I made my fist weld at 11, with a welder all ready set up.
I am now 14 and got my own mig for my birthday, which I thought was quite good going, but welding at eight!
I don't know who you're talking about migmag, but that's pretty young. Is it your son?
My dad started me on cutting up & welding cars (completely unsupervised), with an ark welder, at 12 years old. He has never been big on safety! Consequently I got ark eye 3 times and indifferent to splatter burns. 30 years on & I'm quite keen on good PPE & a fast learner, but I still love/appreciate my old man.
Hmmm, I must say that child labour sweat shops have been given a very bad name by the media, that one looks perfectly acceptible to me, even the sprog looks happy in his repetitive chain welding slavery