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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 21 of 21. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on March 21, 2009, at 11:57:05
And I felt, if not comfortable precisely, then at least not scared out of my wits.
I feel like if I can do this, which scared me senseless for years, I can do most anything.
I am Dinah, hear me roar!
Next thing you know I'll actually light a match.
Well, maybe not that...
Posted by obsidian on March 21, 2009, at 12:49:32
In reply to I did it!!! I soldered!!!!, posted by Dinah on March 21, 2009, at 11:57:05
you have to get a special soldering iron for that right? along with that special metal stuff that you solder and stick the pieces together with? I find that craft fascinating.
Congratulations :-)
Posted by Phillipa on March 21, 2009, at 13:09:14
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » Dinah, posted by obsidian on March 21, 2009, at 12:49:32
Great job Dinah wish I was crafty. Not just physical and that's hard at times. Love Phillipa
Posted by Kath on March 21, 2009, at 15:17:20
In reply to I did it!!! I soldered!!!!, posted by Dinah on March 21, 2009, at 11:57:05
> Next thing you know I'll actually light a match.
>
> Well, maybe not that...YES - I hear you Roar! Yay for you.
I didn't know anyone else was afraid of lighting matches. I can do it now, with not too much fear. I find the ones in the paper packets scarey. I can do the ones with strong wooden sticks not very scarey any more. When you're ready to start - I suggest start with wooden ones - maybe even those long ones they have for fireplaces!!
love, Kath & BIG congratulations about the soldering.
Posted by Kath on March 21, 2009, at 15:20:12
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » obsidian, posted by Phillipa on March 21, 2009, at 13:09:14
You NEVER know what you can do Phillipa.
When I took my first pottery course in 'handbuilding' (not wheel) I felt like I was in kindergarten. And my stuff was VERY basic. Way less good than the work that the students in the classes I sometimes teach at the guild.
But, I got better & I will eventually get around to actually posting some photos!!!
If you could maybe get up the courage to try something you might be surprised.
hugs, Kath
Posted by Cass on March 21, 2009, at 21:28:12
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » Phillipa, posted by Kath on March 21, 2009, at 15:20:12
Congrat, Dinah! The idea of soldering has always been appealing to me and slightly scary. I've never done it, but the idea of doing my own stained glass or metal work would be great. What did you solder for? To repair something, for artwork or for something else?
Posted by Dinah on March 22, 2009, at 20:04:26
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » Dinah, posted by obsidian on March 21, 2009, at 12:49:32
You use a soldering iron and solder, which comes on a roll. I still like the cutting glass part much better. The glass is beautiful, and I love to work with something so lovely.
Posted by Dinah on March 22, 2009, at 20:06:06
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » obsidian, posted by Phillipa on March 21, 2009, at 13:09:14
I'm all thumbs, Phillipa. Not at all crafty, not at all artistic, and not at all good with eye hand coordination.
I think Kath is right. If you give these things a try, you might be surprised. So far it's going better than my occasional forays into sewing.
Posted by Dinah on March 22, 2009, at 20:08:43
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » Dinah, posted by Kath on March 21, 2009, at 15:17:20
It's a terrifying concept to me. :)
I never even lit candles until lately when they came out with those long pointed angled lighters. It just seems that your fingers are awfully close to flame. I think I'll try to finish out my life without ever lighting a match.
I'm utterly helpless around the house or with tools, which is why I'm so pleased with myself I think.
Posted by Dinah on March 22, 2009, at 20:11:27
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » Kath, posted by Cass on March 21, 2009, at 21:28:12
I've been trying my hand at stained glass. My second attempt seems infinitely better than my first, so if I keep getting better I think I'll be able to have some fun with it.
I tried to do it years ago, but chickened out. My son, who is also scared of fire, did some metalworking, and that inspired me to try to get over my own fears. It *is* scary though. That's a lot of heat for anyone as clumsy as I am.
Posted by jane d on March 23, 2009, at 21:44:05
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » Kath, posted by Dinah on March 22, 2009, at 20:08:43
> It's a terrifying concept to me. :)
>
> I never even lit candles until lately when they came out with those long pointed angled lighters. It just seems that your fingers are awfully close to flame. I think I'll try to finish out my life without ever lighting a match.Dinah,
I only mastered matches because I became addicted to cigarettes. And if I'd known about those 8" long stick matches (are those fireplace matches?) then I'm sure I never would have used anything else. It's totally insane to deliberately ignite something that close to your fingers, right?
Congratulations on the soldering. The idea of doing that still makes me nervous so I'm very impressed.
jane
Posted by Kath on March 24, 2009, at 19:01:10
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!! » Kath, posted by Dinah on March 22, 2009, at 20:08:43
> I think I'll try to finish out my life without ever lighting a match.
For some reason, I love that!!! Sort of liberating! Good for you.
And special congrats on the soldering particularly as you say you're not handy!
luv, Kath
Posted by Dinah on March 24, 2009, at 22:04:07
In reply to Soldering. And matches., posted by jane d on March 23, 2009, at 21:44:05
That would have been a huge deterrent to smoking. I doubt I could have found someone to strike my match for me whenever I needed one. :)
I'm proud of myself but as time passes I start getting scared again.
