Sparking creativity

Clanging metal, scorching blue flames and flying sparks. Every week, these sights and sounds consume Jamie Thomas. It’s welding. “I’m probably “I’m probably one of the only girls who asks for heavy machinery as a gift,” she said . “Last year it was a tablesaw.” Thomas, a student at South Seattle Community College (SSCC), has been welding art for about five years.

She started out in New York making jewelry as a hobby. While shaping metals in jewelry classes, she began to dream of bigger projects, ones that required more heavy-duty equipment. She came to realize that soldering jewelry metals is similar to welding. In each process, a torch heats metal and binds pieces together. So, Thomas searched online for welding and found a class offered at SSCC. At that time, she lived nearby. But, things have changed. She and her husband have since moved north. These days, she plans her trips carefully to conserve gasoline. Now, Thomas welds on campus only two or three times per week. “It’s all I can afford,” she said.

Unfortunately, taking the bus is not an option when bringing large pieces of sheet metal and wire to and from school. Yet, she looks on the bright side, “Eventually, I’ll buy my own welder. I’ll… sign up for a full quarter [of welding] and just go when I need to” to use the larger more expensive equipment. The primary goal of the SSCC welding program is to help students get jobs in the welding or fabrication industries. However, students may focus on any specialty they wish.

The college offers several welding courses each quarter. Welding instructor, Rodger Squirrell, has been teaching for 30 years. Like Thomas, Squirrell makes art using welding techniques. Photos of his metal sculpture are posted online at metalsquirrell.com. At SSCC, students pay lab fees for use of machinery, tools and the metal they use to acapractice on and for the welding compound itself. Students learn welding by first making shapes, like cubes, and repeating that process many times in order to perfect their skills. Welding can be dangerous, but with the right precautions, injuries can be minimized or avoided.

Thomas has been burned a few times by sparks or falling tools, which are common hazards when working with hot metal. She said that she is always thinking about safety. “I make sure my mind is focused on the task. Basically, it’s just being smart and taking your time. Being patient and not taking your fingers for granted.” Signs in the building state that everyone must wear eye protection in the work areas. Students also wear helmets with visors that have specially tinted lenses to protect their eyes from the bright torch flames. Thomas customized her helmet with “horns” made of rivets. It is also important to wear long sleeves, heavy, natural fabrics, sturdy shoes and gloves.

“Safety is the number one thing in these classes,” said Ali Collins, another welding student studying for a job in metal fabrication. Thomas had wanted to work in the welding field. Ironically, because of a welding-related wrist injury, she welds less often than she would like – three to four hours a day at most. One day, after holding a 30-pound grinder for too long while smoothing down welds, her wrist went numb. Now she goes to physical therapy weekly and ices her wrist so she can keep working. Still, she enjoys welding. And for her, it comes naturally. Her other obsession is making clothing for her fashion line,Salvationware. And just as with making clothing, in welding, there are patterns to make and follow. In welding classes, students make and use patterns so that they save metal by cutting out the right-sized pieces.

Thomas has used her welding skills to make her own furniture – a coffee table out of steel, saw blades and motorcycle sprockets – and even bags, and accessories such as belt buckles for her fashion line. Currently, Thomas is finishing a set of mom-andbaby wire penguin topiaries to donate to the Point Defiance Zoo auction. Metal spikes in the bottom of the penguins’ feet stick into the ground and plants grow through and around them. The donation will benefit the animals, another of Thomas’ loves, at Zoobilee, the zoo’s annual fundraising event July 18. She said, “ultimately,” she hopes that, “the people that didn’t win the auction will ask about [her topiaries] and I’ll end up making more.” And that will spark business.