Q:What is a welder's favorite type of music?

A:

Heavy Metal.

I have never welded. I never even imagined I could fuse two pieces of metal together in any lifetime. I think the only type of exposure I had of a woman welding was the movie "Flashdance". She was an exotic dancer by night, and a union worker welding by day. I can't say the movie left a lasting impression for me, but I'm not really here to rate 80's movies.

But how empowering is it to hold a torch? It's pretty cool. As a child, I struggled with some serious dyslexia and learning how to weld was something I never thought I could do. Let alone welding a motorcycle together! However, as I’ve grown up I’ve learned ways to get around the dyslexia. I find that if I break something down and almost "regurgitate" it into some easier form of understanding, I can really “get it”.

The other night I held a TIG torch for the first time. How lucky am I to be taught by someone who really knows what they’re doing? Ben has been a welder for over 20 years. He showed me the basics of welding using the MIG and TIG and made it really easy to understand. Once I got the hang of it I couldn’t put the torch down. I wanted to keep going.

I first practiced the TIG just fusing little beads on a piece of stainless. No filler rod. I could see rainbows of color and learned how to control the heat with my foot. Ben then showed me how to add the filler rod. I tigged regular steel and even aluminum. I learned how each metal reacts totally different from one another.

He says practice makes perfect. Shaky hands, pressure on the foot pedal, tungsten and metal rods. It's pretty cool. I plan on cutting my frame, but not yet… I need much more practice.

A few of you know that my mom passed away from cancer 6 months ago. Just another reason, if not the main, to chase after happy moments in life. I've decided to practice welding skills with making mom a marker for her grave. Onward! Stepping stones for now...

MUNDY BUILDS A CHOPPER.