Welding Tips and Tricks

Recently I was asked to do some TIG welding underneath a car. Since my preference was to be able to use my foot pedal for better control (instead of my euro-style push-button torch) I decided to put together a pedal holder to allow for foot control when lying on my back.

I threw this thing together from some scrap wood I had lying around. It holds my foot pedal in an almost vertical position. The construction details should be absolutely obvious. I have not bothered with listing dimensions as nothing is critical.

There is a strong elastic band running around the pedal to keep it in position and keep it from falling forward. The band passes over the pedal just above the pivot point so it has no effect whatsoever on the pedal's action. I also put a small wedge of chair foam under the pedal to avoid any 'scuffing' of the lip of the pedal against the bottom wooden plate. Beyond that there are no mechanical connections at all and the pedal is in no way altered or damaged.

Holding the pedal construction in position is the only issue. I think that the best approach is probably to put some bricks or maybe a cinder block on the back end to hold it in place and keep it from skating away from the foot when in use.

Hope this inspires some of you.

Great idea

There used to be a guy on tv (when I had a test pattern and one channel) that when things clicked just right said..."I'll be a blue nosed gopher".
That is a great idea. Thank you for sharing.

The skating issue maybe could use some of those elastic bands and wrap around your calf, just a thought. But great idea!


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Wicked!

I squeeze mine between my thighs or have someone standing by run the pedal when I get into those situations. Recently also bought a TIG Button and have been impressed with it. Used it yesterday in fact to tack a socket to a stripped bolt on a motorcycle engine. Pedal was needed, but had the Button.

I do like your solution though!

Well, I'll be darned.

That's damn brilliant.

I gotta get me one of those.

just a suggestion....have you thought of that anti skid tape for on steps for the bottom of your invention? ... like sandpaper one side and sticky tape on the other side. Also, I have one of those tig buttons...amazing,,nothing moves but can regulate the amperage. MAGIC. y'all can check with my bride, she always tells me that I like pushing buttons.

Just wanted to say I’m glad so many of you found this post to be of interest.
Also wanted to point out that this really was a ‘throw together’ project... about an hour, start-to-finish.
If there had been more time to think it through the design would have been different.
What would I change?
Originally I thought that the weight of my leg on that section of board extending to the front would hold the peddle in place. This proved not to be the case, thus the need to put some weight behind. The construction actually needs more length/area behind the peddle as a place for that weight.
In addition, perhaps some small ‘outriggers’ for stability and maybe even some holes through the base to allow one to drive some pegs down through and into the ground when working on a softer surface like grass or a gravel-topped drive.
Anyway, I’m sure that with a little thought every one of you can do better with your own variations on this design.
Good luck and happy welding!

Ignatz200,

The pedal jig idea will no doubt help someday. I noticed your profile information mentions making art and that you work copper and bronze. If you are able please share some pictures on the forum. It would be great if more folks sent in pictures of what they did or what they are doing. Maybe a little background info with the photos?

In woodworking or carpentry I call any tool I make a jig. Now when I use the word jig I'm always referring to a tool made for a job. Well, I was a carpenter and was working in a situation were we had a supervisor, then he had a supervisor who was being supervised by another guy. There were about six of us carpenters working under this system. of course there was every other trade also and many employees. Well it must have got up to the top from passerby in the shop. I had wooden tools made around the shop and had labelled them SAVE on one side and JIG on the other. It was one of the upper level supervisors who came to talk with me. After some questioning to see what I meant by JIG, I was told that I couldn't write JIG ever again. I'm not freaking kidding. He never even told me why JIG was bad. I had to go home and look it up. I don't have a bad bone in my body and never meant anything by writing that word. I still use the word but think of that supervisor every time.

Too many softies running loose. I can dance to the faster music in jig time and not worry and my wifes cousins do the irish jig at the pick a nicks. NO worries amigo, I get it.