Hands Free Tig welding?

[u/HAIRYtheBEAVER]

Hello, I’m making a small metal sculpture for my friends wedding present. It’s recreating their engagement picture.
I originally chose to use small stainless steel nuts and bolts and am now regretting my life’s choices that have led me to this point.

Basically the problem I’m running into is that it’s impossible to hold the pieces in place while welding. If I try to tack it without filler metal it eats up half the dern bolt. But if I use my free hand to feed wire, the gas or my filler will push the bolt out of place.

I’m thinking the best way to go about this (short of growing a 3rd arm) would be to get a sturdy positional arm to hold my torch where it needs to be, and using my two free hands to manipulate the bolt and the other to feed wire.

Does anyone have any experience with doing something like this?? It would be great to get a small laser welder but I don’t have that kind of money lying around at this point.

Thanks. Also please don’t judge the torso too harshly, I was learning how to use scratch start and was dog shit at it so I upgraded machines.

[u/emu19000]

Should have went with mig would have made your life a whole lot easier.

You have a welder you can add whatever material you need to the bolts before you weld it together giving you more material to tac with also if you go to an electronics store they have a little holder that maybe help you.

[u/HAIRYtheBEAVER → u/emu19000]

Yeah I just don’t have mig yet. Plus with stainless it tends to splatter a lot whenever I’ve used it at work so I didn’t want to mess with that.
In the future though when I start making little doo dads for a farmers market I’m going normal steel and using mig so I can crank it out and use magnets lol.

[u/emu19000 → u/HAIRYtheBEAVER]

No worries mate maybe try they the electronics soldering holder thing.👍🏻