Wearing a good pair of gloves is vital to protect your hands from spark, slag, or harmful radiation. With that being said, while choosing gloves and helmets, you should be in high alert. Because specific welding demands for specific gloves.
Now, the question is, can you use tig gloves for stick welding? If you have this question, you have landed on the right page. Be my guest throughout the article to know the answer.
Do you Need Special Gloves for Tig Or Stick Welding?
Yes, you need special gloves for tig welding and stick welding. More or less, every welding glove is made of leather. But there are some specifications to it.
For Tig welding, gloves are thinner than other welding gloves. Tig welding generates less heat and spark, so a pair of goatskin gloves are ideal. But you can also use gloves of deerskin, pigskin, or horsehide.
For stick welding, you would require thicker gloves. It’s okay if the gloves are not flexible. Gloves made of goatskin, elk skin, pigskin, or even cowhides are perfect for stick welding.
Can Tig Welding Gloves be Used for Stick Welding?
You cannot use tig welding gloves for stick welding. Stick welding produces more heat and spark than tig welding. Tig welding gloves are thinner and pliable, while stick welding demands thicker gloves. So, a thinner pair of tig welding gloves will be a disastrous choice for stick welding.
Due to the nature of stick welding, its gloves are made of thicker leather. Additionally, stick welding gloves’ inner have cotton liner. This cotton liner protects your hand from getting excess heat and prevents your hands from getting moisture.
But, tig welding gloves don’t have any inner cotton liner. So, what does your rational mind suggest?
Stick welding gloves tend to encounter more shocks than tig welding. For that reason, stick welding gloves have high-strength Kevlar thread. This technology helps prevent tears or rips. Few tig welding gloves have any kind of Kevlar thread as tig welding doesn’t produce a high-frequency shockwave.
Although you can use tig welding gloves for mild stick welding, it is better to use specialized gloves for particular purposes.
Type of Gloves for Tig Welding
A pair of gloves should be chosen based on the quality of the material, comfort ability, and capable enough to protect from heat, shock, and relative risks. The gloves should be comfortable enough to feel like you are picking up a coin while doing your job.
Here are the specifications of tig welding gloves:
- Outside material is goatskin.
- No inner cotton.
- Average amperage: 10-125A (DC); 10-400A (AC)
- Stitching thread: Kevlar-x3 (rarely)
Here are the features of tig welding gloves:
- Excellent dexterity provides precise welding.
- Have padded palms for additional comfort.
- Durable goatskin construction ensures a long lifespan.
- External cotton liner provides amazing touch sensitivity.
Tig welding gloves are thinner and more focused on being softer.
If you have done tig welding, you know the most significant threat of tig welding is the light, not the spark. So, I guess you can understand why you don’t need a thicker pair for tig welding.
What Type of Gloves for Stick Welding
For stick welding, the gloves have to be made of thicker material. While performing stick welding, the biggest threat is the spark. To protect your hand from being burnt, thicker gloves are a dire necessity.
Here are the specifications of stick welding gloves:
- Outside material is split leather (mostly cow)
- Inner material is cotton
- Average amperage is 15-350A
- Stitching thread is Kevlar- x3, x5
Here are the features of stick welding gloves:
- Double layered cotton pad to resist excess heat.
- Have shielded fingers to be safe from sparks.
- Internal and external cotton liner for extra protection.
- Fits nicely over the sleeves.
As the gloves for stick welding are thicker, they tend to be heavier. But don’t worry. After 4-5 stick welding, you won’t feel the weight of the gloves’ extended mass.
It’s all about the practice to acquire the required mastery of stick welding gloves.
Material of Gloves for Tig Welding, Stick Welding and Mig Welding
Tig Welding
Here are the materials for tig welding gloves:
- Goatskin
- Pigskin
- Deerskin and
- Horsehide
As tig welding generates less spark, experts feel little necessity to put extra weight on the gloves. So, the manufacturers concentrate more on the precision of the gloves rather than the safety.
Tig welding gloves are made with accuracy so that you would need minimum effort to pick up filler metal rods.
Stick Welding
Stick welding calls for more protection. So, the leathers have to be thicker for stick welding.
Here are the materials for stick welding gloves:
- Elkskin
- Pigskin
- Goatskin and
- Cowhide
While performing stick welding, there generates a massive amount of heat and spark. So, the manufacturers focus more on safety rather than precision. Indeed, stick welding doesn’t need pinpoint accuracy.
Mig Welding
Mig welding gloves are somewhat similar to stick welding gloves.
Here are the materials for mig welding gloves:
- Cow grain
- Deerskin
- Goatskin and
- Cow split
As mig welding generates considerable heat and sparks like stick welding, the gloves must be thicker. Mig welding gloves have extra padding in the palm and the back to support against heat and sparks.
How To Choose Welding Gloves Check This Video
FAQs
Is tig welding the same as stick welding?
No, tig welding and stick welding are neither the same nor produce similar output. In addition to that, the usage of electrodes is different as well. Tig welding uses a tungsten electrode to create an electric arc between the torch and the metal work piece. Whereas for stick welding, the electrodes are consumable. The electrode itself acts as the filler metal.
Can you use tig welding gloves for mig welding?
No, you cannot use tig welding gloves for mig welding. Tig welding gloves have softer material, whereas mig welding gloves have thicker material. Mig welding generates more spark and heat than tig welding. So, it’s unsafe to use tig welding gloves for mig welding.
Last Words
Tig welding produces lesser spark and heat. So, the gloves are thinner than regular welding gloves. On the other hand, stick welding generates a colossal amount of spark and heat. As a result, the gloves are thicker than tig welding gloves. So, can you use tig gloves for stick welding? My answer is NO.
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