How to Hold a TIG Torch

When it comes to how you hold a tig torch, there are no rules.

But here is what I do.

For tig welding on the bench when the weld is flat and easy to access, 

I hold the torch like I was in first grade and I was holding a big huge crayon.

Or if you can’t remember back that far, imagine you are holding a big fat sharpie.

This gives you a lot of control over the tig torch and lets you prop with the base of your palm on the bench.

There are also times when you need to make a longer weld where you hold the torch in the same way but you just prop lightly on a surface so that you can smoothly slide your hand along to make that longer weld.

A tig finger makes a much smoother slide than your tig glove and will keep your knuckles cool while you slide along.

But what about tig welding in other positions like over your head or vertical?

For overhead tig, I often hold the tig torch with a different grip that is more comfortable to me for overhead welding. I grip the torch sorta like I would hold a hammer except with a light grip. 

PRO TIP: You almost always want to grip a tig torch with a light grip.

Gripping it like a gorilla will just fatigue your hand and make you shake.

Walking the cup requires holding the tig torch differently too.

Depending on a lot of different factors, like how easy is the joint to access, or the diameter of the pipe, you might want to choke up on the torch for small bore pipe.  But for larger pipe, you might want to grip the torch handle much further back.

The end result is the only thing that really matters but giving some thought into how to hold a tig torch can help you get the job done with less hand fatigue.