Alternative Amp Controls
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:29 am
Hi all, Maybe this has been covered prior, but could not find answers. I have been using foot controls like most people for maintaining a good arc. No real issues, except that I am a stroke patient...have some occasional "he-be-jee-bees" that come from nowhere. Hehe...at least I have an excuse.
Though right handed, I have found that I weld much better with the torch in my left...my stroke affected side! It is more stable. That said, I do not do so well with the longer body extensions...long legs. Torch in left, wire in right, right foot on pedal. (Left does not get along well with others) As I said...no true issues, but I am still looking for more comfort and smoothness.
I have tried a few hand amp controls...all cause too much variation for me. Not fun, bad welds. Therefore, my engineering mind went crazy. Here is my question:
Why not have an amp controller that works on the wire feed hand? I am a bit of a thumb feeder by practice. (Across my mid-finger, with some index pressure control.) If I could control amps with another finger, any/all of the lower two or three, I could be smoother and more accurate.
I used a weed eater throttle- hand controller to "simulate" the feel. Not too bad! What I felt and saw was the potential to feed wire through an orifice, instead of my middle finger...thus having my mid finger for better arc control.
If nothing is out there, I will make one for myself...after all, that's what we do in our world! What do you say? Has this been tried before?
Though right handed, I have found that I weld much better with the torch in my left...my stroke affected side! It is more stable. That said, I do not do so well with the longer body extensions...long legs. Torch in left, wire in right, right foot on pedal. (Left does not get along well with others) As I said...no true issues, but I am still looking for more comfort and smoothness.
I have tried a few hand amp controls...all cause too much variation for me. Not fun, bad welds. Therefore, my engineering mind went crazy. Here is my question:
Why not have an amp controller that works on the wire feed hand? I am a bit of a thumb feeder by practice. (Across my mid-finger, with some index pressure control.) If I could control amps with another finger, any/all of the lower two or three, I could be smoother and more accurate.
I used a weed eater throttle- hand controller to "simulate" the feel. Not too bad! What I felt and saw was the potential to feed wire through an orifice, instead of my middle finger...thus having my mid finger for better arc control.
If nothing is out there, I will make one for myself...after all, that's what we do in our world! What do you say? Has this been tried before?