[Vince51]

For the welders who have been at it for a while. Do you still practice? I weld almost every day. Won't lie I went prolly 7 years without practicing. Started to notice my caps were getting sloppy. So I started to practice when I can. Walking the cup on the steering wheel, paying attention to rod angles, trying different weaves, and etc. anything to stay interested really.
What's your routine?

[weldin mike 27]

Hey,

I like to practice from time to time. The other guys at work laugh at me, but thats how i roll. Then when welding at home, its all different, stick and scratch start tig, so its all practice. Ive just got a gas lense so im moving onto ss and really make sure to practice my trailing out of the crater and snap out,

Mick

[Superiorwelding]

I think any welder who is honest with themselves will say they will never stop practicing. Some could say we are practicing everyday on the job. I still do practice. Me and a engineer are supposed to go to Brazil soon and along with teaching him how to stick weld I practiced my overhead and noted weld settings/rod angles for our particular welds. We set a mock up of what we will be doing down there. Sometimes I come home and go to the garage and practice TIG, but sometimes that's just to have a little alone time after a long day. Welding is no different than sports really, if they don't practice their moves and plays, on game day they will not be 100%.

[rick9345]

before I set to a job I do the pat your head with one hand,rub my tummy with the other, and tap my foot,
then run a few inches of weld to check my settings etc. gets me going in rythm for the job at hand.
I volunteer at a school and get some strange looks from students not mention others on the job

[Wes917]

I weld at work, when I get home I will do some if I haven't done a particular weld in awhile. I do practice my aluminum at home now that I don't do any at work

[Bulldog2010]

I practice all the time. I practice at work and home. The more time I spend welding the better I get. I Practice on postion welds cause sometime thay can be the hardest

[Arizona SA200]

Everyone that wants to get better practices. Some do it at home if they can and some do it while at work. I know what my skills are and where I'm lacking so i will practice on the areas i am lacking in. I weld using a lot of different processes and would say I'm pretty good at them but some areas I want to be better at. I've been practicing for a stainless to carbon pipe job that is coming up. The guys that are good got there for a reason.

[NYWELDERJim]

Since i don't get to weld nearly as often as I would like to, I always keep some scrap material in the shop of the same type and thickness as the pieces for the project. I'll weld up the scrap/practice pieces to get back into the mode then weld the project pieces. Most of the time I'll weld up a practice joint and put a date on it so the next time I weld I can compare it to the new work to see if I am getting better or worse. I make notes on the practice part indicating the electrode dia., cup size, gas flow, etc. to make sure I don't forget something important. I'd like to get enough time for myself to practice 3 times a week for at least an hour or 2 at a time. I really need to start practicing feeding the filler rod through my fingers, can practice that anywhere, anytime although i might get some strange looks from people.

Jim

[Otto Nobedder]

I do wish I could practice more.

My job has me spending anywhere from a few hours to as much as 6 weeks finding a flaw, and then I'm the only one in the shop certified to make the repair. If it's been weeks since I've welded, I will spend an hour practicing before I do the ASME code weld, but I'm frustrated that I can't do my job AND stay current with my welding skills.

Steve S

[MinnesotaDave]

I really need to start practicing feeding the filler rod through my fingers, can practice that anywhere, anytime although i might get some strange looks from people.

Jim

Feed some filler while watching tv

[Superiorwelding]

I really need to start practicing feeding the filler rod through my fingers, can practice that anywhere, anytime although i might get some strange looks from people.

Jim

Feed some filler while watching tv

You know what's funny is sometimes I cant feed wire unless I am welding. I will sit there all dumbfounded until I "remember".

[Bulldog2010]

That's so true. People will always look at u in a funny way. I practice all the time even when I don't have my welder in hand. I practice speed for filler and hand control.

[mcoe]

I only get to weld on weekends so after going a week without being able to weld I spend my Friday nights practicing just for the fun of it. I have a 1 foot by 1 foot 1/4" thick plate that I have ran bead after bead after bead on both sides. I run two beads about an inch wide and practice weaving, I practice curves everything. I even made a stand that I clamp to the table and weld vertical and horizontal. I have fun with it.

[Vince51]

Done the filler feed while watching outdoor channel. Works like a charm. I still enjoy it and practice for fun when I can. Helps to get in a booth sometimes too. After so long in a pipe rack welding in a booth gets hard. Everything sounds more aggressive when its quite around you for a change.