I learned to weld in shop class in 8th grade. Two years later, my new shop teacher showed me how to weld well. Working with middle schoolers now, I’m shocked that we ever let any of them near metalworking equipment but also very glad I had the opportunity to try. I’ve continued to weld and tinker around with metal for years.

Back in college, several friends were very involved with our school’s art program and encouraged me to submit a piece for the student show. I got some railroad spikes (although thinking about it now, I’m not entirely sure how I got them…) and welded a few into a hand. I then took a few others to the milling machine in the physics lab to cut notches so I could bend them before welding them into an “I love you” hand.

In recent years, I’ve pulled out my oxy acetylene kit to create other interesting pieces to hang on our fence like my dragonfly and ladybug. Not everything requires heat. I also got a small spool of copper wire someone was throwing away and was able to cold work it into a bonsai tree.

When talking with friends about these different projects, I realized I haven’t ever written about my favorite piece which is much more delicate than the rebar pieces and more intricate than the bonsai.

Back in 2008, Dom and I had been together for seven years and I thought it might be time for something new. I talked with a local jeweler about some different designs he could make for an engagement ring. They all sounded amazing, but none felt quiet right. I asked for a week to think it over before making the final decision. When I came back, I was a little nervous about what he would say. I had decided what I most wanted to do was make the ring myself. I wanted to get fine metal wire and tie a Turk’s Head Knot. I was concerned he would be annoyed that I’d wasted his time. Instead he offered to order silver, white gold, and rose gold wire for me at cost, plus let me borrow some of his tools. When I finished it, he happily ran it through his ultrasonic cleaner and even gave me a box to put it it. In fact, he seemed almost as excited about the ring as I was.

Thankfully, Dom said yes and we definitely went back to Mike the Jeweler for our wedding rings which are unique as well, but that’s a different story.

Looking back on a couple of decades of working metal, I’m still uncertain about why anyone would think that 7th and 8th grade students were mature enough to handle glowing hot metal, but given the right situation and proper safety protocols, I can certainly see the benefit. Those classes have clearly impacted my life. Now that I’m in a position to support middle school shop/technology education teachers, I’d be happy to work with any interested teacher to ensure we can safely allow students in the twenty-first century to have the same wonderful learning experience I had. In fact, I’ve already started at home with my daughter banging away on glowing metal from our home forge at the age of three.