I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a welder. My experience fusing metal to metal has been strictly limited to messing around with a hundred-dollar flux core welder from that store that gives you free flashlights and tape measures, and the results were, shall we say, “unimpressive.” But even that small exposure to the art of welding has given me a strong appreciation for the people who do it for a living and make art look effortless.
Since 1988, C&R Racing has been turning out cooling system and drivetrain components for the motorsports world, and if you’ve ever owned one of their radiators, you know what I mean when I say “art.” In the video above, we get a brief look at some of their talented production workers plying their trade, performing TIG welding on aluminum radiators. It’s a job that demands skill and precision, and it’s amazing how quickly these people work. How much practice does it take to get this confident and fast with a TIG torch and a filler rod?
For those of us who only dream of being able to stack nickels on light-gauge aluminum, C&R’s video is pure performance art.
As a bonus, here’s a video of C&R’s 5-axis water jet cutter in action. It’s capable of precisely cutting material up to four inches thick, if you can believe it…