Welding Tips and Tricks

Im just curious ? I find walking for me produces better results but I work in a maintenance area where free hand isnt easy to utilize. Ive done free hand on a few things but I dont have the luxury of sitting down and bracing my arm for it (yeah theyre jerks like that). I would just like to get a few tips and pointers as to free handing TIG vs Walking... Thanks Gents

well, thats a big topic in tig welding, both technics have ups and downs,

You don't need to sit down for freehand, just touch the pipe with your litll finger (if it's too jerky), also i think a flexible torch is a must for freehand.
I only welded a few pipes walking the cup,just to see how it goes but it's not for me.

I was taught walkin teh cup in school but almost all my real world stuff is free hand. I will say what was told to me practice, practice, practice.

different situations call for different technique.

Anthony

Is walking the cup done with the cup on the work piece or is it done with the cup off the workpiece using a crecent moon type motion. I dunno, I like the latter better because it flows better for me. The other way just seemed really jerky and I kept sticking the tungsten. As a side note, I'm just now starting to get the hang of working without a hand rest. I've noticed that my welds are starting to look a lot better when I try to keep a lighter torch hand.

I don't know, I'm just a newbie trying new stuff that aint new at all... LOL.. I've got a scrap bucket labled "Fido's Butt Bucket"..

LOL great replies. Ive been playing with both and im getting better with freehand vs walking the cup. I guess it just depends on what your doing.

torn7th wrote:LOL great replies. Ive been playing with both and im getting better with freehand vs walking the cup. I guess it just depends on what your doing.

share some pictures then, will let u know if you're geting better

I have always been raised doing it free hand, but now my instructor is having me walk the cup. I'm struggling with it, but I'm hoping that, like said above, the practice makes it easier and look better too.

Hi there,

As Jody says. Dont be a one trick pony. Learn how to do both. I dont do enough tigging to warrant walking but i would like to learn. It looks cool.

Mick

I learned "Walking The Cup" first so it was easy for my. I fined that those those with less than steady hands.....this is me.......this is a good way to go. Also "Walking The Cup" is also good at keep your hands off the hot work area!

I free hand it cause I mostly do outside corners. Its too hard to walk it.

I've always found walking the cup gives me a jerky action, which isn't good, so i 'walk the hand' instead.
I'm lucky in that 98% of my work is in jigs, so i just position it or me so that i can slide my hand or a finger to make things easier.