TIG welding gloves too thin?

You shouldn't be having that problem at below 200 amps. Your hand may be too close to the arc. I run with just the thin TIG gloves with no problems below 200 to 250 amps. Try to arrange your position so your fingers closest to the arc are in the penumbra shadow of the gas cup without obscuring vision of the puddle.

I use the Tillman TIG gloves which I love. Indeed they are now my all around work gloves as well. When my welding pair gets sufficiently dirty I get a new pair for welding and the old pair goes to general use.

I have never had any issue with heat, though I'm using an ESAB HW18 water cooled torch which might be the difference though I thought you had water cooled as well. My normal grip has the torch handle resting over my hand and my grip with the thumb and index finger on either side if the torch just behind the gas cup. I usually brace my pinky on the table or work if possible for better stability.

Pete C.

I have Tillman gloves as well.

Yes, that is indeed the case.

Yes, I think that possibly I am not holding the torch right.

Thank you.

Er, UV doesn't need to "focus". The closer to the source the greater the exposure. Some inverse square law too I think. Keep it covered or risk loosing it to cancer some years down the road.

Pete C.

Is it your torch hand, or filler rod hand? I find the good welders at work keep their rod hand way up the rod. Easier to feed lots of rod in if required, and keeps your hand away from the arc.

If your torch hand, consider keeping your hand towards the base of the handle.

I've found welding positions are typically difficult and uncomfortable when you start out However, as you practice, you can't imagine doing it any other way. There is a lot of technique to be learned.

And then there's the fact that eventually, you're just going to get hot while welding...

Regards,

Robin

You want to keep the extension of the electrode short, so the cup shields the huge amount of light emitted by the arc. Remeber, the TIG process at 125 A is not far from the parameters of a carbon-arc searchlight! That is a HELL of a lot of light, and you can't see the UV output. I got burned through a dark shirt before I went and got a welder's jacket that is totally opaque to light. If you hold your hand where the torch body and handle shield it, that should help. I just use good insulated welder's gloves for doing TIG, and I'm pretty happy with them. You lose some feel, especially of the filler rod, but with all that hot stuff around, I think I really need the insulation on the glove.

Jon

I weld Aluminum pipe between 200 and 250 Amps and dont have any heat problems. I hold the filler rod about 6 to 8 inches up from the end and hold the torch at nearly the end of the handle. It takes a steadier hand but practice will prepare you for when you have to weld in a position where you can't steady your hand on the work.

Bert Calgary, Alberta Canada

IG: You might also try a pair of surplus flight gloves, just be aware of the probability of having a little buzz from the high freq. source if you get the non-leather areas of the gloves too close to a ground.

Craig C.