Things they don't tell you.....

[zx9]

I developed a mystery rash on my left arm from welding with my sleeve part rolled up.
Sunburn. Dummy.

I did that last Friday, I had an hour or so to fill before going to my swimming lesson (new years resolution was learn to swim) so into the garage put on the leather apron and Tig gloves, stick together two bit of 50mm dia. 1.5mm steel tube. Tidy up my bench and off to the pool, in the changing room I noticed my right arm was red, very red, all the way up to ................ my t-shirt. Doh!

 

[Bill Edwards]

I've learnt this very very early, and keep learning it every time I weld. Also that heat will eventually penetrate through your welding gloves, and that said welding gloves are an absolute sod to get off while your hand is burning.

This applies to grinding too. As I've re-discovered on numerous occasions.

 

[500e]

Wait until you do the "One legged dance" as welding splatter finds it way into you shoe or boot.

Perhaps I could put the two dances together, the crowd would go wild!

First name not St by any chance

 

[vitus992]

500e - superb!

 

[Kent]

How the heck do you get a cat to stay in the garage while you grind? is it deaf? I thought I did well grinding off a seized padlock off the kennels but it takes training and years of good breeding to get gundogs comfortable with loud noises and sparks / fire. Cats I cannot imagine not freaking out

 

[skotl]

I've learnt this very very early, and keep learning it every time I weld. Also that heat will eventually penetrate through your welding gloves, and that said welding gloves are an absolute sod to get off while your hand is burning.

Oh, and always wear the same clothes for grinding, or what's left of them at least, and that it is a very, very bad idea to grind stuff anywhere near upvc windows. Especially white ones.

I still haven't learned that metal that's been attacked by a grinder is just as hot, if not more so, than metal that's just been welded.

 

[BoatBuilderDave]

Get gloves that are big enough to throw off with one shake.
Foundry /welding rules always apply, all metal is hot. Even when you know it's cold, it's Hot.
One day you will be utterly certain it's cold, and you will still scream like a stuck pig when you realize you were wrong.

 

[Perry Owens]

Be extra careful when welding or grinding if you reload black powder shells in the same workshop. Why is the workshop full of smoke and why are my shoes on fire?

 

[tflnemesis]

When you pick up the 'cold' end of a piece you welded 10 minutes ago, only to find that the whole piece is now nice and toasty....

 

[Benson]

And dont grind when the cat is in the workshop as mine normaly is..It ends up with a smoking back,jumps in the air and darts out like a bullet out of a rifle. Missus still does,nt know its happend twice now

I had the plasma cutter out last weekend, cutting big chunks of rot out of my dumper's skip. Concentrating on keeping a nice straight line I was a little shocked to get a big nudge in the back, stopped cutting and turned to see my Rottie behind trying to see what I was doing, as i stepped aside he dived in to see what was in the hole! I had to drag him back before he cut his head off on the hot edges. Again, didn't tell the wench why he had singed the fur on his neck.

 

[stevemon15]

Oh, and perhaps the most serious lesson I've learnt so far. Let the grinder come to a full stop before you set it down on the bench.

I now have a welding glove with a large gash in one finger. The cutting disc went through all of the material, and I pulled my glove off expecting one of those moments where the skin looks unmarked, then slowly opens up before your eyes, and starts gushing blood.

Not a scratch on my finger, but I was very, very lucky.

 

[roofman]

How the heck do you get a cat to stay in the garage while you grind? is it deaf? I thought I did well grinding off a seized padlock off the kennels but it takes training and years of good breeding to get gundogs comfortable with loud noises and sparks / fire. Cats I cannot imagine not freaking out

The moggy is a year old and been in the workshop since it came here at 2 months so must be used to it...having said that iff i burst in the kitchen and its sitting there watching the missus do her thing it jumps and runs It popped its cherry at the weekend and scored its 1st sparrow too

 

[roofman]

Oh, and perhaps the most serious lesson I've learnt so far. Let the grinder come to a full stop before you set it down on the bench.

I now have a welding glove with a large gash in one finger. The cutting disc went through all of the material, and I pulled my glove off expecting one of those moments where the skin looks unmarked, then slowly opens up before your eyes, and starts gushing blood.

Not a scratch on my finger, but I was very, very lucky.

weld three 6mm studs about 10mm long to the edge of the gaurd..when you put it down it keeps the wheel off the bench

 

[chriscase]

Remember not to wear old trainers tied in a double knot when welding , I did and I got a hot ball go straight though both trainer and sock and was frying my foot , it's unbelievable how long it takes to undo that lace when your in that much pain and trying not to dance around lol , I never wear trainers anymore but never tie my boots either , just in case !

 

[vitus992]

Im glad im not the only one that seems to find new levels of clumsiness!!

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Don't wear your old woolly jumper when using a wire brush in an angle grinder, especially when it snags and wraps itself into such a tight ball on your chest that you can't get your thumb off the trigger and it stalls and starts to smoke leaving you to try and rip the plug out of an extension lead with one hand!!!
Plus it ruins the jumper!

 

[Bill Edwards]

Don't wear your old woolly jumper when using a wire brush in an angle grinder, especially when it snags and wraps itself into such a tight ball on your chest that you can't get your thumb off the trigger and it stalls and starts to smoke leaving you to try and rip the plug out of an extension lead with one hand!!!
Plus it ruins the jumper!

Nearly pmsl!

 

[Badger1bear]

set the scene, a lorry cab is tipped over and im repairing a fibre glass arch I remember it well

or when you buy a flexible drill shaft, fit it in your mains powered drill. snap tie the drill to the underside of the cab (pushing the lock button for constant use thereby freeing up both hands for punishment) and use a pointed bur to grind away the fibre glass up to where it meets the metal cab, the gap became gradually smaller as you worked towards the cab. Soon as the die grinder gets caught and stops the drill takes on a life of its own as tho its possessed and performs a dangerous death dance as it mutilates the flexible drill shaft. Never going back to a lit firework was drummed in at an early age but there was no mention of going back to a drill that was 90% demonic. It was only the handle of the drill hitting my thumb that managed to shear the flexible shaft. When it was untangled it resembled a slinky on Meth

who'd a thunk it

 

[Kent]

Oh, and perhaps the most serious lesson I've learnt so far. Let the grinder come to a full stop before you set it down on the bench.

I now have a welding glove with a large gash in one finger. The cutting disc went through all of the material, and I pulled my glove off expecting one of those moments where the skin looks unmarked, then slowly opens up before your eyes, and starts gushing blood.

Not a scratch on my finger, but I was very, very lucky.

I have the scar of a grinder bite from over twenty five years ago along the back of my left index finger, one think they don't do is bleed! The incision is cauterised as its made, the difficulty then is getting the two sections to join for stitching then to heal .

Oh it stopped me taking guards off for better access. Two other guys had incidents at the same firm one got a 9" slitting disc into his inner thigh as he cut through a bit quicker than he expected another had a kick back into his wrist cut into the bone that one did!

 

[oberlisc]

Your not doing it right unless you smell burning flesh at some point.