I can unofficially TIG weld again!

Termin8orFox said:
Keep up the good work! I was paralyzed 10 years ago in a motorcycle accident (T-4 Para, complete), I run the pedal with my elbow, and feed with the same hand. (I know, totally different animal that what you have going on) It can be kind of tricky, I've tried some of the hand-operated torch controls, never found one I really liked. They are a pain to try and adjust while keeping a straight bead, and not dipping the tungsten. I liked the momentary switch best, but it wasnt wrth a damn for aluminum, you could only go maybe 3 inches before I got too hot. Alumium is what I mostly did. (Radiators).

Take care and Never give up!



Rudy
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Thanks Rudy, yea we have challenges to over come and its fun watching the look on people's faces when someone like us with a disability do something even most people have a difficult time with.

When I was a pipe fitter we used to scratch start everything. We didn't have foot peddles, just set the amperage and go. If its hot, stop and turn it down vise versa for cold. Used to do it on SS 12g-16g tube all the time. The machine just stayed on stick mode that way the torch was always live.

Only thing I've really seen is the thumb/index finger control and those are okay once you get the hang of it and keeping it steady.

Something that would be cool would be a super small peddle like switch on the torch that you can adjust just like a regular peddle by squeezing it harder or softer for the heat control and start and stop. Hmmm, I have a idea
 
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Lol, I do once in while. When I was welding there it was only 80-100 amps. When I used to weld for a living I would just put 50spf on my arms in summer. It was nice welding in a t shirt then and other would look at me like I was crazy lol. I never told them I was using sunscreen to stay from burning.
 
05cesrt said:
Lol, I do once in while. When I was welding there it was only 80-100 amps. When I used to weld for a living I would just put 50spf on my arms in summer. It was nice welding in a t shirt then and other would look at me like I was crazy lol. I never told them I was using sunscreen to stay from burning.
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Back in my engineer/fabricator days, I spent a full day welding up a series of bumper brackets for a crash test I was designing. I had an apron on, but short sleeves and a gap between my helmet and apron. I was MIG welding and flipping my helmet up and down with my left hand. Gave myself a blistering sunburn on my forearm, and a little wedge on my neck/upper chest. I never welded continuously for such a long time... painful lesson learned.

Very inventive solution, are you feeding the filler somehow, or letting gravity feed it? I have two good hands, and I'm always grinding dipped tungsten.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
beertestr said:
Back in my engineer/fabricator days, I spent a full day welding up a series of bumper brackets for a crash test I was designing. I had an apron on, but short sleeves and a gap between my helmet and apron. I was MIG welding and flipping my helmet up and down with my left hand. Gave myself a blistering sunburn on my forearm, and a little wedge on my neck/upper chest. I never welded continuously for such a long time... painful lesson learned.

Very inventive solution, are you feeding the filler somehow, or letting gravity feed it? I have two good hands, and I'm always grinding dipped tungsten.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
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I'm using a tig pen, it has a wheel in it that as you roll it it feeds the filler wire. I drew up a new model today in a few different angles and I'm going to have them water jetted out so I can mess with it some more.
I plan on getting a few more tig pens and welding them to the bracket to lighten it up a little from the clamps. But that will be father down the road when I get a model that is more precise at dipping.

With this it really doesn't touch the tungsten because the filler rod and the torched are in fixed positions, only issue is sticking the tungsten into the weld puddle. With the new design, I should have more accuracy and a better view of it. The old one required you to be about eye level with the weldment and made it kinda uncomfortable to do long fillet welds. My goal with this is to get certified in a 1g 3/8 v-groove with or with out the backing plate.
 
More practice today, slowly getting better!
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