?'s for welders

[nridler]

I'm going to buy my first welder next week (Millermatic 180 with autoset) and had some simple questions for you guys? Besides a good pair of gloves and a helmet, what other tools do you find yourself using while welding. What type of spare parts do you keep around for the welder (i.e. spare wire).

[OrangeCrush]

Gloves, helmet and I have a welders blanket for if I need to do something overhead laying down

[scottycards]

No matter what, have a fire extinguisher nearby. Always.

[flashover]

Extra tips, nozzle gel, anti-spatter spray, wire cutters, chipping hammer, grinder.

[Ghettojeep]

Wire snippers, nozzle cleaner, extra tips, extra nozzle (eventually you will need one), wire brushes, Good welding gloves, no sythetic clothing, leathers if and when you can afford them are really good. wear a hat or something, and safety glasses under the helmet can be a good thing, but are uncomfortable and make seeing that much harder. I also prefer a good self tinting mask, I use a Lincoln.

Also, remember welding will give you one hell of a sunburn so avoid exposing skin if you can.

Prep is really important in welding so have your grinder there, flapper wheels work great, grinding wheels do too, wire wheels although effective are sketchy as fawk.

[Ghettojeep]

No matter what, have a fire extinguisher nearby. Always.

x2!!! I've set my sleeve on fire w/ slag. :rolleyes: lol, in fact its not a bad idea to have more then one, and get the big one. :D

[bsaunder]

spare wire, spare tips, wire cutters, gloves, helmets, sleeves (I work on my rig in a t-shirt most of the time), safety glasses, a ball cap I put on backwards (can save your head and neck from sparks/slag), ear plugs (slag in the ear sucks), fire extinguisher, welding blanket.

I won't say I use all the above all the time, but I do have them around as I do use all the above at times.

[GPP33]

Not just a helmet, an auto darkening helmet.

I usually weld in a thinner glove. The Mechanix Fabricators work well. True welding gloves are way too bulky.

[Trango]

RELEASE THE LONG POST!!!!!!


So I am pretty much a respirator fanatic. For instance, I was welding last night on a grease caked item (impossible to degrease/preheat all the grease out before welding), putting off fumes that would kill houseplants, but I was fine because I was wearing my North backpack respirator.

Seriously, the effects of lung damage are long-term, cumulative, and don't show up for decades, at which point you're pretty much ****ed for the rest of your life.

Get a good respirator, and use it. You'll never get metal fume fever, you'll never have high amounts of manganese in your blood (mine is a little elevated, I had a workup done last year after welding for a decade+, sometimes occupationally), you'll never have grinder dust in your phlegm a week later, black snot, etc.

I just had this discussion with a friend of mine, and I copy the email here:



I have a cheapo half-face-mask (actually, a Harbor Freight model) Volatile Organic Gas and Particulate filter system. Those, for us, are pretty much the main concerns. Acid gas is a good one, but we really don't need that.

I also then have the backpack respirator, with VOC and P100 particulate filters, which I use for welding, since it places the cartridges out of the way of the mask. I use the NORTH system for this. The backpack is a little ungainly if you're performing alot of movement, since the cartridges tend to flop around alot if you're, say, doing alot of grinding or whatever.

With both masks, I have both set up for immediate use. The last thing you want is safety gear that becomes a chore to use, since you pretty much want to use this stuff anytime you're working with chemicals, abrasives, or hot things.



Anyway, you run into enough guys whose sinuses are always cooked and whose nose won't stop running, or who have a persistant cough, or hear stories about manganism, and you're like sheesh - bad news.

Yes, this is pretty nervous nellyish. I also run a 43 minute 10k, and I take my health (and my pulmonary health) very seriously.

[Trango]

True welding gloves are way too bulky.

Sounds like you need to run some 5/32" 6011 electrode overhead at 160 amps to get a feel for why there are such things as heavy welding gloves. ;)

When you are starting, I would only use leather gloves. Anything that uses synthetic materials can and will melt (and then stick to your skin), and until you know how long things stay hot and where you can stick your hands without burning or severing a digit, I'd stay with leather gloves (calfskin is spendy but great dexterity).

You know, all of this shop safety talk, I'd take a local welding course just so you get a feeling for shop safety.

[Trango]

Oh yeah - always always wear safety glasses. Slag is unpredictable and can chip off without warning, often at a high rate of speed, and lodge in your eye.

A guy I occasionally partner with has had 17 eye surgeries - he's taught me a fair bit about safety (and he's safe as anyone could be).

[Steve]

Sounds like you need to run some 5/32" 6011 electrode overhead at 160 amps to get a feel for why there are such things as heavy welding gloves. ;)

Word.

And leathers.


Edit: I think you need to pose questions to weldors, not welders. ;)

[Clod Hopper]

Word.

And leathers.

Welding gloves, don't cheap on this. I have a heavy set of gloves I use when doing extended welding. I use the cheapie Harbor Freight 3-pack welding gloves for general fab. I learned that thinner gloves aren't worth the injuries, burns or the money.

Ditto on the eye protection. Safety glasses are not expensive, eye surgery is.

[bsaunder]

wow - I forgot the respirator; I almost always wear one of these 3M N95 Welding Respirator with Valve (http://www.labsafety.com/store/Safety_Supplies/Respirators/Disposable_Respirators/29634/54908/), I wear it not only welding but grinding, or anything else that puts crap into the air.

the first time I got week of black snot and chunky lung phlem made me a big believer in them.

[ni0h]

Word.

And leathers.


Edit: I think you need to pose questions to weldors, not welders. ;)

Actually, not:


weldor
One entry found.

welder

Main Entry:
weld?er Listen to the pronunciation of welder
Pronunciation:
\ˈwel-dər\
Function:
noun
Date:
circa 1828

: one that welds: as or wel?dor : a person whose work is welding b: a machine used in welding

[Steve]

Actually, not:

Yeah, just checked dictionary.com. Apparently they're used interchangeably. Live and learn. :shrug:

[Frank Z]

At least 2 of these.....
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=1938

A basket full of these....
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=4252


And a few of these...
https://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Product/Sharpie_Metallic_Fine_Point_Permanent_Marker.html

And of course the most important thing of all...a MUST have for any aspiring welder....



























Steel.


Whatchagonnamake?

[j5]

some good C clamp vise grips like these
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SBBG

[GPP33]

Sounds like you need to run some 5/32" 6011 electrode overhead at 160 amps to get a feel for why there are such things as heavy welding gloves. ;)

When you are starting, I would only use leather gloves. Anything that uses synthetic materials can and will melt (and then stick to your skin), and until you know how long things stay hot and where you can stick your hands without burning or severing a digit, I'd stay with leather gloves (calfskin is spendy but great dexterity).

Done it, he's welding MIG though not stick. I'll second the leather gloves, thus the Fabricator by Mechanix.

TIGing Al is about the hottest I have done, my hands were burning up in some nice thick welding gloves. MIG on steel is a lot cooler though.

I'll also second, or tenth, whatever we are up to, the respirator. It was amazing how my snot went from black for a week to perfectly, well snot color. And that yummy but not so healthy taste went away. When I forget it now I remember after about 3 seconds of welding when I can taste it.

[nridler]

Thanks for all of the advice everyone.

Frank, here is my list of things to make so far:
Workbench for my garage
Heavy bag and speed bag stand
Hi lift mount for my tire carrier
Car Boy holder(its for my brothers homebrew hobby)

[Frank Z]

Heavy bag and speed bag stand



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