Welding, Machining, and Dirt Bikes Go Hand-In-Hand

Well, the past two years I've been going to a hybrid Tech school. It's a part of the local Technical school, but there are classes for upper class High-schoolers. The first year I took Automotive both semesters. It didn't turn out to be as well as I'd hoped, so I decided to change it up for my Senior year...

I knew that I'd be working on bikes and cars for years to come if I wanted to race them, and the cheapest way to do that is to fix them myself. So, other than doing the usual wrenching and oil changes, I wanted to be able to repair parts that aren't even suppose to be repaired. This is why I signed up for welding, and boy was I in for a treat...

I knew virtually nothing about welding; never even touched one before. Didn't really know what to expect going into it, but I knew much skill and experience was required to be proficient at any kind of welding process. Well, the first trimester (new to our district, as opposed to semesters) we alternated between an oxy-fuel torch and GMAW (MIG or wire feed), all on mild-steel sheet metal. It seemed to be terribly difficult at first, which separated the class. But I knew that I had to stick with it if I wanted to go anywhere with welding.

Well, it was the end of the first trimester and I could finally seem some results. There were only a select few that pursued the entire term, and I was one of them. Mid-way through that class I knew I wanted more, so I signed up for the Blue-print 1 class (new to the school). I am very glad that I took this as well. I learned how to tack and weld up prints that had extremely close tolerances (+1/16"). The next term is the one I had been waiting for, and the first two terms had prepared me for it.... GTAW (a.k.a TIG)

Tig welding is known to be one of, if not, the most difficult processes. It is slow and requires extremely precise and consistent movements from both hands and your eyes. But, if mastered, it is the best kind of weld in most situations because of its penetration and consistency. I ended up learning how to weld mild-steel, stainless-steel, and aluminum with a Tig torch on a variety of gauges of metal.

Once summer came, I was kind of up upset because I learned so much and wanted to continue welding. In the end, I am so glad that I stuck with it, and in doing so, I got enough experience under my belt so that I can repair and fab up parts from my own garage with the nice welders that my dad bought!

Welding is more on the repair side of work for bikes, but if you want to go to the extreme like I do, machining is where it's at for making your own parts from scratch.... I completed all of my general academic credits early, so the last trimester I took a Machining 1 and 3D metal programming Plus class in addition to the welding. Let's just say that it was the best term out of my entire school career yet, and a perfect way to end High school (i.e no homework)

I had machining in mind for future schooling, and after taking a class of it, I realized what I could do with it, and possibly make a career out of it (especially CNC). So now I'll be going to Tech school the next couple of years to get my CNC Machining Diploma. After that, who knows what's in store for me. But, I have faith that the Lord will guide me in the right direction.

I know this article wasn't directly about dirt bikes, but it's going to big part of them for me in the future, which is why I wanted to share it with you. Feel free to comment if you'd like to know more about my experiences. Who knows, maybe I'll weld up an Aluminum Dirt Bike Carrier for you sometime.

-KellEy