THE QATSPY® From the Kerosene Cowboy Journal Perception
By: Charles W. Boatright
A Great Hobby and Second Career is Welding– To simplify my Welding Projects, I order Metal from Metal Supermarkets, prefab to my dimensions. It speeds up my welding projects with no waist where I only use a plasma cutter for cutting openings.
The Metal Supermarkets make your projects a lot smoother and a lot less labor intensive where it is a pleasure to do without the headaches.
Since I have battled my way through my Stage 2 Prostate Cancer and had my first Cancer free report in March 2024, I’m able to pick up my hobby and my second career of welding again. My first project was a design project that I had on the drawing board for months that is a 16- inch Dia. x 30- inch Grill/Smoker that I have been doing my research to develop.
The only thing that I enjoy more than welding is grill/smoking meats outside after a long day working on my farm or in our hangar. There’s not a better aroma than Kingsford charcoal and hickory pellets used to grill/smoked meats for a meal with great neighbors. A close second is the smell of flux building the grill/smoker for those great cookouts or listening to a college baseball game.
I was a Civil Engineer where one of my enjoyments was preparing steel drawings for our transmission line projects working with a utility for 33- years. I’m in my element calculating stresses and detailing structure components to be fabricated by a manufacturer.
Metal Supermarkets is my Supplier of my Metals
There’s significant satisfaction in preparing a bill-of-material off shop drawings for a welding project that is prefab to specific dimensions and not having to make any adjustments to the components. You just have to button up the project and make any necessary opening with a plasma cutter. A plasma cutter and a grinder are two must-have tools in the welding trade.
What is nice about Metal Supermarkets is their website where they have a wide range of standard metals and shapes and where they provide you with an instant quote. You can expect your order to be ready for either pickup or for delivery within 8-days. I use the delivery option where I can attend to my farm.
The only thing that surpasses the Metal Supermarkets’ service and delivery is the quality of the material and fabrication that you don’t have to do any adjustments to except for minor grinding. When you weld up your project, you just have to do some minor grinding work. Metal Supermarkets’ workmanship is superior; it will surpass all your expectations.
If you want to be the Best Learn from the Best
There are four people that contribute to my success in my learning the trade of welding and that was- Dow Tiner, a family friend, Mike Gray, high school buddy, Larry Edmondson, and Terry Lucas, both co-workers. All these friends were indispensable in me picking up welding.
Just a sidebar- Dow Tiner besides being an excellent welder, he was a tank commander under General George S. Patton during World War II and also served in the Korean War. I used to tag along with him on his welding projects. Even at a young age, you can still gain valuable experience that you will recall when you work in any trade you choose.
I had the distinct pleasure of having a phone conversation with Rev. Steven Tiner this morning (04Jun24) The Pastor of Levy Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. This is a well rooted church in the community that Dow Tiner was a member of. If you are visiting or live in North Little Rock, please visit this wonderful Bible Church.
My advice to young people, put away your I-phones and connect with a professional in a trade, this will be worth more to you than gold.
DON’T ever pass up an opportunity to tag along with a master tradesmen, because you will gain skills that you will use later in some form or fashion later in your life. Dow Tiner was like a second father to me. I can’t thank him enough, even though he has passed in 2012, getting me into welding trade.
If you want to pick up a new trade, find a friend in that trade that will help you learn the trade without having to experiencing stumbling blocks that are a part of the learning curve. They will help you avoid costly mistakes and provide you with a safe and successful project. But the biggest advantage that a sponsor has in our life is the confidence that they provide us, which is equivalent to 80 percent of having a successful project.
God Given Talents to Live a Prosperous Life
We all don’t have to be ministers in order to use our God given skills and talents to have a successful life. We can use our skills and talents in whatever field we are in to impact other people’s lives. College degrees are impactful, but if you want to impact people’s lives the most, learn a trade along the way that can become your second career, especially if you retire.
One of the most promising verse in the Bible can be found in Deuteronomy 30:9
The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,
Early Detection Saves Lives
Guys this is for you– I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Prostate Cancer in 2024, that I alluded to earlier in this article, it was detected during my annual physical in November of 2023. I encourage those guys over the age of 40 to get their PSA Test done during their routine physical.
Just to show you how aggressive Prostate Cancer can be and the importance of getting your PSA Test done; my biopsy that was done in late December was at stage 1. By the time I had my Prostatectomy in early February in 2024, it had progress to Stage 2 Cancer. You can listen to the news on the men diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.
When I went for my follow up PSA test in March of 2024, my PSA was 0.00. That indicated that the surgery was successful and all the cancer was removed. I will have another follow up PSA Test this month, in June of 2024. I’m here today because I had my PSA Test guys, don’t miss this, your life depends on it.
Also guys, Father’s day is June 16th, 2024, I can’t thank of a better gift you can give your family and friends than you having your PSA Test done this month. Remember Romans 14:7 NO MAN lives to himself.
My earlier article on Prostate Cancer: Prostate Health & Your Body of Evidence
Below is a pictorial of my Grill/Smoker Project:
