Attn:TIGers, Walking The Cup???

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Any TIG welders out there walk the cup?I recently checked into working at a food processing equipment fabrication place, and they asked me if I could walk the cup.I was never taught this practice in school, and one of my welding instructors scolded students for doing it.  He said that the ceramic drag marks it leaves are not acceptable.The food processing equipment place said they use it because it produces smoother, more easily washable welds.  The guy who interviewed me couldn't believe that I certified 6G pipe without walking the cup.What are your thoughts?
Reply:i call it stitch welding and do it all the time.. ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Hi,"Walking the cup" is a very simple thing to do/learn. Although this may be a rather generic term I understand it to involve no more than resting a portion of the cup edge on the part being welded and simply "slid" along during the welding. I do it simply because it allows the welder to maintain the proper electrode-work distance making for a very uniform weld. There are days in my world that it of course also eliminates those shaky hand moments and keeps my hands from cramping if I doing a large job that I otherwise would have done with out the help of a steady rest if you will. "TRY IT YOU'LL LIKE IT" and maybe you can still get the job. I would be wondering if the only thing that kept you from getting the job was you not knowing how to walk the cup, did you at least get a chance to demonstrate your skills? Good luck,ric
Reply:Done all the time. Never seen or heard of it being required, nor prohibited. It is a real help rooting a groove weld. (the only place I do it)
Reply:Yeah, I got to demonstrate my ability.  I showed them a 6G root pass, and the guy was amazed that I could even do a root without walking the cup.He showed me how to walk then I did practice some cup walking at school.It seemed to me that I could pipe-weld alot faster, but it slowed me down on almost every other joint.I was just wondering if it was commonplace in industry now to walk the cup.  I'll try anything that increases my 'marketability'.Travis
Reply:Commonplace now? yup. And has been for years. Really only needed for the root, in my opinion. Gives very good control of the root by removing a variable from the process (torch stability). I don't walk the cup on cover passes. Really don't need that much control, and it is slower. I do tend to drag the side of my hand or my pinkie to brace up on cover passes.
Reply:Originally Posted by enlpckI do tend to drag the side of my hand or my pinkie to brace up on cover passes.
Reply:If I'm tigging all the way then I walk all the way, someone commented that it's just dragging along the weld to steady it, the way it's done (by me anyway) and anyone else I know that does it, you really are walking it.  It's the favoured process here for food grade work, because of the evenness of the weld, it should look machine done as much on the inside as out. Even free hander's I know say it's easier to do s/s this way. So yes, go teach yourself how. You'll find you end up welding fatser with it in my honest opinion. That and I've welded beside free hander's StephenI'd rather be hunting........USE ENOUGH HEAT.......Drifting around Aussie welding more pipe up, for something different.....wanting to get home.
Reply:Ya, I've been practicing it.  It didn't really take me very long to get the hang of it, I just need to get faster at it.
Reply:Try turningyour machine up, if you rooted carbon freehand at 110 amps knock it up to 130ish I'd rather be hunting........USE ENOUGH HEAT.......Drifting around Aussie welding more pipe up, for something different.....wanting to get home.
Reply:My torch is in my right hand, filler in left, should I "walk" right to left or left to right?  In other words, do I "walk" the cup over the finished weld or away from it?Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by wirehuntTry turningyour machine up, if you rooted carbon freehand at 110 amps knock it up to 130ish
Reply:Originally Posted by BMG1968My torch is in my right hand, filler in left, should I "walk" right to left or left to right?  In other words, do I "walk" the cup over the finished weld or away from it?Thanks