Welding as a hobby involves learning and practicing various welding techniques to create metal art, repair household items, or fabricate custom projects. It requires dedication to safety, investment in equipment, and patience in mastering skills. Hobbyists can join welding communities and workshops for guidance and inspiration.
In this article, thirty-nine different hobby and career welders chime in and describe what welding means to them.
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Kelly Ann
I love welding, it’s an art form and a trade, it’s a skill I learned from my dad and it’s what I do for a living, I don’t always love going to work but after 20yrs of welding I never get tired of it, only 3-5% of welders here are female and I’m proud to be one of them.
Wes Imel
I got tired of cooking in restaurants and wanted a change. I now keep busy with side work and wouldn’t change it for the world. I get in a different mindset when I put my welding helmet on. Its therapeutic to me at
David Thomas
Welding for me is a form of therapy. In my home
Eric Lif
To have a welder makes life so much easier with all hobbies. Can now “Glue” any everyday steel and make awesome things for a fraction of the cost of “new.” One can make stuff that would cost a lot to get manufactured by someone else. For instance, I need a new gate for the country house. I will make one. It will save like $1000.
Welding makes life easier.
Benjamin Jermey-Brown
Its about earning respect.
Cristin Celedon
I originally went back to school for welding after a B.A. and a career in social work. I wasn’t happy with my job and felt the itch to finally pursue what I wanted. I wanted to have physical tangibles to show for all my hard work. In addition, I had a 4-year degree and could not find a job outside of my field.
I originally wanted to learn to weld because I wanted to create metal artwork. It took over 2 years to get into the program but once I picked up an Oxyacetylene torch in my hands and the molten lava, sparks and spatter flew at my face like an encore firework spectacular, I couldn’t believe people got paid to play with these toys. I fell in love with every bit of process. My grandfather had passed 8 years ago, I went back to school 4 years ago and I am now a College Professor teaching Welding and doing what I love.
This was absolutely an intrinsic desire for me to accomplish a feat I was always too scared to pursue or kept myself from by continually second guessing myself and my abilities. I am now a certified welder by the AWS and am a testimony to following your dreams, no matter how late you started. I was also continually discouraged along my path my men and women suggesting I stick with casework or education. I am now stronger and more capable than I ever was and Welding helped me find my life’s purpose. I still work with the youth and know I was put here to help them further in the field I was meant to be in 10+ years ago if I had someone like me to learn from.
Welding is absolutely therapy and I call it an Adrenaline Junkies playground, lol.
I love it all!
Paul Wilt
After 35 years of welding for a living I do it for fun. Manipulating the steel to do want I Invision in my mind.
Mick Smith
For me it’s a way to hold 2 or more pieces of steel together
But seriously welding is therapeutic for me
Some days it’s good others not so much.
Rick Wayne Medeiros
Creation, it’s the God resemblance.
Peter Stewart
Welding is the easy bit, what I like most is what way I’m going to make something.
Terry Carter
For me welding is a hobby and relaxing
Christy Goelzer-Rabitoy
You may find it funny, I can’t weld! Just like metal stuff, my father is a retired steelworker. I could watch my husband cut metal and weld all day long, he’s always made fun of me ( we’re farmers) because the smell of grinding, cutting, torch or welder is one of my favorite things. The smell of a welding shop just soothes me.
Jordan King
It makes you money or saves you money. This is the root of the issue.
Dan Walker
It fixes my car with less impact on my wallet.
J.L. Lyons
Well, welding has done so much for me. It “sparked” my interest at a young age. I bought and paid for my first welder when I was 13. I was truly intrigued by the thought of building or fixing stuff. It started with me putting floorboards in a Chevelle then replacing rocker panels and cab corners in a truck and building bumpers for trucks.
It seemed like me and my dad always had a project going on. It was just a fun hobby for me thru my teens and I never thought It would lead me to where I am today. I struggled with school so bad that by my senior year I dropped out. With that being said I was never a troublemaker, never drank, never did drugs I just had trouble with my school work.
Bookwork never clicked with me. By the time I was 23, I found myself working dead-end jobs that barely paid the bills. I had a sweet girl that was in college. She seemed to have her life together and there I was delivering pizza. That’s when I heard of a local welding outfit that needed help. I thought what the heck I’ll give it a shot. To my surprise, I got the job.
