Okay. So sometimes a gal signs up for something and it ends up being so flippin’ awesome, she can hardly stand it…
It all started back in November of last year. Mister and I went to LACMA to see the Calder exhibit. It was too cool for school and we got a little hyped-up about learning to make our own Calder-esque mobiles. After some digging on the interweb, we found a place that offered a class for that very goal. We signed up for an intro class and filed away any further thoughts. No need to focus on it until it popped up on the calendar, right? Well, friends, it popped.
This past weekend Mister and I attended an intro to welding class. And it was amazing! Not only did we get to work a little with a MIG and TIG welders, we also got to work with a band saw, an oxy acetylene torch and a plasma cutter. For reals! I thought we’d get a broad brushstroke sort of experience and that would be it. But no! We also got to make something while learning: a cowbell!
The class was small (only 5 students), and the teacher – Matt – was great. Molten Metal Works is his shop and it’s primo. I couldn’t believe how much fun I had. For reals. And though I was very, very, very concerned about safety – duh – the night was smooth and without incident. (There was an earthquake, but I didn’t feel it so there you go.) When all was said and done, Mister and I agreed we would like to take another class there. Time and money. It always comes down to that. We’ll just have to wait and see.
In the meantime, we each have our own handcrafted cowbells to enjoy. I am terribly biased, I know, but I sure do love mine…
If you live in L.A. and are even a little bit curious about welding, I highly recommend checking out this place. If you end up going, let me know how your cowbell turns out!