welding [connections]

yesterday, a group of us started taking a welding class, in preparation for the work we'll be doing this summer in new orleans. we've designed a number of steel connections that, ideally, we'd like to create ourselves, but first the basics. yesterday's class was mostly spent becoming familiar with the tools and vocabulary of welding, but the last hour was spent in the shop, trying our hand with the arc and mig welders. once again, i have a new found respect for anyone that can do this art with any sort of quality, as the straight line i was suppose to create with the arc welder, turned out more like an "s". our idea, however is to start with the easiest of the connections and work our way up. hopefully buy the time we get to the complicated pieces we'll know what we're doing.