This means a lot, thanks so much for your kind comment. I really appreciate you checking out the video as well, hope you have a great rest of your week and weekend!🙂🔥
I used to agree, but the amount of content geared toward beginner welders is getting overwhelming. Most of his older subscribers have graduated beyond what this channel has offered lately. I used to watch every single video, but it's become way too basic for my needs.
I never fail to learn something really important from each of your videos. This video , though, is packed with important tips that no-one else tells you about. Thanks, Dusty.
Love it when you mentioned the wood blocks / scap material! At my current job i got asked if i would be able to tig weld certain stainless steel things so it would cut costs abit.. I told them i'd be able to so they asked me to order a good tig machine etc.. They then questioned me why on earth i ordered some aluminum blocks since i was going to weld stainless.. I explained to them, it's a 2 way fuctional piece of material, heat absorption and raising up the workpiece abit haha.. After a while they asked me if i would want to weld more of the stainless things we usually have done by another company since my welds not only looked better, they also had more strength to the crucial parts, i immediately told them i'd agree to do so if they would compensate me for my 'skills' and their cost cut. They didn't even hesitate since i was saving them more than double of what i asked for to get extra in salary hahaha
for muscle fatigue, i have found that a hot epsom salt bath after a long shift really helps. also, before i start work, i spend 10 minutes doing a stretching routine. This combination truly helps and allows me, at 40, to work circles around these kids in their 20s.
At 18 years old, in a rollover car wreck, I broke my neck, did not find out until I was 27…I had all sorts of issues without knowing the cause…I have been welding now pretty much every day since 2001, and due to neck issues, I do not flip hood…I am old school and use a Fibremetal Tigerhood flip up and the Tiger 4*5 inch….the flip lens in the 2*4 is great for dark places and areas where there is not room to raise the hood…as far as helpful goodies, a nerf football under the head when laying down will save your neck….and a HotWheels car under your torch hand is great for sliding your hand on not so smooth surfaces or even smooth surfaces…I use a fire engine so in case it gets too hot I can cool off….thanks for the golf ball trick and the Rollie pillow gizmo…I have not seen those…stay kool and comfortable is my motto, and sit down if you can…tests in the 1940’s showed a 60% increase in productivity in factory workers…get proper boots,shoes too…those Converse Chucks would kill me…by the way, I will turn 72 November 30….cheers, Paulie Brown
I was a machinist / sometime welder for 40 years. I was guilty of most every bad practice you mentioned with predictable results. Ended up retiring at 62 due to severe sciatica. (among other things) In my latter working years I tried to tell young punks (like I was) these kind of things. THEY NEVER LISTEN. (just like me) I fear it's a hopeless case, but don't give up the fight, if one out of a thousand pays attention it will be worth it.
I'm your age range , make sure that you are not suffering in vain . I had lower back problems for 40 + years before my first mri and a talented surgeon fixed me up in a few hours !
Im still fairly functional, just have to take a break every couple of hours and wear a brace. At this point Medicare considers it elective surgery and will only pay for drugs. Not in the budget to do it myself. I'm getting by, just a little slower nowadays 😆@eflanagan1921
Another thing that can help your neck and back is using a helmet that is balanced. I think esab and 3M make balanced helmets. They're too expensive for me but if I could get one I would. I've been looking in to ways to modify my regular helmet so that the pivot point is more balanced. Currently I'm thinking I will move the pivot point then design and 3D print new headgear to get everything perfect. It's an experiment. Honestly OSHA should have mandated better helmet designs decades ago. My dad was an industrial hygienist and was constantly designing things to help welders, pipe fitters, and the like.
Really interesting take! This absolutely would be something that would help out to have the weight a little better as far as distribution, thanks so much for checking out the episode, have a great weekend🙂🔥
After suffering a bad neck injury, I ditched my digital infinity, I now use a lightweight pipeliner with a auto 2x4 lens, I will never go back, it's so much easier on the neck.
Taking care of this body that carries you from job to job makes a lot of sense. Have you done a video on aging eyes, that is my greatest problem welding at 74 years old. I appreciate how many tips you have provided me that improve my welding hobby.
