Zoe happy to swap salon for welder’s yard

3:48pm Sunday 20th July 2008

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When Zoe Summers is not handling a spot welder, she is wielding a hair-dryer and scissors.

For four days a week she wears fire proof gloves, goggles and protective boots.

And for another two the 22-year-old has manicured nails, make-up and lippy.

On Friday and Saturday Zoe, of Upper Hird Street, Keighley, is a hair stylist and from Monday to Thursday she swaps the salon at Kaos, in Church Green, for the welding shop at Tecconex in Dalton Lane.

Zoe - a self-confessed Tom boy - has been welding and hairdressing for the past year, ever since returning from a three-month trip to the USA and being offered a chance to return to Kaos where she trained.

"I trained as a hairdresser straight from school but when I went to America I lost some of my client base and my friend said I should try welding to make some money," she explained.

"There are quite a few woman welders down there so I decided to have a go. Now I love it.

"I don't mind looking like a scruff - but I do wear two pairs of gloves to protect my nails.

"I enjoy the technical side of the job and it breaks my week up. I get bored and this keeps me in-terested."

She returned from America last July and has been spot welding G-clamps for vehicles ranging from cars to aeroplanes ever since.

And what do the lads think?

"When I tell them I'm a welder, they don't believe me - they say women can't do it - but it doesn't seem to put them off," she smiles.