Technique in which the welder rests the TIG cup in the groove and rocks it from side to side, rolling forward along the bevel walls, so the torch keeps a steady arc length and a consistent weave. It gives very uniform beads on pipe and lets the welder run long stretches with relaxed hands. The cup size has to suit the groove width, and a rough bevel makes the cup skip.
Walk the cup on the fills, figure-eight it on the cap, and keep the end of the filler in the gas.
Practice walking the cup with the torch off first; the motion has to feel smooth before an arc is added.
Also heard as
- walk the cup
- cup walking
- rolling the cup
Related terms
GTAW
Gas tungsten arc welding: an arc from a non-consumable tungsten electrode under inert gas, known as TIG.
Cup
The ceramic or glass nozzle on a TIG torch that directs shielding gas; also a MIG gun nozzle.
Stacking dimes
Slang for a weld bead with even, tight ripples that look like a row of overlapping coins.
Cap
Shop word for the final layer of passes on the face of a groove weld, the cover pass in code language.