Lefties please help

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Teaching my 11 year old left handed grandson to MIG weld. So if he is a leftie does he push the torch from left to right instead of right to left like a rightie would? It seems to be natural for him.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:Huh? I'm right handed, I almost always go left to right. Of course I hardly ever push with MIG. It is either 90 degree, or drag. My son is Lefty. It looks awkward to me, and every tool is made for right handed people, so it can be tough. He is right eye dominant so he shoots right.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:Like everyone else, he should learn to do both (might be needed to control distortion) but let him do what feels natural at first then learn to go "backwards ".Eventual master of the obvious, practitioner of "stream of consciousness fabrication".  P.S. I edit almost every post because because I'm posting from my phone and my fingers sometimes move faster than my brain.
Reply:And I'm all messed up,  write lefty, bat lefty, throw righty and use right handed scissors. Oh and play guitar (badly) righty.Eventual master of the obvious, practitioner of "stream of consciousness fabrication".  P.S. I edit almost every post because because I'm posting from my phone and my fingers sometimes move faster than my brain.
Reply:Yes if pushing a lefty would push left to right, the opposite of someone right handed. If dragging using FC wire, he'd go right to left. I have to teach a lefty about once every other term. If nothing else, it will improve your off hand skills. I usually need a few warm up passes to get back in the groove of doing the drills we use left handed, especially with processes that I don't use all that often..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by SedanmanAnd I'm all messed up,  write lefty, bat lefty, throw righty and use right handed scissors. Oh and play guitar (badly) righty.
Reply:bigbKudos for your pedagogical insight . . .I am dominant right handed - but generally right brained.Without practice - Left handed I can write cursively - but only right to left. AKA mirror writing. Its surprisingly easy,and I encourage all 'Righties' to try it.Tutorially: fain being left handed; take all of your weldingexperience/dexterity - and reverse it.Go with his roll - and search the Inter/Web for - 'how to grow a left handed child' . . .best wishes . . . Opus
Reply:Originally Posted by bigbTeaching my 11 year old left handed grandson to MIG weld. So if he is a leftie does he push the torch from left to right instead of right to left like a rightie would? It seems to be natural for him.
Reply:Originally Posted by bwingateTry setting up so he faces you.  He will then just mirror what you do and it will keep from confusing the heck out of both of you as you try to keep switching left and right in all your instructionsSent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by bigb.if he is a leftie does he push the torch from left to right instead of right to left like a rightie would? It seems to be natural for him.
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BHuh? I'm right handed, I almost always go left to right. Of course I hardly ever push with MIG. It is either 90 degree, or drag. My son is Lefty. It looks awkward to me, and every tool is made for right handed people, so it can be tough. He is right eye dominant so he shoots right.
Reply:I weld,write,throw and bat left. Shoot,play guitar,use scissors right. Switching is REALLY awkward.I prefer to mig by pushing left to right,stick by dragging right to left.Anyone remember video of guy weldingwith an electrode holder in each hand?Miller a/c-d/c Thunderbolt XLMillermatic 180 Purox O/ASmith Littletorch O/AHobart Champion Elite
Reply:Originally Posted by cornemuseFor welding?? As for L or R hands, pushing or dragging is pushing or dragging, no matter which hand is doing it, , ,I have left handed scissors, 2 left handed can openers, and, fwiw, if you look at a 'cresent' wrench and note how leverage force is applied to the jaws, cresent wrenches are ideally left handed tools!! (<- picked that up from a WWII military instruction book for rookie mechanics)-c-
Reply:Originally Posted by jpump5I weld,write,throw and bat left. Shoot,play guitar,use scissors right. Switching is REALLY awkward.
Reply:For all you right handed guys . The right side of your brain controls the LEFT side of your body. SO, LEFT HANDED people are the only ones that are in there RIGHT MINDS
Reply:Originally Posted by SedanmanThat is brilliant!
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWShooting generally has nothing to do if you are left or right handed. It has to do with which is your dominant eye. I've had plenty of right handed people who are left eye dominant. They should be shooting as a "lefty". Same on the opposite side. Someone who is right eye dominant, should be shooting right, no matter which hand they write with.
Reply:I'm left handed myself. When running solid wire, I push it and travel from left to right. When running flux cor wire, I drag it and travel right to left.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Originally Posted by bwingateTry setting up so he faces you.  He will then just mirror what you do and it will keep from confusing the heck out of both of you as you try to keep switching left and right in all your instructions
Reply:Whatever is comfortable and comes naturally to him. Once he gets the concept down, you can start fine tuning what he does. Hell, I'm right handed and always thought I swung a sledge right handed. Turns out I'm doing it left handed.  Anyway, it's way better to get him to do it either way. Teach the easy way for him to learn first. Once he's good enough, it will be easy to figure out the opposite.
Reply:I'm a leftie and push left to right normally but have become comfortable pushing or pulling either direction. Many years of stick welding has made me ambidextrous when it comes to travel directions. Start him out pushing left to right, stand over his right shoulder for view and if needed hands on his hands to teach puddle maintenance. Best thing you can teach him is to read and control the puddle, no matter what direction.Miller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:Maybe I am a crazy righty, but I weld both ways...push using pulsed spray daily both right and left, same with the occasional drag, depending on the specific weld.IAMAW Local 330Airco 300 AC/DC HeliwelderAirco Dip-Pak 200 with Profax spool gunPowr-Kraft AC225Everlast PowerArc 200stBuffalo Forge No.21 drill pressSpeedglas 9100xxAirco, Oxweld, Purox, Victor torchesLincoln Ranger 8