Shaky hands!

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I everyone im about to start my welding apprenticeship in edmonton ab. I have one thing im really really worried about and i was hoping i could ask a few experienced welders. I have quite shaky hands and i find its due to nervousness and when i concentrate on keeping them steady they shake more! LoLAnyways i guess my question is how bad is this going to affect my welding skills, should i concider not even getting into this profession or is shakey hands not the biggest deal? Im 23 years old.THanks in advance guys.Ryan
Reply:hope your welding weave and not stringers, j/k. i know 1 fella who takes medicine for restlesness in his legs, maybe that would help."Retreat hell, were just fighting in the other direction"Miller Trailblazer 302, Extreme 12 VS, Dimension 400, Spectrum 375, HF 251D-1, Milermatic 251 w/ spoolgun  Hypertherm 1000Lincoln sp 1702000 F-450 to haul it
Reply:So the shaky hands will really cause a big problem then?
Reply:Have a beer or 2 before you start.
Reply:LoL these arnt really the types of answers i was hoping for, being new to the forum i thought i might get some good advice!
Reply:How bad is the shaking?  Are they tremors? Or more like spasms?Tremors can probably be controlled with medication, but I doubt that the meds that would be effective would be something you should be on while working with power equipment with in the first place.  Pretty vicious circle...Realistically, you might want to look at a different line of work.  There's a lot of stuff in welding and fabrication that requires a steady hand.TOOLandFAB.com See our Articles and Member Writeups and Tool Review Sections
Reply:i would talk to your family doctoror maybe a brace (rap)  that may help
Reply:I once met a guy who's hands shook pretty bad in my opinion ( not sure how they compared to yours) however once he picked up the tig torch he could weld like there was no tomorrow. I guess what i am trying to say is that it's a case by case basis. Give it a try and see what happens
Reply:Muscle tension has a lot to do with it.  If you tighten up your muscles as you try to hold steady it is more difficult to hold still.  That explains why the harder you try the worse it gets.  As you practice your welding you will be able to hold your arms steady more easily.  Often students will complain that they cannot hold the gun or stinger up overhead without all the blood draining out of their arms and their arms aching.  After practicing for a few weeks your body adapts.  Another tip is that a bit of nervous motion is not a bad thing.  Hold a pencil a few mm over a piece of paper using your complete arm.  You will notice your nervous movement is all over the place.  Try concentrating on only allowing your pencil tip to move sideways but not up and down.  It is relatively easy to control the one motion rather than fighting the complete motion.   An Alberta apprenticeship in welding is valuable.  By the time you come out the other end you will not only be a competent welder but well on your way to being a fabricator.   Originally Posted by vlasveldI have quite shaky hands and i find its due to nervousness and when i concentrate on keeping them steady they shake more! LoLTHanks in advance guys.Ryan
Reply:Originally Posted by vlasveldLoL these arnt really the types of answers i was hoping for, being new to the forum i thought i might get some good advice!
Reply:Thanks very much for the advice guys. Its just more of a nervous thing than anything else im just really worried im not going to be able to do it or my welds are going to be horrible. I know i can hold the end of a pencil and do good circles as long as i can rest my forearm or body on something. Buf if im just holding my hand directly in the air im shaky.Maybe i can find ways to make it work.
Reply:I was actually very serious.
Reply:I think you will be fine when you concentrate on the task rather than being anxious.  I suspect your handwriting is not that shakey, and and practice will work wonders.  If you can handle other handtools like screwdrivers, drills, etc. a welding torch is just another tool--but much more challenging and spectacular.
Reply:I"LL SECOND THE HAVE ACOUPLE BEERS. Seriuosly I heard of a guy who had the shakes everytime he needed to certify for a job. He goes to  the doctor that hypnotized to quit smoking and gets hypnotized so he doesn"t shake during the test.
