Walking the cup

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 11-13-2004 14:08

You may have already seen this on my site http://www.weldinginspectionsvcs.com/WalkingTheCup.htm .

Maybe I'll get some information to add to the page from your question.

I hope to put some actual videos online soon.

Hope it helps

Gerald Austin
Iuka, Mississippi

By SLowChild (*)

Date 12-01-2004 20:42

Walking the cup at that angle shown on your site...wouldn't that draw air in from the rear of the torch? The shielding gas would pull air in and contaminant the weld?

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 12-01-2004 21:51

Hey Slow,

He doesn't call himself PipeWelder for nothin! :)

The technique he demonstrates works, on mild or stainless. Try it out for yourself. With a bit of practice you will be doing it too.

That ol cup in the photos got to be the way it looks from workin.

By RonG

Date 12-01-2004 22:03

Yea! Beause of here lately thanks to his skate board thats all he can walk is the cup ;-).

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 12-02-2004 11:29

OH! YOUR Killin me!:)

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 12-01-2004 23:34

Hey Slowchild!

Have you ever even "walked the cup"? on pipe or tubing?

Because if you've never attempted to do so, then you should'nt question the method without having any experience in doing so!!!

My advice to you son is to practice how to crawl first before you get to learn how to walk -the cup!!!

When you get to HIWT, they'll show you how to do it -then you can give your educated opinion but, until then act like a sponge and practice,practice, and practice some more...
When you get tired of practicing so much, that's when you know that you've got to practice some more and, when you think you're done practicing, you need to remember that for the rest of your career as a welder you must continue to practice in order to avoid complacency!!!

P.S. Hey Gerald! hows the ankle doing? I pray that your doing better friend because I know how bad it feels when you ca'nt perform at 100%!
Please take my advice not to rush yourself back into action too soon so that the ankle heals completely because, I made that error in judgment awhile back with a different but nonetheless disabling injury and ended up right back where I started -disabled... Lesson learned!!!

Respectfully,
SSBN727 Run Silent... Run Deep!!!

By SLowChild (*)

Date 12-02-2004 04:42

Ok, I came to this board to futher my education, now you don't learn without asking question. I wasn't saying you was wrong. "Welding Principles and Applications Fifth Edition" Page 362 figure 15-35. Thats all I was applying to your torch angle. I would also like to say your guys are assholes.

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 12-02-2004 04:44

Talk about biting the hand that feeds ya.

Sheesh

By SLowChild (*)

Date 12-02-2004 04:52

Can you please explain your metaphor.

By tab_1999 (**)

Date 12-23-2004 14:53

Calm down slowchild,
Some folks are easily offended.

Walking the cup takes a lot of practice. Quite frankly you don't have to be welding all the time to practice! Find an old Tig Head thats broke (from the leaners) remove it from the lines and put the cup, tungsten all in place and practice walking on everything. e.g. desk, table, scrap pipe or even a glass jar. Get the principle down then go for it. All welders weld different so you'll get all kinds of input. I used to teach folks to hold a broken head between their thumb & fingers and pratice walking. Change the length of stickout to learn progression speed."Not too far, there are rules of thumb and some WPS or weld data sheets that address the maximum stickout.
The more direct the tungsten points to the work, the better penetration, and less suckback "with a fairly short arc length"

Good Luck!!!

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 12-02-2004 11:24

Hey SSBN,

The ankle is much better. The cast came off the other day and I'm in a walking boot. I reviewed the film :) and saw the screws. If they would have put one in about another 1/2" longer, they would have had to put a nut on the end of it.

My wife is MUCH happier that I am better. A 230 Lb baby is quite a bit to care for.

I appreciate the concern. I've found a job which doesn't require me to stress the ankle as much. Its not using much of my welding experience but neither was not having a job!

Have a good day and thanks again

Gerald

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 12-02-2004 11:16

Hey Slow,

You do have a point. In cases where excess gas flow is used this could cause a problem. 30CFH acts alot different with a number 4 cup as opposed to a # 12. The piece of metal in the pictures was welded with a torch angle very similar to the one shown. The angle may look a little different because it is plate as opposed to pipe.

You have to get to the extreme of most of the parameters before a problem starts. Your already ahead of the game if you realize what problems are likely to occur.

I've been experimenting with a #10 lens over my digital camera in hopes of getting some actual short videos. Still working out the kinks.
Have a nice day

Gerald

By kawgomoo (*)

Date 12-12-2004 20:29

walking the cup is the single most frustrating thing i have ever done. it fuggin sucks. for 2 solid days it kicked my ass, then late ont eh third day it just "clicked" i dont know why. but all the sudden it made sense. now its so easy to do i cant believe it was so hard at first. as far as torch angle, you do lean wwaaaaayyy back. it seems like cup walking goes against everything uve ever been taught about tig. but basically the guys at HIWT just say... dont worry about torch angle, if your arc length is 1/6th or less ur fine. thats the only thing you have to worry about. the pipe has a serious V to it so i guess the gas just hangs out in the groove somewhat. i dont know why it works, but it does. i also think the pipe course should have the name changed to advanced tungsten grinding with a little bit of welding tossed in. you will foul ur tungsten more times trying to learn to walk the cup than you will in all the other tig classes combined. it sucks, i hated it. i wanted to give up. now im so glad i took it, it taught me alot about torch control.... and frustration control for that matter.