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27th Oct 2017, 05:56 AM #1Senior Member
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MMA holding the electrode for better control?
I have seen some Youtube videos whereby the Welder, wearing glove is holding the electrode. Is this a dangerous practice?
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27th Oct 2017, 07:57 AM #2Most Valued Member
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Only if it burns your hand,
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27th Oct 2017, 08:05 AM #3Intermediate Member
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- Oct 2008
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Only if you grab the hot bit!
On a more serious note though, it's a quite safe and even recommend practice. Provided everything is dry (especially your gloves) there shouldn't be any problem.
Typically, because of the low voltages involved and the relatively high resistance of the human body, the worst shock you'll get from a stick welding machine is an unpleasant tingle.
I don't recommend this at all, but I have received a shock from the HF start of a TIG machine several times (as has just about everyone who's used one for more than a few hours) and it can leave a small burn, and it stings a bit fora little while, but no lasting damage.
Cheers,... Jon.
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27th Oct 2017, 08:07 AM #4Intermediate Member
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27th Oct 2017, 07:42 PM #5Banned
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- Feb 2015
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- Oz
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Many, many, many years ago when I was working as a welder the shop used 1" x 1/8" steel strapping running from the welders earth terminal to the bench. If you happened to be leaning against the bench or standing on the earth when changing elelectrodes you'd get a boot. Back in the 60s health and safety issues weren't even thought of, shorts, T shirts, leather soled shoes and even thongs were the
clothing for the day. I remember many a welder hopping around the shop because a bit of slag had found it's way into their boot. Every bench also had a 1 gallon tin next to the welder for electrode stubs, after a while you got to be a pretty good shot and you could twist and flip and hit the bucket from yards away, quite often some would fire at each other. Everyone had flash burns on the upper chest, neck and arms. Flash burns to the eyes and steel splinters in the eyes were also the order of the day. Those were the days - not!
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27th Oct 2017, 08:29 PM #6Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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- Feb 2006
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For learners (and even for me in certain situations as I have something called essential tremor which causes my hands to shake) I cut rods half to improve control.
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27th Oct 2017, 08:53 PM #7Banned
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- Feb 2015
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- Oz
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Me too, much easier to control for me, trouble is you're forever changing rods.
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27th Oct 2017, 09:51 PM #8Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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27th Oct 2017, 11:24 PM #9Senior Member
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- Jul 2013
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- nsw
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just like playing pool or snooker it helps to have a good front prop.
questicking
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28th Oct 2017, 01:31 PM #10
When welding in the horizontal or vertical position I sometimes support a fresh long electrode with a gloved finger.
If you cut up a buggered glove, you can cut the fingers off and slide the (back of the hand) portion over the fingers of the supporting glove it makes a handy heat shield to rest the hot electrode on.
The air gap between the two layers of leather allows for a reasonable temperature of your fingers inside your welding glove.
Surprisingly, the slip on lasts longer than you think it would.
Grahame
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29th Oct 2017, 11:05 AM #11Member
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- Feb 2012
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- Sydney
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- 67
As Grahame described, I also support a new long electrode with gloved fingers and gradually move the left hand up the rod until it's shorter, then remove the left hand altogether. For heat shielding I like the silver foil backed pad that slips over the back of the glove. Gunslingers may like smoking gloves but I'm not that keen on singed fingers.
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29th Oct 2017, 02:41 PM #12
I tried the the gloves with woven aluminium foil but it did stink somewhat when it got hot.
The leather on the cover glove got hot , dry and crusty but didn't pong to the extent that the Ali ones did. If there was an air gap between the inner and the outer,the heat was bearable.
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29th Oct 2017, 06:26 PM #13Most Valued Member
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- Aug 2011
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- Melbourne
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- 4,779
When I first started welding I used to cut the electrode in half (as others have done) in order to improve control. I don't do that anymore but I recently (last week) watched a video where the guy held the rod with his other hand to improve control. I had never seen or done that before but have since tried that method and it helps. I just held it with welding gloves and let go when the rod gets shorter.
I also find that WRT welding, I have good days and bad days. Some days I will pull off the sexiest weld bead ever seen (IMHO) and other days I can't weld for ! I also recently found that (unlike billards or pool) my welding ability is greatly reduced after a couple of ciders.
SimonGirl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.
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