Do's and don'ts.

[Hugh Jass]

So how about sharing your knowledge with a new guy.
What are all your tips and tricks? What are the obvious things that you do that a person new to welding will not know.

For example not using brake cleaner to clean a piece before welding it as it gives off mustard gas.

So what would be good to use?

Any other hits and tips? Anything at all would be helpful.

 

[troppo]

SAFETY! Look out for your and your fellow workers safety. use safety glasses, gloves, face shields, welding lid and leather aprons or jackets. You dont grow parts back so look after them. Steel toed boots and natural fibre clothing (artificial **** melts and bloody hurts). Most of it is common sense but dont take risks, your life isnt worth it!

 

[David2005]

In regards to safety personally after I do any welding or grinding I never leave the workshop straight away in case something decides to catch fire, I always wait around for 10-15mins usually have something to tidy/sweep up anyway. Also I unplug nearly everything except for things like trickle chargers.

 

[razie1985]

don't stab yourself with the hot filler rod i managed to do this the other day on my chest

 

[hunter27]

David2005

Whenever I do any welding or grinding in my attached garage I never ever leave the garage immediately afterwards.
I reckon that if something is smouldering under the bench or in one of the other piles of useful stuff (junk) stored in there I am better off finding it before it gets started properly rather than after I hear the fire engine pull up outside.

Pete

 

[Shox Dr]

Most commercial insurance companies insist you stop heating/welding 1 hours before leaving the area

 

[roofman]

dont put your grinders down before the disc's stop turning even disc up,i have an old piece of wood to hand that i use to stop the grinder then put it down

 

[hotrodder]

For example not using brake cleaner to clean a piece before welding it as it gives off mustard gas.

It's not brake cleaner, it's ANY chlorinated solvent. Brake cleaner exists in two flavours, chlorinated and non-chlorinated. [/pedantic]

I'm pretty sure that chlorinated brake cleaner is banned in the UK (or at least generally unavailable), every tin of the stuff i've bought since hearing about this has had something along the lines of 'non-chlorinated', 'chlorine free' or 'free of chlorinated hydrocarbons' written on it

 

[Paul G]

A couple of things I have near and handy in the workshop are:-

An airasshole of skin coolant / burn spray / ultra cool, with the top just lodged on.
Handy if I pick up the wrong end of a filler rod.

A mirror mounted on the wall just under a strip light.
I might add I do have several pairs of safety glasses dotted about; one hangs above the bench (tungsten) grinder, a pair near the lathe, etc. etc.
It serves as a reminder that on the one occasion you don't use them, that this will be the time a speck will head for your eye.


Cheers,
Paul G

 

[cardiffrob]

Always wash your hands PRIOR to taking a pee, just in case you've still got some Engineering Blue or Nitromors still on them.

Oh, and never weld whilst naked.

 

[Hugh Jass]

don't stab yourself with the hot filler rod i managed to do this the other day on my chest

Managed that one already, nice burn on my chest and a hole in my clothes. I'm still working out how I managed it!

So what would be a good chemical to clean a metal surface with prior to welding?
Acetone?
Whitre spirit?
That nasty bottle of cheap whisky someone gave me for Christmas?

 

[pedrobedro]

Acetone after a quick swipe over with a stainless steel wire brush if you are welding aluminium, steel just needs a clean up with something to make it shiny then weld it. I cut my rods in half so they don't wave about so much and put a bend on the end so you know which is the hot end and don't stab yourself with it.

 

[hotrodder]

White spirit leaves a residue, methylated spirit doesn't. Other common suspects along with acetone would be isopropyl alcohol and non-chlorinated brake cleaner (typically a blend of things, sometimes mostly acetone).

Nasty cheap whisky aquired as a gift is best returned next xmas or kept for serving to the cheapskate with no taste

 

[Drains]

An airasshole of skin coolant / burn spray / ultra cool, with the top just lodged on.
Handy if I pick up the wrong end of a filler rod.

Not sure I'd want to be spraying something out of an airasshole onto my hands.

 

[troppo]

Always wash your hands PRIOR to taking a pee, just in case you've still got some Engineering Blue or Nitromors still on them.

Oh, and never weld whilst naked.

The voice of experience rob? rofl

 

[razie1985]

lol my mates man pits got a bit hot today after leaning over his work
It was very amusing watching him dance around the