[TheForge] TIG opinions, please

[Ries Niemi]

>
> Hello,
>
> Why do you need a foot pedal?  Will you be doing critical welding at 
> real low amperage?  IMO a foot pedal is real handy for AL but have 
> found it of no use for general Tig work.   Also, unless you will be 
> welding AL all day everyday a water cooled torch is also unnecessary.  
> I've Tig welded steel all day at heats ranging from 55 to 100 amps 
> without overheating my torch. Sure I might have to wear a glove but 
> that's about it.
>
> Best,
> Bill Woolley
>

I love my foot pedals- got one on both my tig welders.
Sure, I can scratch start if I have to. Done plenty of it, in all kinds 
of wacky locations. But that doesnt mean I like it.
I also have a fingertip control on one torch- Hate it. Only use it when 
I absolutely have to.
I gotta disagree about the watercooled torch, too. I have often gotten 
an air cooled torch too hot to hold, even with gloves on.
But maybe its also the amps- the other day, I had to weld for a couple 
of hours- and my amp setting was 165. On thicker stuf, I am often 
running between 175 and 200 amps. Which gets the torch hot quick.
I find I can really rip with a foot pedal, doing 2 or 3 times as many 
welds per hour- with an auto dark hood, I just blast from one to the 
next- a recent piece I had to do had over 800 joints, with 8 welds per, 
so the time saved by the foot pedal was really worth it. Screws up the 
tungsten a lot less, when you can see and control what your are doing.

Ries Niemi
Industrial Artist

http://www.RiesNiemi.com