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Welder. I make the sparky sparky hot and sticky with the metals.
I taught myself to weld (poorly, of course) but I love the satisfaction of joining two pieces of metal well, and getting in the zone and laying down a clean bead to be proud of.
I often wondered but don't know any welders to ask personally... Does doing it professionally take the fun out of it?
Nah. That's why I do it professionally. The only shit bit is that the longer you're in, the less you weld. When I started I had solid weeks of nothing but burning rod and shooting shit. Now it's all about fitup and tolerance and horseshit with me lucky to weld a couple hours one day a week. The actual satisfaction of putting down a nice bead and having the slag peel itself or oxidize just right never goes away.
What's your favorite process?
TIG. No cleanup when you do it right and it welds all the things. Dual shield Flux core is also nice because it's pretty much the same as stick but with the convenience of coming out of a squirt gun. Making smoke and sparks is half the fun but somebody gotta clean that shit up at the end of the day.
Do you worry about UV exposure from welding?
Do you worry about UV exposure from the sun?
You can block the vast majority of harmful welding radiation with a long sleeve tee shirt. Throw on some sunscreen if you're paranoid about it. I generally wear a lab coat and that's plenty.
If you want something to worry about, worry about gas exposure. You can't see it, generally can't smell it, and if you can feel it, you're probably already fucked. Argon asphyxiation is particularly insidious. Close ur eyes for a little snooze on the job and wake up to meet God.