Posted by 10derHeart on March 24, 2009, at 23:18:10
In reply to Re: Soldering. And matches., posted by Dinah on March 24, 2009, at 22:04:07
This is interesting to me. I've never met anyone who was - or at least who was honest enough to admit to it - scared of matches and lighters. I was (still am) always more the opposite. I'm an ex-smoker, and used to play with my lighters and matches constantly - burning paper, plastic, lighting whole books of matches for no reason, etc. MANY years back, in bars, I was the one the others were wary of, saying, "10der! WHAT are you doing? You're going to get us kicked out of here or burn the place down!!"
Lol - they were kind of exaggerating, I must say. Seems like the people I was around tended way more toward the pyromania side, although I'm not using that term technically or clinically, of course.
I'm glad you posted about the soldering and the fire. I learned something. Is it that you will burn yourself - the fear? Or is there even more to it? Not that that isn't enough. And (sorry if I missed this in the thread) are candles out, too? What about fireplaces? Gas stoves? If anyone feels like saying. If not, that's obviously none of my business.
Okay - this will sound so very wrong, but I'll light your fires if you need me to, any time!!
;-)
PS - I just remembered, I am afraid of gas grills, though! Only comfortable with charcoal, which are pretty much illegal in my state. I keep thinking the bottle of gas will explode in a fireball - I don't know why.....?
Posted by jane d on March 25, 2009, at 1:27:38
In reply to Re: Soldering. And matches., posted by 10derHeart on March 24, 2009, at 23:18:10
>
> PS - I just remembered, I am afraid of gas grills, though! Only comfortable with charcoal, which are pretty much illegal in my state. I keep thinking the bottle of gas will explode in a fireball - I don't know why.....?Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. But of course my relationship with fire is already suspect. :)
For me the fear is specifically of matches (well and fireballs of course). Fireplaces and and gas stoves were fine unless of course they needed to be lit with matches. Lighters were fine. They are reasonably designed so that your fingers don't have to be placed where the fire is about to erupt. Unlike matches. That may have been the problem. I want to think thru anything dangerous before I do it and to this day I can't visualize exactly how I get my fingers out of the way of the exploding match head before they get burnt even tho by now I have learned empirically that I can. And of course in those days I couldn't help imagining the entire pack going up in flames. I would definitely not have been a fun person for you to go drinking with then.
Charcoal grills are illegal? Why on earth?
jane
Posted by jane d on March 25, 2009, at 1:35:14
In reply to Re: Soldering. And matches., posted by Dinah on March 24, 2009, at 22:04:07
> That would have been a huge deterrent to smoking. I doubt I could have found someone to strike my match for me whenever I needed one. :)
Well actually.... 17 year old girls pretty much can, or at least they could way back when in those unenlightened days. (I don't want to think about just how far back my first hand knowledge of being 17 is).
> I'm proud of myself but as time passes I start getting scared again.
>Can you not think about it in between times? Of course then you don't get to revel in the feeling of triumph.
Posted by Dinah on March 25, 2009, at 9:28:51
In reply to Re: Soldering. And matches. » Dinah, posted by jane d on March 25, 2009, at 1:35:14
> Can you not think about it in between times? Of course then you don't get to revel in the feeling of triumph.
And of course it's the feeling of self-efficacy that I most want to hold onto.
I'm glad I can solder, since it's essential to a hobby I want to pursue. But what really really mattered to me was a feeling of mastery. Not of soldering of course, but of fear of fire.
Not that soldering irons have fire of course. But they have that quality when iron hits solder and solder starts to run.
Posted by Dinah on March 25, 2009, at 9:32:05
In reply to Re: Soldering. And matches., posted by 10derHeart on March 24, 2009, at 23:18:10
It's a fear of flame, I'm guessing. Which is probably one of those evolutionarily based inborn fears.
My father smoke incessantly when I was a child, and flames were everywhere. But as long as I didn't have to start them or be responsible for them, I was fine.
I have no problem with candles unless I have to start them or hold them.
Oddly enough, I touch hot things all the time. My family hates how I reach into a hot oven and grab things with my hardened fingertips. Maybe that appears to be heat under control? While flames and solder appear to have an uncontrolled power?
Posted by Tabitha on March 27, 2009, at 0:59:32
In reply to I did it!!! I soldered!!!!, posted by Dinah on March 21, 2009, at 11:57:05
WooT! I love soldering. That wonderful moment when the metal liquifies, that little puff of steam from the flux vaporizing. Mmmm, it's geeky heaven!
So what did you solder anyway?
Posted by Tabitha on March 27, 2009, at 1:01:01
In reply to Re: I did it!!! I soldered!!!!, posted by Tabitha on March 27, 2009, at 0:59:32
Posted by Dinah on March 27, 2009, at 6:59:22
In reply to Re: Ah, stained glass *answers own question* (nm), posted by Tabitha on March 27, 2009, at 1:01:01
I think you solder better than I do. Mine doesn't so much puff as spit. :)
But I think there's some chance that I'll learn to do it better.
Now me, I love the grinding. And the cutting is fun too. Glass is such a fascinating material. I never really had an appreciation of its nature before this.
There is something fascinating about watching that bead roll and then cool so quickly. Well, solidify. I've learned already that it isn't necessarily as cool as it looks.
This is the end of the thread.
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