I tack stuff like that all the time. I learned to do it a long time before OCC ever existed.
It is not lazy, or an ego boosting attempt at getting my face on camera. It is just faster to hold the part with one hand and tack it in place. Sometimes there is no clamp that will do the job anyway, and if you are as anti social as me, you rarely have someone around to hold the part..
So you tack a bunch of little pieces together then put your helmet on do the final welding. I do have an auto darken that I use alot, but usually the undarkened vision is so dark that you can't see the finer stuff. I do like my 1.25 power magnifying inserts alot...it's time for some 1.50 though...
Do a whole bunch of fabrication in and on cars and motorcycles and it will become second nature.
I have never gotten flashburn from doing that.
I can hear the tack being done correctly with my MIG. I still need my helmet to tack stuff with my TIG though, but I am getting better at holding a part AND the rod with one hand and the torch with the other.
If it is all fitted up nice a quick fuse can be made and no rod is needed.
Sometimes I tack stuff with my MIG, then do the final welding with the TIG.
Here is a set of handlebars I made the other day..About 18 pieces in all, only a few of the larger ones could be held in the fixture I made to build them.
And no one was there to see me do it.
Eat crap OCC.
later, mikey