Quote Originally Posted by Frank S View Post
Note the operator sitting and viewing the weld area through and optic viewer his right hand is on the dial like that of a milling machine
You know, I did see that, but then got so engrossed in the beautiful welding I totally forgot about it. Thanks for explaining. So does he see like a red dot or something in the viewer, or maybe crosshairs? I'm not certain, but from the video I got the impression that a dark welding shield is not needed? Or was the camera dealing with the flash?

After welding for years (home use) with a stick welder, I sprung for a MIG, and was totally amazed at how there is no smoke or spatter when gas and solid core wire is used. I still wear gloves and protective gear though. But I've noticed on some of the TV shows these guys MIG weld in tee shirts without even wearing gloves. To me, this laser welding is the same kind of huge leap forward in making welding a pleasant experience, not to mention much more accurately controlled. I did notice, though, that the laser welding technique is rather like "dragging" the MIG wire instead of "pushing", which I read was the best way to do it. Maybe laser welding is more akin to how gas welding works, albeit much finer and prettier?