Beginner's Tool Kit

[Grrrmachine]

I've just bought my first mig to learn the dark arts of metalwork, and I'd like a recommendation from the more experienced as to what tools I should add to my workshop to help me.

I'll be working almost exclusively on car bodywork, so steels up to 1mm thick. I'll be starting right at the beginning; I don't own any clamps or cutters or anything of that ilk yet.

 

[pedrobedro]

Mole grip type clamps, hammers and cold chisels and some aviation snips.

 

[gavuk]

grinder or 2......thin cutting disks ,wire brush,flap disks...etc

 

[Sparkey]

I never go without these:

You can do anything with it, clean out the shroud, cut off excess wire....throw them at someone who's annoying you....all of it!!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

....throw them at someone who's annoying you....all of it!!

After compiling a Mission Statement & Risk Assessment, of course...

 

[brightspark]

I never go without these:
View attachment 18587
You can do anything with it, clean out the shroud, cut off excess wire....throw them at someone who's annoying you....all of it!!

they strip cable and u can clip your nails with them

 

[Sparkey]

After compiling a Mission Statement & Risk Assessment, of course...

No need for that... i did my first aid class this year!
I'm qualified now!

u can clip your nails with them

yep, that's true! (but they have to be fairly new, otherwise it'll make a right mess of your nails...)

 

[Welderpaul]

Those Facom cutters look quite handy Sparks, much 'pointier' end for getting in yer shroud. They look like they are 'sprung' as well.

 

[Robotstar5]

Those Facom cutters look quite handy Sparks, much 'pointier' end for getting in yer shroud. They look like they are 'sprung' as well.

You need a proper shroud reamer Paul!

 

[cazl1994]

id add a nibbler to the list,
and a few magnet clamps

 

[Delgado]

I'll add a square, scribe, steel rule and centre punch.

 

[jon62]

Helmet?? Gloves??

 

[Grrrmachine]

Cheers everyone, that's a very comprehensive list. Must ask, then:

1) of course, helmet and gloves. But are cheap disposable leather gloves alright? And eBay seems flooded with these auto-darkening helmets (about 35 quid); are they decent for a learner, or should I splash out on something more exotic?

2) Is a nibbler really necessary if you've already got aviation snips? I'm wondering how precisely I can cut sheet steel closely enough not to leave massive gaps when patching bodywork. For example, I've got a perfectly drilled hole in my car boot where an LPG tank was fitted; how can I cut a millimetre-precise circle? That's what's bothering me the most at the moment.

 

[Delgado]

2) Is a nibbler really necessary if you've already got aviation snips? I'm wondering how precisely I can cut sheet steel closely enough not to leave massive gaps when patching bodywork. For example, I've got a perfectly drilled hole in my car boot where an LPG tank was fitted; how can I cut a millimetre-precise circle? That's what's bothering me the most at the moment.

Ok, you'll probably want to add a set of dividers to the list as well then.

Cutting holes in steel really depends on what you have to hand and of course everyone has their own prefered way to do things, in your situation I'd do holes from 1/13mm with a drill, holes from 13/about 80mm with a hole saw (use a slightly smaller one and open it out with a flap wheel or half round file as they tend to wobble a bit sometimes) and for larger holes use plasma, oxy/act or if you a bit handy with the grinder then use that.

Hope this helps!

 

[chunkolini]

Three more essentials,
CD player, the radio sucks.
Kettle, a cuppa when it all goes tits up can be a life saver, gives you chance to step back and reappraise the situation.
Dust pan and brush.
Make that four, a heater

Chunko'.

 

[Angusdog]

Cheers everyone, that's a very comprehensive list. Must ask, then:

1) of course, helmet and gloves. But are cheap disposable leather gloves alright? And eBay seems flooded with these auto-darkening helmets (about 35 quid); are they decent for a learner, or should I splash out on something more exotic?

2) Is a nibbler really necessary if you've already got aviation snips? I'm wondering how precisely I can cut sheet steel closely enough not to leave massive gaps when patching bodywork. For example, I've got a perfectly drilled hole in my car boot where an LPG tank was fitted; how can I cut a millimetre-precise circle? That's what's bothering me the most at the moment.

Glove are consumables (well, when I use them). I get through a pair of welding gauntlets pretty quickly, so cheap is good. Auto darkening helmets are essential for getting up to speed. Mine's a cheapie but works okay for MIG and DC TIG. For some reason it flickers when AC TIGging, might just be a bad one.

Nibblers are versatile but slow and leave loads of tiny half moon shaped bits of steel. Aviation snips can be hard work so buy a pair that's as ergonomic as possible. Making large cuts in sheet steel has bugged me for ages. That's why I tried an air nibbler, large bench mounted shear, snips etc. I now have a TIG/plasma unit so I tend to make large cuts with that.

Angle grinders. Get two, one with a flap disk and one with a thin cutting disk, so you can work more effectively on bodywork.

You can make precise patches by cutting out a rough shape, offering it up, marking where you need to trim and then shaping it on a bench mounted grinder. I had a small one which worked okay but have upgraded to one with a linishing belt on one side which is handy for sharpening tungstens.

And ditto on Chunk's dust pan & brush. I'm becoming a bit of a tidy nut when it comes to the workshop and have an old vacuum for keeping it neat(-ish). I think it makes your work tidier too. I tended to rush stuff and the workshop would be a complete bomb site; now it's much tidier and easier to work.

When (not if) you buy a compressor, get as big as you can afford and fit in your workshop. Mine's 12cfm with a big tank and gets used every time I'm working. Plus, when you come to change a wheel you can break out the impact gun & feel like a member of a F1 pit crew

 

[metalspanner]

Due to the amount of scroats at present reliveing people of their tools, a secure storage cabinet bolted to the floor/wall would be a good investment, as would good locks on the workshop doors.
Mortice locks are preferable to padlocks a couple one top, one bottom and for real belt and braces deadlocks on the hinge side of the door, these could be just m14 bolts welded to backplates and fixed to the door and holes drilled into the doorframe so they fit in snugly, should stop the door being jemmied off at the hinges.

Windows should be secured with good quality grills or bars, or even heavy weldmesh, a good alarm system linked to all windows, doors and pirs covering all entry, exit points.

 

[Sparkey]

Those Facom cutters look quite handy Sparks, much 'pointier' end for getting in yer shroud. They look like they are 'sprung' as well.

Yes they are "sprung"
It's the first thing i grab if one of the newbee welders come into my booth with: uh, dunno my welder doesn't feed (properly) any more, could you have a look??
Never leave without 'em!

 

[Ed.]

Mainly safety gear in additional to what every one has mentioned, a leather jacket and apron, helps to stop grinding sparks and added protection from sparks and burns. A full shield face mask, a wire cup for getting rid of crap on the metal, leather steel cap boots (a must have), On many occasions I would have been nicknamed stumpy or gimpy now if it wasn't for my steel capped boots, a good pair of ear muffs when grinding, powder type fire extinguisher, and lastly a respirator that can fit under your mask. 3M (type 7500) make a good one which is reasonably comfortable, better than most I have tried.

As for the rest, well my philosophy is, one can never have enough tools, better to have one and not need it, then need one and not have it.

 

[Grrrmachine]

Cheers all; you've certainly lengthened my Christmas list! And, reassuringly, it seems being in an ex-Communist country (with its steel industry) makes consumables like wire, gas and discs that little bit cheaper than the West.