Hit 500 welds on the same joint type last week and it finally clicked

I've been doing boiler tube welds for about 8 months now and tracked every single one in a notebook. Last Thursday I checked and hit exactly 500 on the same 2G root pass. Something just changed in my hands after that number, no more pausing to second guess my angle. Has anyone else noticed a specific count where their muscle memory just took over?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert_hayes8d ago

Man that's awesome to hear, 500 is a solid milestone for sure. @troy_palmer76 is right about that wall you hit around 300 where your arms just start working on their own. For me with structural stick welding it was around 400 3F fillets when I stopped fighting the puddle and just started reading it like a book. Your angle and travel speed get locked in to the point where you can tell if a weld is gonna look good before the arc even stops.

troy_palmer7629d ago

Hit 3500 hours of arcade fighting games before my throw techs became automatic. Street Fighter 4 specifically, the Ryu vs Ryu mirror match. There's a point around 300 where you stop thinking about the motion and just feel it in your wrist bones. My buddy Mike hit the same wall with MIG welding car frames, said it was like his arms finally spoke the same language as the torch. You hit that number and it's like your body stops second guessing itself.

rosed3229d ago

You ever try 5000 hours of Guitar Hero on expert? Same feeling, just different buttons.