Day 17: Soldering is hot

Today I did battle with the "perfect soldering seam." There is a technique to it, a sort of special touch that my very inexperienced hands seem almost incapable of. You have to touch it at exactly the right temperature, at exactly the right angle, for exactly the right amount of time.

There is this kind of suction-esque thing that happens when the flux grabs the solder and spreads it through the joint you are trying to attach. A bead of solder will form at the edge and just deflate like a balloon, as long as you hold the flame on it and keep the tube tilted tight. It will slip through the crack and evenly distribute, just like magic.

Here, let me show you. This is what a good seam looks like versus a bad seam.

It's a little bit blurry but bear with me.

^^ This is a good seam ^^

This is a bad seam^^

See the difference? That's about fifteen minutes of work between all the seams on a well-done pipe versus a poorly done one. 

Tomorrow is my first day in the dent department. Apparently, it's the hardest part of the probationary period. If I prove myself to be exemplary here--which I will try my best to do--I will probably make it. I am hoping that with enough effort and willpower I will be able to conquer this. 

And then, after that, on Friday, I will be able to sleep in. Finally!