Try Gaffer’s tape. It holds well, comes off cleanly, and resists water. Gaffers in the movie industry use it for holding wires down on movie sets, and it works great.
Always good information Dusty. Thanks for your input in these areas. I have only been welding for about four years now and I can agree with everything you're saying. As I am 64 years old and it is so important to maintain and elevate your health if possible. Great job as always.
I appreciate this comment a lot, it's definitely something I'd like to encourage people about more and more, thank you so much for checking out the episode🙂🔥
@@PacificArcTigWelding Hey Dusty, I check out as many of your episodes as possible and still take the time to get my projects done. Absolutely fantastic channel and I so appreciate all the important information that you put out here for us all. Thanks again.
I went to welding school in 2006 through 2008 and worked my first welding job almost immediately after welding school, starting early 2008...and speaking of back issues lol...In 2009 it was the morning after New Year's, 1/2/2009 I thought I injured my back on New Year's bc I woke up to the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life. Couldn't move whatsoever for about 18-24 hours. It was shooting through my lower back / left butt cheek area. 24 or so hours later the pain went away and I was completely fine. Happened again about a year late, then suspected it was sciatica. It would hit me while I'm sleeping and as it progressed over time it would take me about 3 hours before I could actually function again. No pain lasted as long as that first time it happened though. It progressed to happening roughly once a year for a few years until it progressed to every 6 months, then to about every 3 months. Multiple times over 3 months, to about monthly, to almost weekly. I assumed I had a bad back and I almost threw in the towel on ever having a successful career as a welder. I just couldn't trust my back to not let me down morning after morning getting up at 3am and needing to start MOVING, and can't afford to be halfway crippled for 3 hours first. It was an issue for about 13 years. Until I learned that the issue stems from my hips being out of alignment; one leg is slightly longer than the other so it through my hips out of alignment. After a lifetime of just being on my feet, walking, working etc etc..possibly even the constant awkwardness of welding in funky positions.. basically contributed to the chronic issue and pain. So being on my feet for 8-12 hours is enough to trigger the inflammation that will kick my arse while I'm sleeping and wake up to that pain. Sorry for the long unnecessary story here 😆 but I know a lot of people have this type of issue and have just dealt with it as part of their new reality like I did for years, and don't really know what the cause is or how to manage it. What did I do that helped me for almost 3 years now? First and foremost I got a tiny little heel lift. A friggin heel lift 😆 and I didn't cheap out on my work boots, I got a pair of Timberland Pro's Steel Composite yada yada's that were like $400. But very good boots and a heel lift. Might just be enough to save your life. So if you're having the same type of issue as I described and it's causing you to doubt your entire future and career, take a look into this. And maybe give a heel lift a shot. A heel lift and good comfortable quality boots might have just saved my entire life. Obviously I do other things to help alleviate the stress on my hips and lower back on a daily basis but the real MVP in this situation is the heel lift and quality steel toes. I'm only 38 too. So the worst times of my thought-to-be sciatica / back issues between the physical side and the mental side of looking at the progression and projecting what it's probably gonna look like long term in my life pretty much robbed me of a great deal of my life from about 26-26½ ish years old to about 34½ years old before I learned what I know now. There was almost 10 years of my life where I believed I would never again be able to chase or hold onto those quality opportunities that provide long term security. But at the same time, learning of these ways to manage the issues I described is ultimately what led me to wanna slowly get away from the grind of Stick, Flux, and MIG welding jobs; and to try learning to TIG weld. TIG welding by design is just gonna be physically less stressful on the body. Funny the road I traveled to get to TIG Welder Avenue 😆 ** A heel lift and quality boots ** LOL.... I'm so happy I got my life back but it's also frustrating sometimes to think about all the years of my life that were just wasted, over an issue that's easily manageable with a simple little heel lift.
Hey there, love your vids. Learned alot. I have a question about butt joints on thin sheet metal. 1mm steel, no burnthrough allowed, no gap between parts. Would pulse be a good choice for that? I find it really Hard to get a good enough weld to survive the grinding.
