Holding the TIG feeder wire: 2 methods, your opinion please.

You think Ernie isn't a pro? Think again .. dude's been making his living welding for a lotta years, is the guy all the local microbreweries call when their stainless brew vessels need work, is the guy the local fairgrounds call when their rides need welding, teaches at a couple of institutions and has about 14 welding certs ..

GWE

peter snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

Wow,

I guess I got misunderstood a little. I th> You think Ernie isn't a pro? Think again .. dude's been making his living

Be sympathetic to the guy - he doesn't want to annoy his instructor. See his position. He's carefully working out the lie of the land here. -- Rich. S.

Peter

I've put up these two videos on my own site.

It worked well for me on 0.9mm (about 32thou of inch) stainless steel.

The page there is a quick start. However, if I add still pix or better movie, it will occur on this page URL.

Best wishes

Richard Smith

My take is that there appears to be no firm and general consensus on wire feeding technique and this suggests that any given method has not shown itself superior. (Note the word "suggests.") Hence, any person with choice perhaps ought to try different methods and practice the one that feels most natural.

As another guy suggested, however, with some instructors the context may not easily allow a person to choose an alternative method.

David Todtman

I've put up better video and some images on this page -- Rich S.

Thanks Richard.

The method I prefer is exactly like yours. It feels right and I get more control. Have been practicing 2 days like that know (never mind the silly looks, wearing a TIG glove on the left hand and having 1m of rod between fingers...) and it's slowly becoming to feel natural. My hand doesn't get into spasms as it does with method-1. Guess my mind is made up.

Was just curious whether anyone out there had seen that method-1 before and could comment on it. As for what the teacher thinks of it, I think he won't take it personally :) If he does, well, we're in for a rough ride. And we've only just begun.

Peter.

Richard Smith wrote:

It looks kinda like the sort of hold of the wire you'd be shown when learning oxy-acetylene.

Use some interaction skills regarding the instructor. Some do have fixed opinions but even then if you can deal with it you can get the benefit of a wealth of experience. Which is the better way. You can practice other techniques and have the "reference" of what you have been shown, so can you find your way forward. And there's this group to ask questions as you puzzle things :-)

Richard S.