General welding questions that dont fit in TIG, MIG, Stick, or Certification etc.
DIY things to rest your arm/wrist/hand when tig welding
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electrode
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I know everyone has used something to rest their arm etc to get in a comfortable position when tig welding, but most of the time its just something handy nearby. I am sure someone has made or purchased an adjustable helper tool for just that, right? Anyone have a pic of some useful contraptions just for this? I have used my shooting rest (filled with rice) and 2x4 and 4x4 pieces and even my vise that is on my welding bench but I am always looking for something better. I was thinking about this before I posted this and thought maybe a head rest from a vehicle with a clamp to mount it to your bench that is adjustable might be an idea. Anyhow, lets see some pics or comments on what you find to be the best for getting in the groove while tig welding.
electrode

p.s. I just found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLumr3Hs5xg

You may want to fast forward a bit. :lol: Simple and very usable. And the guy had seen this on Jody's Tips And Tricks videos. I need to find and watch that one. :)
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The first thing that I ever made with tig was gonna be a giant dice cube. The boss had a ton of 5" X 5" X 1/4" flat bar laying around so I fit it up, tacked it and fillet welded all of the corners. It was my first try at tig welding and it had a shit ton of porosity in the welds. Then I slicked off the corners so that they were nice and round. Before I ever got to milling the dimples into the faces the boss started using it for an arm rest. He said it was one of the best arm rests he had ever used. I have no idea whether it would have been any good for me because I never tried it.
Raymond
Everlast PowerTIG 255EXT
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exnailpounder
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I have a bunch of short 2x4s that I stack up to get me in position. I chose wood because when it was blazing hot and humid here in the summer and I would perspire, I would get zapped by the HF if I grounded to the table instead of the work and I even got it a few times grounded to the work when my gloves got damp.
Ifyoucantellmewhatthissaysiwillbuyyouabeer.
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electrode
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RamboBaby wrote:The first thing that I ever made with tig was gonna be a giant dice cube. The boss had a ton of 5" X 5" X 1/4" flat bar laying around so I fit it up, tacked it and fillet welded all of the corners. It was my first try at tig welding and it had a shit ton of porosity in the welds. Then I slicked off the corners so that they were nice and round. Before I ever got to milling the dimples into the faces the boss started using it for an arm rest. He said it was one of the best arm rests he had ever used. I have no idea whether it would have been any good for me because I never tried it.
Did he use it for a welding armrest or just in his office at his desk? :lol:
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electrode
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exnailpounder wrote:I have a bunch of short 2x4s that I stack up to get me in position. I chose wood because when it was blazing hot and humid here in the summer and I would perspire, I would get zapped by the HF if I grounded to the table instead of the work and I even got it a few times grounded to the work when my gloves got damp.
I use wood a lot for the same reason. It gets hot and with a welding jacket and gloves you sure do perspire. I hate getting zapped. :twisted: Speaking of grounding to the table vs grounding to the work, does anyone here use an extension ground wire with a smaller clamp that connects to the work clamp at the table, and then clamps to the work? Like a jumper cable. I have seen pics where people are clamped to the work but it looks like an extension they made as opposed to the main work clamp.
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electrode wrote: Speaking of grounding to the table vs grounding to the work, does anyone here use an extension ground wire with a smaller clamp that connects to the work clamp at the table, and then clamps to the work? Like a jumper cable. I have seen pics where people are clamped to the work but it looks like an extension they made as opposed to the main work clamp.
I made a extension with small clamps that I use on low amperage work that has finished machined surfaces that I don't want to have in direct contact with the work table.
Richard
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I have a small welding bench (too small) that was meant to be temporary but, through necessity, has become permanent.

Fitting any kind of fabricated rest onto the bench would just crowd it up too much.

However, some time ago a good friend gave me a lot of blocks of scrap aluminium and I often use these, stacked in various ways, as rests and steadies. They work a treat and of course they are great chill blocks, too. Once I finally get together a bigger bench, I think a fabricated arm rest will be part of the plan, but for now I'm getting by okay. I think that part of the reason for this is that I weld very few long runs in the work I do.



Kym
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electrode wrote:
RamboBaby wrote:The first thing that I ever made with tig was gonna be a giant dice cube. The boss had a ton of 5" X 5" X 1/4" flat bar laying around so I fit it up, tacked it and fillet welded all of the corners. It was my first try at tig welding and it had a shit ton of porosity in the welds. Then I slicked off the corners so that they were nice and round. Before I ever got to milling the dimples into the faces the boss started using it for an arm rest. He said it was one of the best arm rests he had ever used. I have no idea whether it would have been any good for me because I never tried it.
Did he use it for a welding armrest or just in his office at his desk? :lol:
Armrest for tig welding
Raymond
Everlast PowerTIG 255EXT
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electrode
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I guess you should have made 2 of them. :D
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paul_s
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I made a couple of rests from 3/4" OD tubing, 1" OD 1/8" wall square tubing and 1/4 x 20 thumb screws welded to 1/4" plate. The tall one goes on the floor with an anvil on it and the short one gets clamped to the welding table.
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electrode
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paul_s wrote:I made a couple of rests from 3/4" OD tubing, 1" OD 1/8" wall square tubing and 1/4 x 20 thumb screws welded to 1/4" plate. The tall one goes on the floor with an anvil on it and the short one gets clamped to the welding table.
Was your 3/4" tubing 1/16" wall? Curious as I have a bunch of that and am going to the steel store tomorrow, and am not sure if that is thick enough, but I think it is. :)
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paul_s
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The tubing doesn't matter what wall thickness is. My longer setup is 1/16 stainless and the shorter is 1/8 regular steel. It is what my metal store had on hand at the time.
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electrode
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paul_s wrote:The tubing doesn't matter what wall thickness is. My longer setup is 1/16 stainless and the shorter is 1/8 regular steel. It is what my metal store had on hand at the time.
I figured 1/16" wall was good as it is pretty stout. Just checking, thanks. ;) As long as I don't crank down too hard on the locking bolts. Saves me some money that I can spend on other steel tomorrow, like 1/4 flat bar for the base. :)
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