Welding Tips and Tricks

i'm tig welding alot of boats these days and the foot pedal is sometimes hard to use when i'm climbing inside the boat to weld. Sometimes i have to use my knee on the pedal. i need to buy a torch with a switch on it. I know i will lose my variable amperage but i'll just have to deal with it. I'm not set up for a water cooled torch. What do you all suggest and where is the best place to buy it?

look at all the questions with no replies!!!! whats up with that. nothing but newbies on here or what? Jody we need someone reading and answering these questions!

The site isn't that busy dude. Give them a few days.

There are all sorts of "thumb controls" out there. You will still have remote amperage control.

There are two basic types. One is a bit like a radio knob; It clicks "on" and "off", and the farther you turn it, the more amps you get. The other type is a slide switch, somewhat like the slides on your stereo's equalizer. Both attach to the barrel of your torch. I use zip-ties, because they usually allow you to move the switch around for the most comfortable position, while holding it tight enough not to move unexpectedly.

Yes, you can get an "on/off" switch, but if you're used to a pedal, you'll hate it.

Let me dig a little, and I'll name a manufacturer or two... I use them regularly at work, but I've never had to order one.

Steve

Check out CK Worldwide web site (Just google it!). he make a torch controller that is like a track roller. I saw one on another site for sale for $135. This company seems to make a lot of nice items.
Another trick I just heard about ( I just took a 1 week TIG class at Lincoln Electric) is to use the slide type control. These controls are just pushed with your finger and stay in the spot you leave them. If you want them to return when you let go, you just add a rubber band looped around the button. It will retract the slider if that is what you like.

Let us know what you come up with!

jadatown wrote:look at all the questions with no replies!!!! whats up with that. nothing but newbies on here or what? Jody we need someone reading and answering these questions!

I don't think Jody has a chance to read these forum boards. I can't say that I have ever seen him post here.

He does however do a fine job on the weekly videos and they must take up an incredible amount of time... so I'l let him off with this one! LOL

There are already some very knowledgeable welders on here that do usually chime in. I have learned a great deal from these people as well as Jody's videos. Compared to some other boards where people jump all over you in their struggle to show superiority, this site is a dream!

Ultralow787 wrote: ...There are already some very knowledgeable welders on here that do usually chime in. I have learned a great deal from these people as well as Jody's videos. Compared to some other boards where people jump all over you in their struggle to show superiority, this site is a dream!

Agreed. I've been welding as a major part of my profession for about thirty years, and I still learn something every time I come here. Jody's no-nonsense videos are very informative, and, as you said, there are many talented people here so that almost any question can be answered.

I participate on a few other forums, and you're right. There are too many people out there who are too busy blowing their own horns to be useful when we have a question. I like the fact that most of the questions asked here are answered mater-of-factly without the BS and bluster I've seen on other sites.

Steve

Thanks to StephanusThie on another topic,

Check out these torch-mounted amperage controls:

http://www.ckworldwide.com/amperage_controls.htm

Steve

If you have a TIG machine where you can set some downslope (like 2 seconds is good), you can easily "throttle" the power on aluminum with just using a torch switch in 2T mode. Just set the peak current at say, 120-150% of what you will be welding at along the bulk of the joint. Then to get puddle established in aluminum, you just press and hold the switch. When it's time to throttle the power back and progress the bead, cycle the torch switch manually as needed to engage the downslope in order to throttle the current.

Here are some projects I did climbing around in a boat with a torch switch:
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/forum ... akeru-s-8)
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/forum ... jakeru-s-)
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/forum ... keru-s-10)

That was with an Everlast Super200P, with the factory torch switch transferred over onto an aftermarket CK Trimline 210 torch. (a really nice aircooled torch.)

If you had some adjustable "upslope", that'd be good to (although I don't have that on my machine and don't think not having it has really held back my torch switch technique.)

Cheers

You don't need to spend a lot of money on a torch switch, either. I like the "paddle style" because it's easy to operate with a variety of torch holding positions, and you can move it around (they fasten to the TIG torch handle with zip-ties.)

Here is an example of a "paddle style" TIG torch switch:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Welding-Accesso ... 557wt_1185

If you're still looking for a finger controller from my experience this was the easiest to use.

http://stores.ae-welding-industrial.com ... Detail.bok

The problem with the side tractor style is your end up moving the torch around too much trying to adjust the amps but with the top slide you just ease it up with your finger and away you go. I'm sure the tractor style works just fine but it does have a learning curve that I didn't feel like dealing with. I used the top slide style on boats for a few years with no problems. Also used just the on/off trigger too. Doing the Bump style welding. Give it a shot and see what you think. The thing that sucks is both the Tractor and the Slide are not cheap so I'd say buy one and stick with it, ha ha! But, I never had any problems with this one.

Let us know what you think