Reply:your hands are shaking because you're not comfortable...i rest my elbows in the table and rest my pinkey on the piece to hold my hand even steadier while i work the torch...and stay away from the coffee...  ...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:THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE INFO GUYS!My shakyness isnt really like out of control spasms or anything its more like a nervous constant shakeyness that isnt really all that bad. I was just hoping there is always a way to lean on something or someting cuz if i can rest my arms or whatever or something it usually isnt bad at all.I hope i can make this career work cuz welding looks like good times.
Reply:just curious but did somebody set you to think you need to be able to hold steady for prolong periods of time to be able to weld? I think you are worried for no reason at this point. Get into you education and see what it is all about before you get this thing stuck in your head. Your hands might be perfectly find but if you are so worried about them, you might not have the focus on other things you are doing that actually need attention.as said before, bracing yourself up is usually going to be perferred not just for you but for anyone.good luck
Reply:Hello Vlasveld,No one has asked what type of welding are you going to learn MIG-SMAW-TIG? One very important area to focus on is to as  TEK and Zapster are telling you is you must make yourself as comfortable as possible and if the work requires a long travel distance with the torch the steadyness and comfort will make for a better outcome. Try this think of you arm as if it were a CNC(robitic)  a 3 avis pivot. Use your shoulder movement for forward and rearward and to set the position you want your elbow and wrist to be most manuverable, then use your elbow to set you initial distance from the work piece then use your wrist to maintain the angle, distance to work and L-R or R-L travel adjustments and use your upper body rotation to set your travel mechanisim.(4th axis) I've had the shakes for much the same reasons you stated and have found on the days I can't seem to stop shaking long enough to get the HF to follow the torch and start an arc. By using my upper body as I hoped I described above it allows me to "lock" if you will the three joints.that seem to contribute to the shaking. You will find that by twisting or rotating from the waist to help you get comfortable and stay ridgid enough to do a quality job simply spreads around the duties and doesn't stress out any one area at the end of one of the days that I spend 12-14 hrs. behind the helmet. LLLet me know if this helps or if I've simply added to your concern. Once you have a bit of helmet time under you belt that once you get comfortable and feel confident you will find your mind wandering from the welding job and you will find yourself quite relaxed and the shaking will be out the window.Good Luck,Ric
Reply:Vlas.I'll try to keep it short.I have taught many hundreds of students from 1980 onwards.Quite a few  of them initially had shaky handsSome it was medical ,some in their head. Some just hung on to the handpiece like they were doing battle with an escaped deadly snake..Once they could learn to relax and lose the death grip on the handpiece, all improved.Keep the weldment/welding area near the centreline of your body.Brace against something if you can.Get into the most comfortable position.Seated is good,if possible.I shake a bit,now and then, but with stick,I use both hands, one on the hand piece and the other up near the stick.I chew up a few left handed gloves,but I can get x ray quality results if needed.Its basically a mix of confidence, practice,experience,knowledge and mind over matter. Me I CAN'T touchtype.Tell your self you can't do something,as most times ,you can.tAsk any sports coach.hope it helpsregardsGrahame
Reply:Dont be overly concerned Vlasveld,As an apprentice (carpentry) I remeber all the older tradesmen refering to steady hands as an almost prerequiste to being a gun tradesman.At the same time I started carpentry my best freind started Cabinet Making. His hands did and still do shake, but the work he turns out is incredible. He doesnt take drugs just settles himself and concentrates.You can do it.
Reply:If you drink moderate to heavy amts of drinks w/ caffiene(sp),as someone else advised, cut back on it. Also if you eat lots of sweets,cut back on the sugar. Too much sugar makes me shaky,especially on an empty stomach. I'm 59 and been that way all my life,yet I've made a living as a welder among other duties on the job I retired from.Now welding is my hobby!!                                MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Wow guys you have all been great! Thank for the info so much you have really helped me out you have no idea!I love this forum!
Reply:we are only trying to help...and everyone is right...no need to be worried...relax and just do it......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:Vlasveld..why are/what makes, you so nervous exactly?