13 years later I’m married to that sweet girl and I’m running my own welding and fabrication business. I’m able to donate money to the same school that I dropped out of. It goes to show that not everyone is book smart that you just have to find what you do well, what you enjoy, work hard and keep moving forward.
Michael Slattman
When I was a child my grandfather had a car shop seeing him turn old rusted out cars back to New it was art that started my love for metal working now 24 years later I weld at a shop where we Fab stuff for the military that’s what I do for my day .for my passion of all forms of metal I build all kinds of things at my house shop right now I am working on taking two cars and making a show car.
Juan Lopez
It’s not only the welding part. To me creating scrap art it’s a big stress relief. It’s always fun to build something. Even though my shop consists on a dinosaur craftsman welder and a couple harbor freight angle grinders, I enjoy every minute of it.
Kevin Tharp
Grandpa was a tig welder. I went to trade school in high school. I now repair welding machines for a living and weld things as a hobby. It keeps me from falling in the rut of same crap different day. Because when your welding its always different. And how bad*** is that you can melt metal and bond with the power in your hand. It also teaches patience. Also, a good way to burn off steam.
Chase Campbell
It’s a very undermined trade. People overlook it too often. They think of plumber electricians when they think of trades. They don’t realize how important welders are.
Levi McLemore
Passion is how I’d describe it definitely more than just a paycheck it is a real job. I wake up excited for every morning
Kirk Hansen
Though I am not a professional welder and do not work in the trade at this time, it’s always been a skill I was glad to have learned and have enjoyed improving with the advent of new technology. I learned the trade at a young age while working on ranches and continued to hone it while working construction sites.
At some point, my love of art and the additive and subtractive qualities of metal and welding became the perfect outlet to allow me to create. Where else can you have the primal glow of molten hot metal, grind to reveal a sparkling surface in a cascade of sparks and paint that same metal with a rainbow of colors created by only heat? I find the entire process to be incredibly relaxing and invigorating all at the same time.
JC McKeown
Welding is a means to an end, but so much more. As a metal artist, it allows me the freedom to create and be creative. It’s relaxing and yet intriguing at the same time. It allows me to redo tools to be made specific for new projects or to give unused items a new purpose.
‘No such thing as Scrap in the Workplace, just endless possibilities of Form & Function ‘
Metal Mangler ArtWorks
Jeff Walker
All of the above. I started doing my own steel gates to save a buck and off down the creative rabbit hole I go.
Daniel Dreisbach
I started welding at about 21 years old and I am still welding now at 58. I first learned Mig welding at a street rod shop. Then, Tig welding at the next street rod shop. There, I started building some art also just for fun with 1/8″ material, all mild steel.
Then I when to an Indy car team where I learned a more precise version of TIG welding on thin materials like 4130, Stainless Steel, Inconel, Aluminum and Titanium. I also gained fabrication skills that lead me to create my nicest pieces of art.
The first piece I made using my best skills was not surprising, an Indy car (pictured) made of .040 to 1/8 4130 sheet metal. I have since made and sold many similar items, all unique. Additionally, I’ve built some other simpler to build designs as well as designs used for race trophies and various one of a kind awards.
Tig welding to me, regardless of being so useful and versatile. is therapeutic. When I am irritated or need to just think to figure a thing out, sometimes TIG welding is like taking a smart pill. I weld for a while and the answer comes or at least a path to the answer.
Timothy Dempsey
I have worked with many women welders and if they put their mind to it they make better welders than men. I worked with this little girl one time and she was the best Tig welder I have ever seen. I saw her do some stainless Tig welds that I didn’t think was possible.
Ellery Russell
I’ve been welding as an artist for the last 10 years. I started when doing photography for a re-claimed art group and was inspired by the imagination.
At first, welding was a means to an end and did take a bit of time to get the hang of stick and MIG, but now I find it very therapeutic. Being able to shut off my PTSD brain for a while and just focus on the next spot is a nice break from reality.
Spending 2 weeks straight working on a sculpture can be quite taxing on my body but is so worth it. This summer I was the only female welder at a sculpture symposium, it felt good to represent and inspire, but it would be great to see more women realize they could do it too. I wish art paid the bills, I could weld every day and be happy.
Stewart Mcculloch
Hi, my name is Stew. I live in the UK. I used to work in a car repair shop but I started suffering from ill health. I became paralyzed and ended up in a wheelchair. Then ended up with more disabilities on top of that. Took me two years of hard work to be able to walk a few yards. Then, I had a fall and became paralyzed again.