I wore vans and other flat shoes for most my life and had to give it up when I started fabricating It got so bad I would have numb feet and even woke up in the night with tremors from overworking my legs Changed nothing about my work habits, just bought good shoes with arch support and it all went away
I F'd my neck bad recently. I spent 12 hours welding in an akward position, i didnt take breaks because i just wanted to get it done, and worst of all, i kept flipping my hood down while wearing a miller digital infinity, that thing is a tank. Since then ive bought a tufuawe pipeliner, and their 2x4 auto hand lens. Its so light, and the lens is so clear, i will never go back to a big heavy auto hood. I highly recommend all welders Stop flipping your hood down with your neck, and get yourself a lightweight hood.
Hi! We’re currently looking for TH-camrs to collaborate with, and we really enjoy the style of your channel. Could you please share a contact so we can discuss this opportunity further? Thank you!
Thanks so much for watching and hope you enjoyed! TAKE MY FREE ONLINE TIG WELDING CLASSES👇
www.pacificarctigwelding.com/free-courses
Are you the same guy from 6061?
Never seen anyone show how to take care of yourself as a welder, thank you .
Awesome! Happy to help and I appreciate you checking out the episode!🔥
This channel really should be more popular. Always has good tips for welders of all experience levels.
This means a lot, thanks so much for your kind comment. I really appreciate you checking out the video as well, hope you have a great rest of your week and weekend!🙂🔥
I used to agree, but the amount of content geared toward beginner welders is getting overwhelming. Most of his older subscribers have graduated beyond what this channel has offered lately.
I used to watch every single video, but it's become way too basic for my needs.
I never fail to learn something really important from each of your videos. This video , though, is packed with important tips that no-one else tells you about. Thanks, Dusty.
Love it when you mentioned the wood blocks / scap material! At my current job i got asked if i would be able to tig weld certain stainless steel things so it would cut costs abit.. I told them i'd be able to so they asked me to order a good tig machine etc.. They then questioned me why on earth i ordered some aluminum blocks since i was going to weld stainless.. I explained to them, it's a 2 way fuctional piece of material, heat absorption and raising up the workpiece abit haha.. After a while they asked me if i would want to weld more of the stainless things we usually have done by another company since my welds not only looked better, they also had more strength to the crucial parts, i immediately told them i'd agree to do so if they would compensate me for my 'skills' and their cost cut. They didn't even hesitate since i was saving them more than double of what i asked for to get extra in salary hahaha
Use a conical battery terminal cleaning brush to get the inside of the gas cups clean! Works great on mig gas cups too!
for muscle fatigue, i have found that a hot epsom salt bath after a long shift really helps. also, before i start work, i spend 10 minutes doing a stretching routine. This combination truly helps and allows me, at 40, to work circles around these kids in their 20s.
Hey dusty thank for the help I use a camera stand for high welding its great and it has great adjustment
Nothing, absolutely NOTHING but rock solid advice here!
At 18 years old, in a rollover car wreck, I broke my neck, did not find out until I was 27…I had all sorts of issues without knowing the cause…I have been welding now pretty much every day since 2001, and due to neck issues, I do not flip hood…I am old school and use a Fibremetal Tigerhood flip up and the Tiger 4*5 inch….the flip lens in the 2*4 is great for dark places and areas where there is not room to raise the hood…as far as helpful goodies, a nerf football under the head when laying down will save your neck….and a HotWheels car under your torch hand is great for sliding your hand on not so smooth surfaces or even smooth surfaces…I use a fire engine so in case it gets too hot I can cool off….thanks for the golf ball trick and the Rollie pillow gizmo…I have not seen those…stay kool and comfortable is my motto, and sit down if you can…tests in the 1940’s showed a 60% increase in productivity in factory workers…get proper boots,shoes too…those Converse Chucks would kill me…by the way, I will turn 72 November 30….cheers, Paulie Brown
Thanks for the golf ball tip. I would have never thought of that.
