Hot pinky

[Piero]

I have finnaly had 1/2 an hour to try and stack some dimes.
having owned my New Lorch Tig for probley over a month now, what with one thing and an other, I have not really tried to do some runs.
had the odd play with setting, tips etc etc
but not a dedicated stacking time.

Well I must say, dont the last two fingers on the torch hand get hot!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have some very good quality tig gloves, but them aint flame proff

I now welding tips etc etc does his tig finger thing, but what do you goes do about it.

I was welding at about 90 amps on some steel.

 

[langy]

Shouldn't be that hot, you might be holding the torch wrong

 

[Seano]

Torch hand may be moving a bit too slow as well, pralctice and experience piero.....

 

[Piero]

Holding the torch like a pencel, as per loads of you tube vids.

I am moving slow, yes, but the work item does take in alot of heat,

I am only used to mig,

with tig, the work peice seems to absorbe the heat loads

 

[BrokenBiker]

the welders in work all wrap strips of cut up tshirts soaked in water around their little finger when tig'in dunno if it will affect the weld, or how long it lasts before needing re soaking, but it works for them

 

[Piero]

with time, I will be able to move faster, thinks thats whats needed.

 

[Paul.]

Apart from on very light work (micro tig) I have never seen the point in using a pencil grip, and would never teach it for general work, far better in my opinion to hold the torch by the handle, the torch balance will be better, and your gloves will last longer, if torch angle is a problem use a flexible neck torch.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/tig-technique/body-position-large.jpg
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/tig-technique/tig-welding-large.jpg

 

[500e]

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/tillman-welding-gloves-tigfinger.html

 

[hotrodder]

Apart from on very light work (micro tig) I have never seen the point in using a pencil grip, and would never teach it for general work, far better in my opinion to hold the torch by the handle, the torch balance will be better, and your gloves will last longer, if torch angle is a problem use a flexible neck torch.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/tig-technique/body-position-large.jpg
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/tig-technique/tig-welding-large.jpg

I think you're maybe defining pencil grip differently (as least compared to how i would). From your description i'm picturing holding the torch by the head/neck (which i do sometimes). In your first pic your hand is about the same position on the torch handle as i'd use for a lot of general stuff except that i'd hold the handle more like how you'd hold a pencil i.e. first finger and thumb doing the driving. If i was doing something similar to the demo in the pic there'd actually be less of my hand touching the workpiece/table and it wouldn't be any closer to the weld

Piero could it be that you're resting a bit too heavily on your hand/fingers (more likely if your griping the torch too hard)? Paul's using what i'd call a hammer grip in those pics BUT he's got a loose, relaxed grip more like how you'd hold a panel beating hammer. Many newbies tend to hold the torch tightly like would if they're about to swing a club hammer (even with a pencil grip) and as a result end up leaning hard on the work rather than just gauging/lightly steadying themselves. If you're doing that then you're gonna cook your hand

Personally i have something similar to the TIG finger (homemade using a bit of woven fibreglass, some left over exhaust wrap IIRC) but i rarely use it as most of the time resting/bracing my elbow on/against something gets me steady enough to be barely touching the work with the tip/knuckle of a finger.

Another trick that can take the edge off of temps is to cut a finger or two off of an old pair gloves to 'double up' the thickness on the pinky/ring finger

 

[Premiershipman]

I bought a tig finger from weldingtipsandtricks.com, I think they are pretty neat ! Also got the t shirt and DVD.

 

[Paul.]

I think you're maybe defining pencil grip differently (as least compared to how i would). From your description i'm picturing holding the torch by the head/neck

Yes from the description of a cooked finger that's exactly what I imagined, with the hand covering the hot bead, many tig welders use a pencil type grip on the handle, even me on occasion but its not a grip I personally favour, much preferring the hammer / pistol grip, As we know too well in the real world of welding (other than knocking out coupons under near ideal conditions / positions) you need to master a variety of techniques, all have there uses and no one method is particularly right or wrong, worth also mentioning that pencil grips are really only suitable when used with pedals or remote foot switches, a pistol grip will allow you to use the thumb or forefinger to press a local torch switch

For the benefit of non tiggers or beginners a few pictures.

Pencil grips on the torch head, will cook your fingers so ok for light work


And pencil grips on the torch handle and neck, common grip but not my favoured method

 

[hotrodder]

Those pics illustrate things well. Personally while i do use a pedal most of the time i still prefer a pencil grip when using a button on the torch but as you say...

in the real world of welding (other than knocking out coupons under near ideal conditions / positions) you need to master a variety of techniques, all have there uses and no one method is particularly right or wrong

flex neck torches obviously make life easier but sometimes it's easier or even necessary to hold the torch upside down to avoid catching your hand/the handle on obstacles etc etc

 

[Piero]

Ah, thanks for the pics and help guys.

In my situation, I am using the pencil grip on the Handel togeather with a foot switch.

The work paice still gets hot, even though I am holding the torch well towards the end, away from the head.

Could it not just simply be due to constant welding of the same item.

I was praticing laying beads, going up and down over and over.
Surly its going to get hot no.

 

[langy]

I hold my torch in different ways to get the job done but like Paul I don't hold it like in the first pic.
If I ever get a situation where my hand is getting hot I just slip a mug glide onto my torch hand.

 

[Piero]

What's a mug glide langy???

 

[langy]

What's a mug glide langy???

bloody phones, that should of said mig glove

 

[Piero]

Love it, happens to me all the time on my not so smart smart phone

 

[Robotstar5]

bloody phones, that should of said mig glove

I hate the predictive text function

 

[Seano]

Just realised why Paul doesn't get a hot right pinky.....he's a lefty.......

 

[J_K]

I hold my torch in different ways to get the job done but like Paul I don't hold it like in the first pic.
If I ever get a situation where my hand is getting hot I just slip a mug glide onto my torch hand.

Same here.
I recently welded up an intercooler with fixed pipework for a friend and some of the spots I had to get to were really awkward so ended up holding the torch in all sorts of nasty ways.
And my tig finger came in very handy for that..