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Soldering!
Apr. 5th, 2003 06:57 pmI came...I saw...I soldered. >D
Um, anyway. I did finally get the new grinder set up in my stained glass-work room (you should see it...I had to set one end table on top of another and nail it in place to get the right workspace height). Got the last pieces ground right, and did the soldering.
Now wasn't *that* an adventure? >D ><;; (Yes, both apply.) Let's just say I am *very* much the sort to learn by making every mistake in the book on my own--not enough that they warn me in advance not to do one thing or another. The first side is *BAAAAD*...much buildup of solder, really ugly looking, and even some spots where the lead came started to melt. ><;;;;;;;; But I seem to be showing some improvement already--the second side was some better. Not great, but better. This seems to be the sort of thing where, yeah, I'm a beginner and I suck, but I seem to have the potential for getting better at it. And it's one of the few things where I can be not perfect at it first thing, yet still want to do it enough to keep practicing (most things I just stop doing them if I can't be good right away). I'm actually motivated to keep trying and keep trying.
But oh, does this first piece look wacked. ^^;; I'm glad when it's up in a window that the soldering mess won't be quite so obvious. It is sad tho, that the first-worst side I did has the better-looking glass for viewing; and that the second-better side has the more blah looking glass (and therefore will be opposite the side of viewing). Ngah.
Anyway, now I just gotta figure out when to start cementing it. I might do that in class Tuesday--I talked with the instructor on the phone to ask a question about a procedure, and she mentioned that we might take a look at the piece to see if there's anything that can be done to smooth it out/fix it up before cementing. It'll be a sort of 'troubleshooting' session, where we can ask questions and get advice about what to do differently, find out what wrong things we did so we can change 'em. And she's going to show me how to attach the loops that the hanging chain will go through.
Gah, look at me ramble about very little/nothing at all. ^^;; Many apologies. I find myself getting wayyyyy overenthusiastic about this. Very bad. No donut for me.
Mmmmmmm...donuts. God*damn* I'm starving. Another Saturday where a bagel with cream cheese is the only thing I've eaten so far. But it was bacon-scallion cream cheese on a pumpernickle bagel from Bruegers. Mmmmmmmmm...it is teh love. >D Woo, getting blood sugar-crashey, but still inna good mood...why? Probably because I had that bagel today (Teh Love!), because James has been gone all day at an Amptguard thing, because I just freaking love doing this stained glass thing, because I'm not at work (W00T!), because I'm finally at a point where I can goof off (!!), and because I got to talk to Nix (My Monkey!) on the phone for hours, and she is Teh Love, too. :D Hey, what can I say--I can quote Something Positive ("Freaky monkey fuck suit! Bleah!) at her, and she understands. >D
Hopefully Anj and Gina will be here soon... Dang, when did it get so fscking cold in here again? Guess I need to turn the heat on again. :p
Um, anyway. I did finally get the new grinder set up in my stained glass-work room (you should see it...I had to set one end table on top of another and nail it in place to get the right workspace height). Got the last pieces ground right, and did the soldering.
Now wasn't *that* an adventure? >D ><;; (Yes, both apply.) Let's just say I am *very* much the sort to learn by making every mistake in the book on my own--not enough that they warn me in advance not to do one thing or another. The first side is *BAAAAD*...much buildup of solder, really ugly looking, and even some spots where the lead came started to melt. ><;;;;;;;; But I seem to be showing some improvement already--the second side was some better. Not great, but better. This seems to be the sort of thing where, yeah, I'm a beginner and I suck, but I seem to have the potential for getting better at it. And it's one of the few things where I can be not perfect at it first thing, yet still want to do it enough to keep practicing (most things I just stop doing them if I can't be good right away). I'm actually motivated to keep trying and keep trying.
But oh, does this first piece look wacked. ^^;; I'm glad when it's up in a window that the soldering mess won't be quite so obvious. It is sad tho, that the first-worst side I did has the better-looking glass for viewing; and that the second-better side has the more blah looking glass (and therefore will be opposite the side of viewing). Ngah.
Anyway, now I just gotta figure out when to start cementing it. I might do that in class Tuesday--I talked with the instructor on the phone to ask a question about a procedure, and she mentioned that we might take a look at the piece to see if there's anything that can be done to smooth it out/fix it up before cementing. It'll be a sort of 'troubleshooting' session, where we can ask questions and get advice about what to do differently, find out what wrong things we did so we can change 'em. And she's going to show me how to attach the loops that the hanging chain will go through.
Gah, look at me ramble about very little/nothing at all. ^^;; Many apologies. I find myself getting wayyyyy overenthusiastic about this. Very bad. No donut for me.
Mmmmmmm...donuts. God*damn* I'm starving. Another Saturday where a bagel with cream cheese is the only thing I've eaten so far. But it was bacon-scallion cream cheese on a pumpernickle bagel from Bruegers. Mmmmmmmmm...it is teh love. >D Woo, getting blood sugar-crashey, but still inna good mood...why? Probably because I had that bagel today (Teh Love!), because James has been gone all day at an Amptguard thing, because I just freaking love doing this stained glass thing, because I'm not at work (W00T!), because I'm finally at a point where I can goof off (!!), and because I got to talk to Nix (My Monkey!) on the phone for hours, and she is Teh Love, too. :D Hey, what can I say--I can quote Something Positive ("Freaky monkey fuck suit! Bleah!) at her, and she understands. >D
Hopefully Anj and Gina will be here soon... Dang, when did it get so fscking cold in here again? Guess I need to turn the heat on again. :p