I was a machinist / sometime welder for 40 years. I was guilty of most every bad practice you mentioned with predictable results. Ended up retiring at 62 due to severe sciatica. (among other things) In my latter working years I tried to tell young punks (like I was) these kind of things. THEY NEVER LISTEN.
(just like me) I fear it's a hopeless case, but don't give up the fight, if one out of a thousand pays attention it will be worth it.
I definitely wish that I had listened up a bit more back in the day as well, thanks so much for checking out the video!🔥
I'm your age range , make sure that you are not suffering in vain . I had lower back problems for 40 + years before my first mri and a talented surgeon fixed me up in a few hours !
Im still fairly functional, just have to take a break every couple of hours and wear a brace. At this point Medicare considers it elective surgery and will only pay for drugs. Not in the budget to do it myself.
I'm getting by, just a little slower nowadays 😆@eflanagan1921
Another thing that can help your neck and back is using a helmet that is balanced. I think esab and 3M make balanced helmets. They're too expensive for me but if I could get one I would. I've been looking in to ways to modify my regular helmet so that the pivot point is more balanced. Currently I'm thinking I will move the pivot point then design and 3D print new headgear to get everything perfect. It's an experiment. Honestly OSHA should have mandated better helmet designs decades ago. My dad was an industrial hygienist and was constantly designing things to help welders, pipe fitters, and the like.
Really interesting take! This absolutely would be something that would help out to have the weight a little better as far as distribution, thanks so much for checking out the episode, have a great weekend🙂🔥
After suffering a bad neck injury, I ditched my digital infinity, I now use a lightweight pipeliner with a auto 2x4 lens, I will never go back, it's so much easier on the neck.
Taking care of this body that carries you from job to job makes a lot of sense. Have you done a video on aging eyes, that is my greatest problem welding at 74 years old. I appreciate how many tips you have provided me that improve my welding hobby.
Great to hear that you enjoy the hobby so much! Happy to share, happy welding!
Try Gaffer’s tape. It holds well, comes off cleanly, and resists water. Gaffers in the movie industry use it for holding wires down on movie sets, and it works great.
Always good information Dusty. Thanks for your input in these areas. I have only been welding for about four years now and I can agree with everything you're saying. As I am 64 years old and it is so important to maintain and elevate your health if possible.
Great job as always.
I appreciate this comment a lot, it's definitely something I'd like to encourage people about more and more, thank you so much for checking out the episode🙂🔥
@@PacificArcTigWelding Hey Dusty,
I check out as many of your episodes as possible and still take the time to get my projects done.
Absolutely fantastic channel and I so appreciate all the important information that you put out here for us all.
Thanks again.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate the last one.
Thank You Dusty…Defiant Metal gloves are great, even the Pink ones, cheers, Paulie in Florida
Whaaaat? Almost 42 YEARS OLD??? Damn man you look cool
Got that righ!
i never would have thought of using wood scrap to support my hands. nice!
As I say better to burn a piece of wood a little bit then burn your hands! Happy to help🙂
Super toutes ces astuce pour la sécurité et surtout pour les éléments de positionnement.
Merci Dusty.
You are the man James thanks for all the tips
I appreciate you my friend! Have a great weekend🔥
Thank you, great refresher.
