Gentle Encouragement

"Finally... that's one you can actually be proud of!"

 

Proud

Brian isn't as blunt as he sounds, he's always very encouraging and I never leave a lesson felling anything other than enthused for my next, but he does have a way with words, and likes to keep me grounded. Last lesson Brian decided that I should braze with no supervision, that he'd be better off sat in an armchair in his garden than standing over my shoulder. I tried to play it cool so decided to talk to him as if what I was doing was the most natural thing in the world. Well it didn't pay off; my first few joins were sloppy, I was relaxed but I wasn't focused, and so things got a little messy. Brian happily talked back though, knowing full well what the result would be. After about the 4th attempt he said..

"I don't know about you, but I can't talk and braze at the same time, I'd make a right mess of it."  ... then smiled at me. 

I brazed the join in the photo last of all, after Brian celebrated it's complexity in his usual way;

"...I can see no reason at all... why you aren't capable ...of... completely messing this up."

I decided that I'd try and prove him wrong so stopped talking and got my head down. I blocked out the image of Brian sat in his tatty soft armchair looking into his garage at me trying to look like I knew what I was doing. I pretended he wasn't there. I tried not to think about my shaky hands that have plagued me since starting to braze, I focused upon rhythm and all that Brian had taught me so far about being patient, reading the pool and actively adjusting the flame position and angle. Now it's no work of art but it's the best join that I've brazed so far, and importantly I did it on my own. I can't wait for my lesson this Sunday...