My friends and family built me a little wooden hut. I still have all of my tools .started metal art, making animals from scrap. I give them to family and friends and keep some that I made for my wife. Every day is different health wise. I just want you to understand how much I enjoy welding, working, turning rusty metal into something nice. Using my old welder and making my animals is a lifeline for me. It’s what keeps me going in life.
Ryan Wiesman
I don’t really find welding that fun. It’s a means to an end and most days it’s the smallest portion of what I do. I build railings and staircases (spiral or straight) and all types of home decor and I love what comes from all the hard work including the welding portion.
Timothy Dempsey
My father convinced me to take welding in high school when you could still do that. I got a job in a sheet metal and welding plant and done that for 27 years. Retired and started doing metal Sculptures and art for fun.
There was time on the job when I thought I would go crazy if I had to weld another day but it really paid off MIG welding small sculptures. I was an oil painter all my life before I started metal art. I love working with metal art much more than painting. I’m having a blast.
Todd Lehman
Working with metal has been my life. I started welding when I was 10 years old on our family ranch with my Dad. We had a Forney ac buzz box. In fact, I still have it today. In college, I discovered I had a gift for metal art and that’s when my passion for metal and welding really blossomed. Metal is amazing and I can’t ever see myself working with anything else.
Eric Doran
Therapy, exploration, meditation is what welding, designing, building, blacksmithing provide me. Sure, I make some money. But the process demands that the welder is focused in the now. And, being present allows one to not fret over the past or stress over the future.
Daniel Trowbridge
For me, it is the one “hands-on” trade/ skill that I could still learn and do after my spinal cord injury 6 years ago. I was a plumber by trade and have always been hands-on but trying to find work since has been impossible as I cannot and will not get an office job behind a desk answering phones etc that’s just not me, so I so badly want to learn to weld.
If I can learn the skill it would enable me to be able to work from home the hours that suit me and if/ when I have injury-related issues hit me I would simply be able to take whatever time I need off to recover. I am simply too unreliable to work for someone full time as there is never ending issues related. I hope to begin some welding courses soon I hope.
Neil Doman
It’s enjoyable at times but ultimately it’s a means to an end.
Guin John Ryan
Welding can be just you’re job.. but it’s much more than that, being creative.. you can reach your goal.either threw art, or simply building something, you have improved, changed or designed, by your self.
Patrick Malin
It was one of the first trades I learned when I was 13 from my grandfather. Next year will be 20 years of welding. Since the passing of my grandfather, welding has become something that always reminds me of him especially while I’m welding.
Welding has become apart of me. Even after a 12 hr shift of welding, I find myself in my shop at home welding. I love welding.
James Bent
I love it, love being a creative soul, and helping people save money from high rates in my town
Randy Gloden I know I’m a bit late to the game, but I wanted to reply as I think this poses an interesting question requiring some introspection:
For me practical welding is work, and though I enjoy that work, I really look forward to sitting down and just honing my technique for Tig or oxy/acetylene welding. The oxy/acetylene isn’t the most practical I know, but man, playing with fire and manipulating the puddles in that way, that for me is both exciting and challenging. That probably explains why I like TIG as well.
Like many hobbies, there is a certain focus and practice involved to do well. I suspect I’ll never master this completely, which is good, because learning is part of what draws me in.
That said, though less fun, on my “real” projects I tend to stick weld, as that is where my confidence and productivity is.
Melania Johnson
My dad use to weld. I am the outcast of the family. I ran track for 9 years. In college, I was head of the hurdlers. My field of choice was accounting. That was so boring. I am now a welder.
Jacob Heni
Welding helps you express your own creativity and ideas.
Roger Lollar
I, the humble host of this website, struck my first arc at age fourteen. I was working under the tutelage of a seasoned machine shop owner in the evenings after school. A couple of years later I took all the welding courses available in high school.
Later, I even worked as an oil field welder’s helper for a short period. My career eventually took me in a different direction. However, I have not been without at least one welding machine for the last thirty-two years. As a matter of fact, I still own the very first machine I ever purchased. And, I still use it frequently.
While not an expert, over the years I have built carports, barns, shops, ranch gates and entrances, roping arenas, livestock pens, horse stalls, race car cages, grill guards, workout benches, truck bumpers, trailers, and miscellaneous artwork. (In a sense, all welding is artwork, IMHO!) And to my knowledge, they are all still in use!
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