Old timer at Local 74 showed me a trick for tube sheet welding I still use

I was on a shutdown at a paper mill in Oregon about 5 years ago and this grizzled guy named Jerry grabbed my stinger right out of my hand. He said "you're fighting the arc, let it pull you through" and showed me how to let the puddle lead instead of steering it. That one sentence fixed my root pass problems overnight. Has anyone else had an older hand correct a basic habit that changed how you weld?

3 comments

3 Comments

beth_reed4d agoMost Upvoted

Had the same thing happen with an old pipefitter named Mike. He just tapped my elbow and said "relax your grip, you're choking it to death." Let the rod do the work. Been welding smoother ever since.

miles_roberts4d ago

Old school pipefitters always have the best tips, man. That "relax your grip" trick works for almost everything once you trust the puddle.

blair_webb4d ago

Let the rod do the work" sounds good but some metals need a firm hand.