Lump sentiMETAL moment

with Timothea

In keeping with our holiday spirit, this week on the Lump blog I am sharing another sentiMETAL moment. Before Christmas we asked the Lumpians to tell us where their relationships with metal first began and this week it's my turn, it's all about me!

Like some of the other guys, my dad was often welding in the garage. The smell of burning steel and electrode fumes was infectious and the urge to look directly at the welding flash was sometimes completely undeniable. But my first attempt at metal work was at High School. Mrs Danger was my teacher, and if you have ever been taught by Mrs Danger you would remember her as not so dangerous, but a little eccentric with the uncanny ability to say the word "right" at the end of every sentence. High School metal work was the first time I ever used a pair of tin snips, soldering iron or blow torch. It was also the time I learnt that if you don't tie your hair up while using the drill press you might very well be scalped. Eww. But my first real experience working with metal was with our Lead Hand Welder Dale. You see, Dale and I went to the same High School. In fact he was one of my sisters best mates. By the time I was in year 12 Dale was working in a non ferrous foundry (that is a foundry which only cast metals which were non ferrous i.e. no iron) and he taught me how to do Sand Casting. Dale helped me to cast a small scale aluminium figure of a lady which I used as the final piece for one of my major School assignments. And this, is where my relationship with metal first began.

Me, images courtesy of Little Red Photography

Most sentiMETAL welding moment