When Did You Learn How to Weld?
Friday, May 29th, 2009What is the youngest age at which you think that someone could begin learning how to weld? 13? 14?
How about 8?
I remember being 8, and I don’t think I could have held a lit torch on my own, even if my parents would have let me.
So that begs the question: How did he do it?
The he that I’m referring to is a one Andre Dusek of River Falls, Wisconsin. He started welding, that’s right folks, at the tender age of eight, and now, two years later, at the ripe-old age of ten, he’s begun selling his own welded art creations.
Young scavenger converts trash into works of art
Debbie Griffin River Falls Journal
Published Friday, May 15, 2009
Ten-year-old Andre Dusek enjoys dumpster diving in the town of Troy scrap-metal receptacle.
He said about the attendant, “He knows me so well now he lets me in even when it’s closed.”
Andre drags assorted parts out of the dumpster to make into artwork. A muffler here, a brake disc there, long chains, small metal rods, assorted-sized springs and other parts.
He totes his tools along and sometimes disassembles to get at the desired part.
As time allows, the youngster goes to — literally — his loft in the garage to create original works. Under his dad’s instruction, he began welding at age 8 and materializing his artistic visions.
Sometimes his mom, Nita, takes him to the dumpster. Other times he’s pulled a red wagon, ridden a bike, or hopped on his scooter to go.
Nita says the junk sitting around everywhere was cluttering the garage and especially dad’s workbench. She wanted to clear space and dad wanted his workbench back.
Especially after their artist son created and sold 15 pieces and people began making requests, they knew they needed a plan.
People throughout the country are looking for jobs and new avenues of career exploration. Many professions, such as commercial arts, are becoming highly competitive, with a shortage of jobs and a multitude of applicants. But there is hope. With the down-turning economy, projections of AWS surveys, and rapid retirement of US welders, it’s clear that there is a definite need for new welders for both the present and future. San Diego’s Continuing Education, a vocational school in the San Diego Community College District is offering an exciting new welding program as well as a newly updated welding facility.
Weather – From daytime highs in the mid 60’s (20.0C) to vicious cold near 27 (-2.2C) degrees in the dark of night!
I had raced motorcycles in TT, flatrack, scrambles, and Gran Prix events like Hopetown and Barstow-to-Vegas but, that was a long time ago and I was not prepared for the events that unfolded. First off, I was shocked at how many completely buffed-out people had signed up for this event– men and women who take this stuff seriously. I had to train, Unlike my dirtbike I couldn’t just bolt on a new pipe or add some nitro if I wanted to go faster. I had to completely modify my diet, that meant no more In-n-Out Burgers! Instead of nitro in the tank, I found myself mixing different kinds of chemicals—fuel for my body. This is how it went down; A special drink one hour before, followed by another 15, and 5 minutes before I started my ride. Once racing it continued, 15 and 45 minutes into the ride, then immediately after my stint I mixed a “recovery” drink and ate some pasta. The rest of the time was spent trying to catch a few hours sleep and working on my bike and gear. I repeated the process four more times in the 24 hour event. I hope I never see another package of GU energy! Not even the Cappuccino blast sounds good now.