Reply:Its just anxiety. Not really anything in perticular its just the way ive always been.Not saying this is your problem,but I worked w/ a guy years ago who had quite a taste for whiskey. When sober he shook so bad he could barely get a 7/16" wrench on a bolt. When he had torch in hand you'd swear this cut would look like a saw blade,but once the cut started he was steady as a rock.Now that's what is called "control".                     MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:vlasveld, I want to tell you something that I have told people over the years that has seemed to help some of them. Rember when you were back in school, and learning to write with a pencil, most peop[le gripped them real hard , hard enough to put dents in their fingers.  the tighter you grip something the more you will shake.  The looser you hold sometyhing  the less you will shake.  When I use Tig, Mig and Stick I just let them set in my hand as loose as i can.  Then just like using a pencil i can point  and make that weld go any where I want it to go.  I hope this might help.
Reply:don't worry about the shakes,i have R A(rhuemetoid artharius).i shake  alot,but if you can rest your arms on something kinda like painters do you'll be fine.sometimes you can controll the shaking and make it work for you.do not let  this stop you from doing the things you want.you'll find a way if you want it bad enough.good luck,and don't quit!!!!!
Reply:Have you tried prayer?
Reply:Hello everyone.This thread is a bit old but wanted to comment.I am a welder and have been since I was 18 and now am 41.I have welded pipelines and have worked in fab shops ect from the time I was 18.I retired from welding jobs in 1992 and took-up driving a dump truck for 2 years.I have been building dirt race car chassis out of my 15 x 25 ft shop.I sold my welding truck back before I went to driving dump trucks.I have just recently went back to welding part time on pipelines mainly 3" to 4" and hooking up well-heads and doing meter runs.I did not have to test for the company I work off and on but the first day on the job the first few welds I shaked very bad but after I got comfortable the shakes left.I got called to test B 31.3 - 2" 6G Open root 3/32nd 7018 all the way and a 6" 6G E 8010 70+ Down-hill.I got so nervous about the test I did not even go take it.1st off never have ran an open root 7018 uphill.I just knew I would bust it so decided to practice on a couple of coupons sch 80 2" 6G 7018 Open root to get a feel of it.I did not shake cause I was the only one at my shop.Nevertheless my belief was right the practice open root was a mess.Yes I all-ways get nervous if testing or starting a new job and it can cause a welder to bust if he lets it get the best of him.Mind over matter if your mind is strong enough.I also know welders that never get nervous when testing but many that do.Thanks a bunch.Steve.
Reply:Diazepam. Snipers Use it. Works Good for Shooting, cant see how it wouldnt help Keep steady Mind while welding.
Reply:Schools are funny.  They want to collect their tuition checks.You could walk in shaking like Michael J. Fox and they would teach you to weld.Shaking isn't a very big problem and you will probably beat it.I prefer to weld standing up instead of seated, but I brace my arms as well as I can.  If you are well braced, a lot of body motion will become very little movement at the weld and you can use that movement to your advantage.That's my technique for TIG and MIG welding.  I have never been any good at stick, but I have never had a reason to fix that problem and I have never been to welding school.Good luck.
Reply:I have fairly shakey hands myself only mine is caused by a severe addiction to nicotine but nonetheless still shakey. I think any good welder here or anywhere else would tell you that when they have the chance they all brace an arm or finger on the part, table or whatever to help hold the torch a little more steady. I found after I became more comfortable with welding a loose grip on the gun helps tremendously.          Also, don't feel bad if your welds don't come out good at first. Even the steadiest of hands needs time to learn the trade well.     Good luck and don't give up!!
Reply:It's kinda weird how nerves work... I am always shaky when I pick up a ...output device ( plasma, tig, stick, mig )... something about lots of electricity, and creating a spark ( deliberately ).But after about half and inch or so into the first weld/cut all is well.  Heh, get into a groove, and can crank 'em out almost like a machine.
Reply:sometimes I get really shaky hands as well, its all about comfort for me, if im in a wierd position my cuts will look like a beaver chewed it off. sometimes I will reposition many times before I start, seems silly when your only going to weld or cut a 4" section but its nessesary. Also your grip on the 'gun' should be very loose, almost floating in your hand. a death grip will hinder your movement and make it jerky. I say go for it and try it out, the most you practise the less your shakyness will be an issue.