Finaly got to weld again after being paralysed.

As the title sais. About 3 years ago i fell down and broke my neck leaving me a quadraplegic.
That means i can move my arms but not my hands.
Which didn't allow me to continue my profesion in automotive fabrication BUT.
After hooking my Tig up with a bite down control for starting, I finaly layed down my first welds in 3 years. Heres a pic of me in action, ill upload some pics of my gear and the welds once i do a little more.
I need to fabricate a sliding track to clamp o the edge of my becnh to make it easier for me to move along as i weld.
Im also interested in some kind of mechanised wire feeding setup as i can only dip so many times beore i have to stop and move the wire further down in my grasp.
You can see my chassis and a bit of my coupe in the background too.
Any sugestions or coments would be apreciated.

 

Man that's just plain inspirational. It's people like you, that keep people like me from getting too big headed and cocky.

 

You're my effin hero!

Seriously, I have no suggestions on how to make your set-up work better, all I can say is that to be able to fabricate as a quadraplegic takes some serious want and will. You rock!

 

Wow! And to think I dare complain about some of my problems. You are great!

 

How inspirational, where there's a will there's a way. Look forward to seeing your work.

 

couldnt have said it better.WOW(welder on wheels)...keep layin down the welds...hope to meet some day..inspiration is always needed!

 

The only comment I have is about how you're facing the shitty deal you were dealt. Sound like you're facing your problems straight on and spitting in the face of adversity. You're a survivor and a hell of a guy. I'd be proud to call you 'friend'.

Let's see some pics of the welds.

 

Bitchin'!! Can't keep a hotrodder down. No way.

 

DAMN, You're just awesome! Make sure you protect your lap.

 

ok..thats it..im done pissing and moaning about my sore back and ripped rotator cup.

 

Way to go!!!
You are a true fabricator to figure out a way to get it done despite obstacles.

 

That is great to see. Where there is a will there is a way, always!

M. McF.

 

Super COOL,im proud of ya,two thumbs up.Im disabled also and all i can tell you is to take your time,if your like me you have that.Take care and keep the pic,s coming.If you have a idea but get stuck post it and there are realy smart guys here that can help,or see a simple solution........................YG

 

There's a guy in the high desert, around Victorville, named George Vose. He lost one of his arms just below the shoulder. He still fabricates and welds all materials and can lay one sweet looking bead feeding the filler using his shoulder and chin. And he can run out a full filler wire in one smooth pass. His welds always look beautiful. Don't know if you could in your situation, but it might be helpful.

And George is also a pool shark, meaning he can play with the very best of 'em - which is fun to watch in a bar.

Don't let the situation stop ya from doing your thing. Good Luck.

 

I feel like a lazy bum... You get my vote for coolest HAMBer of the year!

 

Wow - what great spirit you posess. You are a champion!

 

Thats great. Keep up the good work.

 

I bet it felt great to lay down a bead again. Fucking a man keep at it.

 

That is awesome and inspiring! It's got to feel good to get back to doing something you love to do.. Several years ago I bought one of these..
https://weldingsupply.securesites.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?PNUM::1:UNDEF:OR:TPYL

It's a little pen shaped deal that allows you to feed the wire through your hand with a single finger. The picture isn't that great on the website, but it allows you to feed an entire length of wire without ever letting go of the "pen"

Hope this helps, Dave

 

Hey Wow thanks guys, i wasn't realy expecting this kinda response!

Ill get out to the shed and take some pics, ill post them up here in an hour or two.

Thanks for all the words of encouragement, im kinda motivated now

Lets build a freakin HotRod!

 

Id be very interested to know more about this, or what his techniquie involves. At the moment my challenge is to slide my hand along smoothly without jumping about. And feeding more wire.

 

Absolutely amazing brother! Hang on to that "never give up" attitude forever. I know you were not asking for help, but I believe some of us Hambers could probably come up with some ideas to help with your welding situation. It's this kind of inspirational stuff that inspires me. Rock on. Steven.

 

YOU are a true dyed-in-the-wool hot rodder!!!!

 

I wore a leather apron

 

thats Cool man!

 

you are a true inspiration keep at it.

 

Yeah cool, i just checked it out. How does it work, ie do you have to use a finger to roll a wheel or something? If so it might not work for me but, i am still very interested in other equipment which may help me feed wire.

 

Unbelievable! Congrats. Here is to continued growth of your passion.

 

yeah my friend mark was born with one arm.. hes one of the best fabricators arround...