, at around age 10 or 12.  She was very excited to see it boot up for the first time.

 

Never underestimate what anyone, male or female, can do if they have the desire and are given the opportunity.  And also, don't put yourself down because you can't do what someone else can do ( @The Freightliner Guy )- life is not a contest. If you really want to learn, look for opportunities and go after it! 

 

 

[19richie66 17,508]

Great job Rylee!! That is one thing if I could go back in time I would have learned….. tig welding, especially aluminum.   I love welding and fabrication even though as just a hobbyist. I got my son to take interest in welding and he ran with it. Got to go to two competitions with him. He took first in Regional and then got second in state. I have been in awe ever since he grabbed a hold of it. Definitely proud of him. Now he is working at a major power plant as a maintenance worker/ welder. Every day is a learning experience and every experience creates a memory. 

[CCW 1,295]

13 hours ago, davem1111 said:

  And also, don't put yourself down because you can't do what someone else can do.... life is not a contest. If you really want to learn, look for opportunities and go after it! 

 

 

 

@The Freightliner Guy  Just this morning a memory came back from when I was in the 7th grade (13?).  We had to take some form of aptitude test and the part that was seeing shapes and designs I breezed through it.  The portion that was more academic (reading and writing) I did well enough, but not like many other students.  Somewhere within me I always harbored a feeling that I was not quite as smart.  Having an older brother who was all honors and became a lawyer only seemed to reinforce it.  Today I look back and realize that this was definitely not the case.  My smarts where on the practical side.  At 15 I started working maintenance and did that as a summer job and part time in college to become a tech ed teacher.  For years I have done my own maintenance on our home (not cars, I hate working on them) and my brothers call me when they are in a pickle.

 

BTW - My first day working maintenance at 15 the boss handed me a broom.  I was not happy, but it is part of the job.  So if you get stuck with a broom or a shovel sing your heart out for you are taking the first steps. Today I'm 69 and wish I could tell my 15 year old self how smart you really are.  

 

Also BTW - Learn to read and write well.  Those skills will help you forever.

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by CCW

[953 nut 55,281]

7 hours ago, CCW said:

Learn to read and write well.  Those skills will help you forever.

A good well rounded education (formal or not) will open doors for you in the future. During my working life I was selected for positions I was technical unqualified for based on my experience and ability to communicate. Though I only have an Associates (two year) Degree I have held positions that required a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree. What you learn today may not seem relevant to your goals but once learned nobody can take your education away from you. Keep an open mind, remain inquisitive and take advantage of every learning opportunity that comes your way. 

Kollin, @The Freightliner Guy and many of our other youth members are very impressive communicators. They use proper grammar and punctuation and ask questions or offer information in a very adult manner. If we didn't know their age it would be difficult to distinguish their posts from any others.