I’ve always been oddly enchanted with how stuff gets made. When I say ‘stuff’, I mean everyday structures like trains, bridges and buildings. Just think about it. Where do people even begin to put these things together? I understand that it’s a combination of engineering, teamwork and industrial know-how, and probably some other factors as well. But somehow, that doesn’t seem to quite do it justice. I mean… how?
In an effort to put my incessant questioning to rest while still preserving a healthy sense of awe, I’ve decided to do some first-hand research. To this end, my first task is visiting a number of metal suppliers close to Melbourne. I’m going to go and see exactly how metal beams and lintels and the like are sourced, and hopefully learn a thing or two about the art and science of constructing things.
I’m realising that there may be a few hurdles in setting this up, though. It seems that, here in Melbourne, steel fabricators aren’t overly keen for randoms to stop by and observe their work. That’s the impression I’ve gotten from the couple of places I’ve called so far. When they asked me why I wanted to do this, I told them that it was just out of interest, and they seemed bemused by this. Maybe I need to tell them I’m doing some kind of market research, or pretend I’m a big-shot buyer sussing out their operations.
I don’t see why I should have to do that. Can’t a person just be genuinely interested in seeing how stuff works? I mean, kids are allowed to be, but as soon as you’re an adult you’re suddenly expected to play along with the charade of pretending to understand everything. You can’t ask questions or go and watch steel beams getting made without people thinking you’re some kind of weirdo.
To be fair, I probably wouldn’t want people turning up to scrutinise what I do at work, just for the heck of it. But then, what I do isn’t as profoundly puzzling.