As a 13 year old boy Dave's father started him in welding school at the American Airlines Maintenance base where he worked as a machinist.  The school covered aircraft turbine repair using TIG plasma and electron beam welding.  Most of the instructors had been good pipe welders long before moving into aviation.  He completed a six year course of study including how to tear down, rebuild and repair turbine engines.  He was a master at pipe and aircraft welding with multiple processes and the full range of exotic alloys under his belt by age nineteen.  He also rubbed elbows with the machines first engineer and toolmakers.  The idea came to him to build a precision sharpener that was hand held and free rolling.  He told his father about his idea and they went to work on a proto-type.  After several years of design and testing and several model changes, Dave and his father came up with the super sharpener that is offered for sale today;  TRU POINT Tungsten Electrode Sharpener.