I went to welding school in 2006 through 2008 and worked my first welding job almost immediately after welding school, starting early 2008...and speaking of back issues lol...In 2009 it was the morning after New Year's, 1/2/2009 I thought I injured my back on New Year's bc I woke up to the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life. Couldn't move whatsoever for about 18-24 hours. It was shooting through my lower back / left butt cheek area. 24 or so hours later the pain went away and I was completely fine. Happened again about a year late, then suspected it was sciatica. It would hit me while I'm sleeping and as it progressed over time it would take me about 3 hours before I could actually function again. No pain lasted as long as that first time it happened though. It progressed to happening roughly once a year for a few years until it progressed to every 6 months, then to about every 3 months. Multiple times over 3 months, to about monthly, to almost weekly. I assumed I had a bad back and I almost threw in the towel on ever having a successful career as a welder. I just couldn't trust my back to not let me down morning after morning getting up at 3am and needing to start MOVING, and can't afford to be halfway crippled for 3 hours first. It was an issue for about 13 years. Until I learned that the issue stems from my hips being out of alignment; one leg is slightly longer than the other so it through my hips out of alignment. After a lifetime of just being on my feet, walking, working etc etc..possibly even the constant awkwardness of welding in funky positions.. basically contributed to the chronic issue and pain. So being on my feet for 8-12 hours is enough to trigger the inflammation that will kick my arse while I'm sleeping and wake up to that pain. Sorry for the long unnecessary story here 😆 but I know a lot of people have this type of issue and have just dealt with it as part of their new reality like I did for years, and don't really know what the cause is or how to manage it. What did I do that helped me for almost 3 years now? First and foremost I got a tiny little heel lift. A friggin heel lift 😆 and I didn't cheap out on my work boots, I got a pair of Timberland Pro's Steel Composite yada yada's that were like $400. But very good boots and a heel lift. Might just be enough to save your life. So if you're having the same type of issue as I described and it's causing you to doubt your entire future and career, take a look into this. And maybe give a heel lift a shot. A heel lift and good comfortable quality boots might have just saved my entire life. Obviously I do other things to help alleviate the stress on my hips and lower back on a daily basis but the real MVP in this situation is the heel lift and quality steel toes. I'm only 38 too. So the worst times of my thought-to-be sciatica / back issues between the physical side and the mental side of looking at the progression and projecting what it's probably gonna look like long term in my life pretty much robbed me of a great deal of my life from about 26-26½ ish years old to about 34½ years old before I learned what I know now. There was almost 10 years of my life where I believed I would never again be able to chase or hold onto those quality opportunities that provide long term security. But at the same time, learning of these ways to manage the issues I described is ultimately what led me to wanna slowly get away from the grind of Stick, Flux, and MIG welding jobs; and to try learning to TIG weld. TIG welding by design is just gonna be physically less stressful on the body. Funny the road I traveled to get to TIG Welder Avenue 😆
** A heel lift and quality boots ** LOL....
I'm so happy I got my life back but it's also frustrating sometimes to think about all the years of my life that were just wasted, over an issue that's easily manageable with a simple little heel lift.
Love this video. Great tips, never heard of the lodge thing. Gonna have to try that one out. 🤘🔥
What frame is that on the top shelf? Good tips btw, knew the majority of it from my 18yrs experience lol.
Hey there, love your vids. Learned alot.
I have a question about butt joints on thin sheet metal.
1mm steel, no burnthrough allowed, no gap between parts.
Would pulse be a good choice for that?
I find it really Hard to get a good enough weld to survive the grinding.
I just do micro stretching throughout the day. but good info!
I got the new yeswelder helmet with the led light and rechargeable battery. It's so heavy that i had to stop doing the cool flick haha
I wore vans and other flat shoes for most my life and had to give it up when I started fabricating
It got so bad I would have numb feet and even woke up in the night with tremors from overworking my legs
Changed nothing about my work habits, just bought good shoes with arch support and it all went away
I guess I need Pledge for my polycarbonate glasses.
I F'd my neck bad recently. I spent 12 hours welding in an akward position, i didnt take breaks because i just wanted to get it done, and worst of all, i kept flipping my hood down while wearing a miller digital infinity, that thing is a tank. Since then ive bought a tufuawe pipeliner, and their 2x4 auto hand lens. Its so light, and the lens is so clear, i will never go back to a big heavy auto hood. I highly recommend all welders Stop flipping your hood down with your neck, and get yourself a lightweight hood.
Yep, .. buy a Optrel welding helmet
is it splatter or spatter
Spatter
@@williamgozzard7188 thought so
oh man i wish i could use that gigantic torch. may as well be half inch filler rod lmao
👍
Who tightens up their torch so hard, they need a plier to open it?
Hi! We’re currently looking for TH-camrs to collaborate with, and we really enjoy the style of your channel. Could you please share a contact so we can discuss this opportunity further? Thank you!
30 minutes of videos for that... man you gotta make it shorter its hard to watch you explain why pliers is important ...