Some guys might be thinking, “Why does that matter?” They can weld well with either hand. Kevin can, too, welding with either hand and going either direction. He’s gotten a lot of practice.
If you’re a beginner and real shaky or can’t keep your distance right while welding, try the other hand! See which way makes a better weld. Then practice.
If you weld small things on the bench, you might be wondering why you’d want to use either hand. Kevin shows a large sculpture commission he’s working on. He explains how helpful it is to be able to use either hand to reach all the areas that need to be welded, whether you are TIG welding, MIG welding or stick welding (arc welding). And it all comes down to practice!
Figure out which hand works better for you, then practice with the other hand. And weld both ways: not only TIG welding toward you, like you’re supposed to, but also TIG welding away.
Here’s another example of why you’d want to learn to weld with either hand: welding with his right hand, Kevin can get to a joint easily. But what if it is a big, long piece and you have to reach over the top of it? It’s probably hot – do you really want to reach across it?
So here’s a little practice for you. Try welding with either hand. Figure out which hand is dominant, then become comfortable using your other hand, welding both toward you and away from you. It just makes your life a lot easier!
Before you rush off to try it, hang out for another moment to confirm that Kevin refuses to grow up ….