[emlclcy]

i'm new to the game, bought a fronius rig to learn to tig but find the gloves a real pain doing proctice welds. I the uv radiation from the arc a problem to weld bare handed?

[weldin mike 27]

Hi,

I know it can be hard to get your technique going with gloves on but there a lot more downsides to not wearing them. Such as arc ray burns burns from hot metal and who knows maybe even skin cancer later on down the track.

Have you got proper tig gloves? The thin ones made from really soft leather. If not grab a pair, there are cheap ones, and just keep practicing. Youll get there.

Mick

[Manjimike]

Welcome to the forum Carl.
Probably lots have done it on occasions, but definitely not recommended
I'm in the same boat - just need to practice - Just sit in front of tv and practice the movement I have been told

Cheers

Mike

[ajlskater1]

Ya welding bare handed is not a good thing, you will definetely get a nice sun burn going on. One thing that might help you if you are not comfortable with the regular tig gloves, either try the miller mechanic style gloves or just regular mechanics gloves work well to. I use the miller ones myself I think they give you a little better feel, especially if you are trying to learn how to feed the rod. But with the regualar mechanics gloves you have to be careful about what you grab, because thy don't do much for heat protection.

[emlclcy]

i guessed the uv would be an issue, i can't seem to track down a pair of nice fitting gloves, will give the latex mechanics gloves a try. i'm just starting out so its just small offcuts i'm working on. i've a pile of 1"x4"x3mm (good mix of units hey) stainless pieces that i cant for the life of me get a nice clean brown weld.
maybe i'm starting of on the tricky stuff to soon. i've watched lots of jodys videos, razor blades, far out man!

[emlclcy]

Welcome to the forum Carl.
Just sit in front of tv and practice the movement I have been told

Cheers

Mike

my drive to work is motorway motorway - i've a cut down rod i practice with in the car! i don't have a tv, took a rod down my local but got strange looks....

[emlclcy]

Hi,
Have you got proper tig gloves?

Mick

i have a pair of 'medium' size tig gloves which i can get both hands in one, so far not found the right size from two welding suppliers, bummer, thats why i've had a dabble without gloves

[Otto Nobedder]

If you'll have ANY skin exposed to the light from the arc, get yourself some SPF 45 or higher sunblock, and treat the exposed skin every few hours (more if you're perspiring a lot or welding in a position where you're possibly rubbing it off).

I regularly do GTAW welds so restricted that I'm wearing a pair of cutting goggles with a welding lens in them, with most of my face exposed to the arc. At the extreme, I've done this for most of an eight-hour shift, and the sunblock has prevented me from even getting "racoon eyes" from the area protected by the goggles.

If your hand size is out of the normal ranges for work gloves, I suggest you look up a local support group for people with Dwarfism. They will be able to suggest sources for adult work gloves in smaller sizes, as well as sources for custom-made gloves.

Steve

[kermdawg]

If your going to weld bare handed lube your hand up real good with sun block, the 100 spf stuff, and really lube it on there so its nice and slick.

Than try to feed the rod in and curse all day cause your hand is so slippery you cant feed it in properly.

:p

Honestly, I've used some of those craftsmen "mechanics" gloves on my feeding hand when I was learning. Now, you have to be real careful because if you rest your hand on anything hot that stuff will melt straight to your skin, and give you a nasty burn.

Also, they make real real thin gardening gloves out of leather, or even cotton. You can try some of those, their alot smaller and they make em from xxs to xxl.
Just dont expect the same kind of protection from the regular tig gloves. But they are useable.

[emlclcy]

thanks guys for the advice, my ark timer reads just 3 hours thats all! so will sort something out soon

[Gary]

I would not suggest the latex gloves because ( i know you are TiG welding ) But any type of spatter from touching your tougnsten or even grabbing hot metal might melt the glove to your hand and act like napalm.
I know every time I go the to welding supply I try on different gloves and founf that I like a Tillman glove , not sure of the size but I have ordered gloves over the internet using the same size and number and they do not have the same fit , so I try them on in the shop before buying them.
But definetly get a few good pairs of TIG Gloves because it will help .. I am going on my 5th surgery for skin cancer from the sun or welding but I now always use gloves , arm shields and vest or jacket to keep covered. I am getting tired of surgeries now ,it takes years but it can cach up with you..

Gary

[Billbong]

Hi, bare handed tigging....you are a chancer, once you get a zap from the Hf hitting the filler rod you won't ever hold the filler in a bare hand again....LOL.

I've got a Multiplaz Plasma welder and the filler is held in a special holder that is earthed to the machine....they stress in the book not to hold the filler in a glove (damp with sweat) or the bare hand as the HF in the Mode #2 setting can be lethal.
Ian.

[Landyman]

Check out ebay by looking for thin leather gloves, or tig welding gloves, or welding gloves.
It doesn't help that one supplier calls their size 10 large, another calls them medium.
I've found a size 9 fits my hands nicely. I have some 9.5s i wear at work for mig welding once they have got a bit black and crappy from the material.
If you can find out some manufacturer's names, ask them for suppliers, as they probably won't sell to you direct.
Just keep looking, i wouldn't advise welding in bare skin for any length of time.

[bknox33]

It sucks as I have small hands and also have trouble finding gloves that fit well. I use the revco tiggster gloves in medium and the tillman 24wcm I think they are also medium. I haven't done it yet, but I had one supplier suggest trying a womans glove, revco makes some. I know the other guys in the shop will harass me or anyone else Im sure but whatever works to get the job done and be safe in the process ya know. If small hands aren't the issue then just keep trying different pairs til you find the ones that work, its definitely a process. Don't go barehanded tho because speaking from experience I've had a couple of nasty burns and been shocked from the hf. Good luck

[vr6swap]

I split the difference, wearing a glove on my torch hand (righty) and bareback on my filler hand (lefty). Yes I get the shit shocked out of me once in a while, but I can't get the filler rod slide down with a glove. Not from lack of trying either. Some of us are just uncoordinated. Whatever.

The gloves I use (glove?) are Tillman Tru-Fit, they're like a mechanix-type but are about 50% leather. Local supply house says that Tillman already quit making them so check eBay. I have a pair of Miller gloves but they suck for anything but MIG.

[Landyman]

I've had shocks from the torches at work, but only had a shock from the rod once, when i tried to weld another onto the end of the short one... WON'T be trying THAT again!
WHy did i do that? I hear you sensible guys all saying.
Well, i do a lot of brazing as well, and i never waste any rod by joining the short bit to the new one. Just thought i'd do the same for the tig rod...ONCE

[semihemi]

get you a pair of bsx TIG gloves off ebay and you will never look back.... i had the same problem but the bsx gloves put an end to that
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Stallion- ... 56519f4241