Welding Tips and Tricks

What do you do with the left over TIG filler stubs after you are done with a project? I always lay them on the front of my welder to wait for their next opportunity to stick something together. The problem with that is they inevitably end up on the floor somewhere behind the welder. The link below is a short video on how I solved the problem. If you like it please give it a thumbs up and if you are interested in seeing more please feel free to subscribe to my channel.

https://youtu.be/DdqtDD9WoI8

Thanks for watching,
Scott

Nice idea...but those are stubs?

My stubs are only about an inch long!


Kym

Schit can 'em!

MosquitoMoto wrote:Nice idea...but those are stubs?

My stubs are only about an inch long!


Kym

I thought I was getting warm fingers at 3" long stubs.. Your fingers must be toasty at 1" Kym!

Nice concept though Scott.

What I mainly weld is relatively small sculpture work made up of bits of this and that. So issues of penetration, oxide coatings and a host of other bug-a-boos that haunt us all when we consider a welded join for construction purposes just don't mean a lot.

Therefore, I save all my cast-off ends and then when the pile is large enough I take a mild moment and spot weld the suckers back together into useable rod lengths.

But don't get me wrong. If I'm working on something where the weld has to be right I reach for fresh, untouched tig filler rod every time.

OzFlo wrote:

MosquitoMoto wrote:Nice idea...but those are stubs?

My stubs are only about an inch long!


Kym

I thought I was getting warm fingers at 3" long stubs.. Your fingers must be toasty at 1" Kym!

Nice concept though Scott.

decrease your torch angle from the vertical and tighten up your arc length. It's all technique.

MosquitoMoto wrote:Nice idea...but those are stubs?

My stubs are only about an inch long!


Kym

Does this make me cheap then

I think it's funny to see that after a person welds for a profit and on things for others you realize that there is a trade off between fast, cheap, and quality. In the grand scheme of things filler metal is probably your cheapest input to end cost. Except on rare materials.

Poland308 wrote:I think it's funny to see that after a person welds for a profit and on things for others you realize that there is a trade off between fast, cheap, and quality. In the grand scheme of things filler metal is probably your cheapest input to end cost. Except on rare materials.

Good point Josh,
I would also add that not everyone sees thru the same window of life...so to speak. I've seen TIG welders throw away 8 inch "stubs". Some waste and some conserve. Some go overboard, some don't go far enough.
Still I understand your point of view and agree.

My company made me take "sensitivity training", and I'm just not comfortable with being asked where I stick my stubs...



Steve S

That depends on where you do actually stick your stubs. I can't see why you couldn't admit to sticking them in the bin

sometime ill take the stubs (longer ones) and shape
them into an S to hang small painted parts to dry.
craig

I try to save anything around 6" or more . They are nice for tacking stuff. Somehow my stubs always seem to end up in the wrong place ...or dumping out on the floor . Wish I had a better answer, I hate to waste .