Disabled welder, TIG filler rod feed.

Feb 03, 2006 10 Replies

A pal is slighty disabled in so far as an accident left him with damaged tendons and nerves in his hands. He finds it hard to feed a TIG filler rod smoothly. I was thinking of ways he might be helped, and I thought of something like a mastic cartridge gun, but much smaller, that fed a rod as you squeezed a trigger, holding it like a pistol, with the rod being fed in a similar way to how the piston rod is moved by the applicator trigger, as it pushes the plunger in the mastic tube. Before I try and re invent a wheel does anything like this exist, or does anyone have any other ideas to think over?



I myself, as a newbie TIG welder, find manipulating a filler rod with gloves on tricky, I might try something similar for myself :)



Thanks for any replies.


Chris, I found this one on Google. I used "Tig pen " for the search. I wonder if this will be of any help. It's a start at least.

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I heard about this type I don't know of another one but I'm sure there are hand held ones.

Respects,

Rob Fraser

or a battery operated one so he wont need to keep squeezing.

"? Can be used in either hand, with or without gloves, and fits in a pocket"

WTF? ESAB is advocating TIG welding without gloves to protect from UV and IR???

I barely ever wear gloves. On tight spots there is really no way to weld in a tight spot without them for me at least. I was a bit surprised to see that too. I guess they are just being "real" and in touch with the welding community. Score one for the working stiff.....

Rob

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL.

Now I do know they make auto feeders that attach to the welding torch and a filler wire is fed in by a remote station feeder like on a MIG gun. Big bucks but I have seen them, Don't remember the name, they are made for production jobs.

Rob

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL

I guess I haven't tried anything sufficiently cramped. I find the Tillman TIG gloves fit beautifully and provide great feel and dexterity. They're all I use now for regular work gloves too. When a TIG pair gets grungy it becomes a work pair and the welder gets a new pair.

Pete C.

a AA batery (or 2) with small motor and rubber wheel inside a pen holder. from the sounds of it you're looking for a off-the-shelf solution, i thought you wanted to make something.

They are called Cold-Wire-TIG feeders. CK Worldwide makes them.

I have found the "TIG pen" is about 56 UK pounds, here in England UK. I am going to ring ESAB to see exactly how it works, I am assuming you rotate a small wheel that drives the feed rod through friction drive. I will also ask my pal if such a movement is easy for him. One never really thinks how even a relatively minor disability can impact all sorts of everyday tasks! All I know for sure is he can lift a beer mug just FINE :)

Thanks for the good info everyone.

Hello Chris- You hold it like a pen and roll back a small wheel with the index finger. If he has a hard time rolling something between his thumb and index finger, it may be tough for him. If his grip is fairly normal he should like it! Mike

Chris wrote:

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