Old foreman told me to stop fighting the torch and let it do the work

I was always pushing too hard on my cuts and getting slag everywhere. He said "the torch wants to cut, you're just steering it" so I slowed down and barely touched the metal. Anybody else have a boss that made you unlearn bad habits?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix_bailey4514h ago

My old man ran a shop for 30 years and he'd say the exact opposite - you gotta lean into the cut with some pressure or you'll just wander all over the plate. I spent months unlearning that "let the torch do the work" crap because my tips kept dragging and gouging the metal when I'd ease off too much.

valwest10h ago

i mean come on, are we really acting like torch technique is this life or death thing? i've been welding for years and i just adjust as i go, sometimes i lean in sometimes i don't, it's not like one way is the only right way. everyone's got their own style and their own torch setup, so what works for your old man might not work for everyone. i've seen guys cut perfect lines with all kinds of weird habits. isn't it more about the metal thickness and the gas pressure anyway?