Just barely made the train today. Distracted by the crisp air and the clear sky while biking then walking to the station, one thinks he has all the time in the world.
So I jumped through the doors just as they were closing and here I sit watching the waking city pass by.
After last week, progress is good on the machine:
Day 1:
Morning Pic:
I arrived mid-morning and after dropping off my Vrijwiliger's contract, I headed to the buiten museum to meet with Peter Loos the facility manager for site confirmation and to talk about electricity. To my relief, thumbs up came easily. My only worry came from the absence of the steel that I'd ordered. Though as Peter and I walked to the site my fears were quelled by the arrival of a large flat bed ruck bearing the word Metaal.
So I had all the metal and as soon as I could I set about cutting. Doors wide open, sun and fresh air streaming in. Me stumbling over "Goede Morgen" to all the passer's by...to my new colleagues for the weeks to come. I carved my way through 32 to meter's of steel over the next five hours.
Day 2:
Morning Pic:
With clouds in the sky and a chill in the air, I closed myself in the workshop and spent the day/6hours drilling, drilling, drilling. I have to boast a bit as I am proud of the jig that I made to make the marking and drilling go a bit faster...(steel plate and two broken M6 drill bits ground into center-points)
Day 3:
Morning Pic:
Welding. Jack the Metal workshop technician is in today and in a mixed English/Dutch interaction we touch base.
After a few moments he is aware that i can barely call myself an amateur arc welder. To my eternal gratitude he takes the intiative to set me straight and give me a concise lesson in Dutch and welding.
"Makkelijk, eh?" is his punctuation every time. ("Easy, eh?")
The art and craft of welding with electrodes comes clearer to me as i spend the day in the cool sun challenged by joining pieces of steel with hot caterpillars of metal.
Only one incident in which I knocked my table over sending 60 Kg of metal crashing to the ground. A few demerits noted with a sidelong glance from the Meester.
The guys from the Painting workshop are fascinated by the "foreigner" making art in their back yard.
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