Pushing MIG: but nozzle blocks puddle view?

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Where do you put your head when pushing MIG?  How do you see the puddle with the nozzle in the way?I've been dragging MIG, and have used the nozzle to "hide" the arc from my direct view.  The ambient arc light illuminates the edges of the puddle, and the puddle itself is orange enough to be seen on it's own.When I try to push MIG, the nozzle hides the puddle, not the arc.  If I bring my head down low ahead of the weld to see the puddle through the stickout space between the nozzle and the material, all I see is the arc.  If I try to put my head behind my torch hand, to see the puddle behind the arc, even while the arc is now blocked from blinding my view of the puddle, I can no longer see where I'm going.What is the proper way to do see the puddle while "pushing" a MIG weld?Last edited by Charles Brown; 07-01-2005 at 01:26 PM.Reason: edited to correct grammerRespectfully,Charles Brown
Reply:How do you see the puddle with the nozzle in the way?
Reply:If you are seeing the back of your hand you are always blocked.  I tend to move my head so that I am drawing the gun toward myself and looking in from the front.  Other people look vertically down in front of their hand.  Others duck down and look at the arc from under their hand/arm.  Different folks......different strokes.
Reply:if you go from left to right when pulling then try going from right to left when pushing.. if u pull from right to left then vica versa
Reply:Thank you very much for all of the suggestions offered so far.Reversing travel direction... Pushing from right to left... it seems like I have to extend the stickout more, because at the specified gun angle, the brightness of the arc is in the line of sight to the puddle.  Since the arc is pointed at the leading edge, it seems like I'm trying to catch a glimpse of the puddle inbetween the arc on the left and the gas cup on the right.  Right in the area of where the glow of the arc dims, there is the nozzle, unless I increase stickout.I'm not saying that it is not possible to push MIG with good vision of the puddle... I'm just publically admitting that with the methods I've tried so far, I'm still having difficulty doing it.  Until I can see the puddle well enough to notice the little droplets of silicon or whatever floating around in circles to the top of the molten puddle and beaching themselves to the edges, I really can't lay down a decent bead.Respectfully,Charles Brown
Reply:Until I can see the puddle well enough to notice the little droplets of silicon or whatever floating around in circles to the top of the molten puddle and beaching themselves to the edges, I really can't lay down a decent bead.
Reply:Ok, I'll try that Sandy.I don't even have to cut a nozzle, since mine is the type the just rolls back and forth on round compression rings to where ever I need it to be relative to the tip.And on the subject of this ease of adjustability in my torch's cup, I now have a confession to make...I have found, through shameless experimentation without supervision, that recessing my tip to nozzle as if spraying, even though my C25 gas and power settings are the recipe for short circuit, seems to produce easier welding for me.Notice I didn't say better looking beads, or better penetrating fusion, or better anything at all.  It just seems "easier" for me...  and I'd like to know why?I wish I could tell when the transition into and out of globular takes place physically, instead of assumptively by the settings.Anyway, long story short I have found that I have a more difficult time welding with a protruding tip, even backhanding.Respectfully,Charles Brown
Reply:That's probably because you rest the cup on the metal and you don't need as much of an angle when you have the tip inside the cup. That's how lots of people tack so that they can do it fast and the tip won't get stuck.
Reply:I have found, through shameless experimentation without supervision, that recessing my tip to nozzle as if spraying, even though my C25 gas and power settings are the recipe for short circuit, seems to produce easier welding for me.
Reply:I think it's something you will have to get used to. if the arc brightness seems to be a problem try a shade darker lens. You will be suprised what a change you will see with a shade darker or lighter. I have been thinking about this and trying to duplicate my hand placement and it's hard to do without really welding for some reason. When I push right to left I start arms length away from my body position and push toward myself. When I push left to right I start close to my body position and weld to a arms length away from my self.