Just logged 10,000 hours on the torch and the number hit me hard

I was updating my logbook yesterday, the old paper one I've kept since my apprenticeship, and I added up all the hours. It came out to 10,002. I sat there for a solid five minutes just staring at the page. That's over four solid years of just arc time, not counting setup or layout. It's a crazy amount of heat and metal. The milestone matters because it made me realize how much of the craft is just in your hands now, the feel for the puddle and the travel speed. You stop thinking about every single move. But it also scared me a little, because you can get sloppy when things feel that automatic. I caught myself skipping a pre-heat step on some thick plate last Tuesday just because I was in a rhythm. Anyone else hit a big hour mark and have it mess with your head a bit?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice_anderson3527d ago

When my brain checks out like val_butler36 said, I just switch hands for a simple task to force focus back.

val_butler3627d ago

Man, ten thousand hours. I hit that mark a couple years back and my first thought was "wow, I'm officially too dumb to be impressed with myself." It's like your hands know the job better than your brain does, and your brain gets jealous and checks out. That's when I start leaving my tungsten on the bench or forgetting to gas up. The skill is totally there in your fingers, but the focus has to catch up all over again.

kellyt2320d agoOG Member

Ten thousand hours just means you've done something a lot. It doesn't mean your brain suddenly quits. Maybe you're just tired or having an off day. People forget stuff all the time, it's not some deep skill vs. focus war. Sounds like you just need a coffee break, not a whole theory about your hands betraying you.