The harshest rule of gardens is that the weak demand all your work.
My dad din't ask me to go to work, I was the one that requested to work.
I wanted a fast hot rod when I turned 16 and the only way I would be able to build one and have it ready to go street racing the day I turned 16 was to earn the money and paper routes and selling wreaths and missletoe at Christmas wouldn't do it.
I had already had my dad bring home an arc welder and taught myself to weld when I was 8 so I could help the all thumbs kid across the street channel his 32 coupe that by the way made the cover of Rod and Custom. Hving all the tools and access to them I also port and relieved and built the flathead for it. Worked doing body work, yes with lead and a torch and sanding it.
By the time I was 16 I had done more than a lot of people have done in their entire lifetime.
As far as safety, to this day if it saves time and my chance of survival is greater than 50% i'll do it the quick way.