Why TIG welders need to free hand

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Places like this are why I always teach new hands to free hand first with the TIG(Especially when you don't bring the small torch for the job)
Reply:nice looking welds, being a beginner here, what do you mean by free hand??
Reply:Wirehunt, Very nice work!!!  Just what is that?  What are those pipes running into?   I never see anything like that down in my area.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:I got a question too.... What do you mean by "walking the cup"? I've done a lot of welding but never got around to learning to tig.
Reply:TEK, "Walking the cup" is a phrase used to describe a technique used by alot of tig welders.  You are taking the tig torch and rolling the cup back and forth as you work down the weld seam.  Maybe you can understand what I mean.  Free handing is harder because you are actually holding the torch in your hand and not steadying it on the work piece.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Thank you Hammack, I do understand that. It seems to me that that would be harder to do than freehand.(but I am still learnin')
Reply:Ok I know what you mean now.
Reply:I personally can walk the cup, but in most cases find it more difficult then to freehand.  Although you will see a better looking weld when I walk.  I jsut find the freehand more natural.  Thats just me CHRIS
Reply:Hammack, There pipes running into a bituman tank that we're doing up, they put electric heating elements inside to keep it warm, around 165 C.Tx, I prefer to walk but am able to free as well, Also from the first day I picked the Tig torch up I made myself weld it with either hand, my free hand left handed is a lot better than my right.Stephen