just some thoughts here, but I'd suggest learn to weld first. And you don't have to have a reason other than you want to do it, if you want to do it. You say be cautious in your signature so you are on the right track if you want to stay alive. Even then you might be killed. But... you could be killed in your basement at home. There have been times in my life that everyone I knew told me to be careful and cautioned me about doing something I wanted to do... and the only person that I was really listening to at the time, telling me to go out and do what I wanted to do, was a radio talk show host that half the country hates. I say to everybody, if you have a desire to do something then make it happen. I wish I would have been told that when I was your age. But... don't be foolish, you have to keep it real. I would look into whether the type of data you want to collect would really help build better houses, etc... You have to ask lot's of questions. In the several years it takes to finance your project, learn to weld, and actually build one, maybe by then you will have figured out exactly what you want to do with it.
