[Overpaid Slacker]

I worked as a shipfitter in a shipyard in Warren, RI for a while (most notably on the "Spirit of Chicago", a T-class dinner boat with sister ships in New York, Tampa and elsewhere). Most of what I did was fabricate, form and "booger weld" stuff into place for the real welders.

Those guys were artistes! It takes a lot of practice to get to their level, and though I don't claim ever to have reached that degree of expertise, a few weeks' practice made a lot of improvement in my skill.

JP