In early July I completed a six-week art class with the The Contemporary Austin Art School. The official title was “Working with Wood and Metal”, but it was more like “Here are the tools and how they work – build whatever you want”.
The studio for the class was mostly woodworking with some MIG welders in the corner (and a few more metalwork tools). Of course, woodworking tools take up a lot of space (e.g. industrial style table saws).
I took this class for the singular reason of learning how to use a welder so I could “level up” my builds. Asked what I use to put my pieces together, I reply “Screws, pop rivets, superglue and prayers, not necessarily in that order.”
Some projects I have just had to put aside because the connective methods mentioned above do not provide sufficient structural integrity. This is going to change.
I’m reasonably proud of what I’ve done with the limited resources available. I wouldn’t call my creative space a “studio” in any vague sense of the word – “cramped little work space surrounded by piles of kitty litter buckets full of stuff” is a more apt description. During the class, our instructor (a sculptor in metal) introduced the basic bench grinder as “good only for removing the burrs left by the chop saw”. I replied “I have manifested small miracles with a mere bench grinder.” (I’m not sure he believed me).
As I have mentioned in another post, there is a symbiotic relationship between craftsman and tools. A hammer is not the optimal tool for dealing with screws – but combined with a pair of lock grip pliers, could be of assistance in the removal of a stubborn screw. Sort of an “off-label” use of a tool.
“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Old proverb about how preconceived notions narrow our view and therefore options. My response is: “If you have a big enough hammer, everything is a nail.” Or more properly, “If your hammer is of sufficient size and mass, then many things can be treated like nails with a reasonable expectation of a satisfactory result.”
But maturity is realizing that diversifying ones hammer inventory with different sizes, weights and head types is a worthwhile investment. Hence the class (and those which will probably follow). And maybe, later on, consider diversifying your toolkit with a real screwdriver!
My welds are ugly but they do the job. I am aware that in order to make good welds I have to make a lot of shitty ones first, and I’ve just entered my “era of shitty welds”. Now I need to get one of those humming electric beasts.
Shouter to Dead Parrots 