Saturday, August 29, 2015

Welding Stuff


TIG welding on stainless pipe. Beautiful weave pattern and the heat colors make it even prettier. More photos and a short video of the "industrial worker" walking the cup here.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, school started this week. I've got a morning class and as I usually do, I cover the syllabus, equipment required, goals and objectives - all the usual  first day of class stuff - and then we take a walk around the shop. I shown them where the fire extinguishers are, the equipment they'll be using and then we talk a little safety. I've got them all in a circle around one of the welding machines and I put a couple of welding rod stubs on the floor to show them how they can act like rollers and have your feet go out from under you. About the time I bend over to pick the stubs up off the floor one of the students passes out, hits his head on the welder and then does a face plant on the floor. They hauled him out in the ambulance with a gash on his head and a chipped tooth. Then to make matters worse, one of the other students starts to black out - seems he gets that way at the sight of blood. Great way to start the new semester. Other than that, it looks like I've got a good bunch of students in both of my classes. I've got several guys who are ex-military - they always make good students. I've also got a couple of young ladies and they usually can weld rings around the guys if they put their minds to it.

I got a bunch of things done around the shack this week, took the Missus to one of the many doctors she sees, cleaned the little clown car out and took it in for service, worked a bit on the shop and got a little more done on the 900. Pretty good week in spite of the kid taking the dive the first day of classes.  

4 comments:

Frankie Flood said...

I hate those teaching moments like what you described. I had a similar thing happen when I first started teaching and was doing a safety tour around the woodshop. Luckily the student was fine and didn't hit anything, but she was pretty shaken up. Another scare was a student who passed out during a critique due to a diabetic condition. It always scares me and there is no amount of experience that would change that.

Here's to hoping that things go smoothly the rest of the semester for both of us.

Also, best wishes on you're wife's medical reports. Know that you're both in our thoughts and prayers.

Shop Teacher Bob said...

It's always bad when something like that happens. It's even worse when the first responder is a weldor. I told my boss when I hired in I'd give him three years. I'm starting on year four. Maybe that was a sign that I should hang it up at the end of the school year in May. Forty years of teaching should be enough in anyone's book.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. She looks better and most of her physical ailments seem to be a reaction to the chemo, so I'm thinking we're going to get a good report. We'll find out in about a week and a half.

Traveling Pirate said...

What a hell of a first day!

Shop Teacher Bob said...

Yep. That's one for the career highlight reel.

We need to get together one of these days and talk over some travel plans. I need to know if I should keep working or not.