Trigger Finger

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I was reading the reply that Farmboy made in my hot torch post and was reminded of this issue. Here it is: While welding fence panels at work I started without gloves on and It was fine. Until after the first 2 days revealed a nice arc burn (sunburn like) on the forearm of my support hand. Anyway, when I got my new Lincoln fired up to weld I had bought gloves to use. When getting started I had held the trigger without knowing and really ran the wire out because I could not feel it. I got aggravated and just took off the gloves and welded like I had been. I did not weld long enough to burn myself up again, and the sparks and such burns but not enough to bother me. I do have alot of scabs on my forearms though. so I have to do something. It is just like Hunting season, I have the trigger finger cut out of my hunting gloves for using my rifle and my bow release.  Maybe that is what I need to do with this. Anybody else have this problem and how did you fix it?Whitey
Reply:Wear gloves, buy some thinner TiG gloves if you need to, but wear them!You are going to seriously damage your skin if you don't protect it!!
Reply:I couldn't agree more.  It's not worth it - you don't want to end up with skin cancer for the sake of a twitchy finger.  Wear the thinner mig or tig gloves.  If you haven't been using them regularly, it'll probably take a little getting used to again but just do it.www.abou27.com
Reply:TIG gloves will give you a much better sense of toucn... and they should work fine for the machine you are running.Also MIG creates UV light.. this type of light can be harmful to your skin._________________Chris
Reply:When mig welding I wear unlined pig skin gloves, light weight and you have a great feel of objects. Tig gloves would be a good choice also.Clarke 130EN C25Lincoln 225 AC Stick(1968)Smith O/A RigHF 4X6 Red BandsawBlack & Decker Pro Chopsaw16 Speed Drill PressSpeedglas XL HelmetHarbor Freight Stuff
Reply:I wear leather work gloves for most general mig welding. If I'm doing more than a few tacks I wear those fire retardent sleeves because I can't stand long sleeve work shirts.
Reply:3 years ago I had spinal surgery on my neck.I played football in college years ago and had neck truama from that that showed up and progressed worse over the years. I had a disk in my c-4 and c-5 level rupture and went into my spinal cord and compressed it. I am lucky for I know of many athletes as one I saw on ESPN yesterday playing hockey that have had the same injury to the same levels and are quadrapalegic now.  I dealt with it for 2 years and I had muscle spasms to the point my muscle deteriorated in my right shoulder and neck, and lost control of my bladder, and bowels and could hardly walk. Done an MRI and it showed all the damage. Anyway from all the nerve damage and such I have lost alot of sensation in my arms and hands on top of  carpal tunnel in both hands from my elbows down actually that I am not going to let them cut on me to do, and all of that makes it harder for me to feel with my fingers and such. This contributes to my feeling of things and triggers and such. Whitey
Reply:Getting my carpal tunnel surgery was the best thing that I've had done.
Reply:I actually prefer my gun with the trigger in top operated by my thumb.  I chanced on this arrangement on a Tough Gun which can be arranged whichever way you like.  If I am running really hot the trigger on top is operated by my pointer.
Reply:I just wear a glove on my left hand (I'm right handed) and nothing on my trigger hand.  I've been welding professionally for around 8 years and that's how I've always done it.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:I weld 10 hours a day 6 days a week (MIG) and started out wearing the heavy Jackson gloves. I noticed my trigger hand was always sore the next day from welding, preferable the last three fingers from the pinky. I'm talking waking up not able to bend them. I realized I was squeezing harder then needed because of the thickness of the welding gloves. I resolved this problem by using a Tillman glove with the streatch material around the knuckle on the trigger hand and kept the thicker glove on since it's closer to heat. Problem solved...- MattBMP Barge Marine Products "Welder"Mig, Stick, Air Arc, Submerge, & Torch
Reply:Many people report a certain smell when they mig.  I am convinced it is the smell of cooking skin.  About one year ago I began wearing gloves regularly and the smell has gone away.  I started wearing gloves because after completing a pipe rail job, I noticed that my hands looked extremely aged and puffy and non-elastic.  Took several weeks for my hands to look normal again.I where tig gloves, also.
Reply:I use spf 45 on bare skin.  It's not a perfect fix, but it helps.  I had read that there are two major types of UV rays, one that burns/browns your skin, the other that goes deeper...the sunblock doesn't do much for the deeper kind, so you are still risking a skin cancer problem.  Tig gloves is a pretty good suggestion.  I have a pack of lineman gloves...they are a bit thicker than tig gloves and also a bit cheaper, but they are a nice medium for both mig and stick work.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.