Or even worse Boilermaker, being too stuborn to ask for help and welding it. Then when the weld does not make X-Ray or leaks and they send someone else in to fix your mistakes. Your name is written in the colums in paint stick, not soapstone LOL.
What Local are you out of if you don't mind my asking. I am a member of Local 107.
Mike
John,
Thanks again for your advice. I'm already signed up for another welding class before I get in the pipe class, where I hope to spend my time exclusively in TIG, with a better teacher this time around.
I can see the advantages of what you're saying with using both hands. I only spent 2 nights in my last class on TIG, and that's the extent of my GTAW experience, and I already spent some time switching. For a beginner, one of the most frustrating things is trying to manipulate your welding rod so it doesn't melt down to your fingertips. I am right handed, and I immediately found that I can follow the tungsten easily with my left, and since I write with my right hand, I can manipluate the rod a bit easier with that hand, so I am already practicing a bit with both.
One major frustration I had, was I was using thick MIG gloves to weld with. I tried freehanding it for a while, but it got too hot. Since then I have bought some thinner TIG gloves for the next time I encounter the GTAW process again.
I wish I had spent a lot more time with acetylene welding in my beginning class. I had a knack for it, but only spent 1 night welding and 1 night cutting. I wish my father's regulator hadn't gone on the fritz on his oxygen tank, or I could practice at home. Acetylene welding is very similar to GTAW and its a lot cheaper for a setup.
Any beginners out there in TIG, I recommend you get some thinner gloves that allow for dexterity, and if you can afford it, get yourself a small acetylene setup and start with that if you can't afford a full GTAW setup.
Mathius