Glenn Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 To the welders, some advice please. I was holding things in place while a fellow was doing the arc welding. Rod was 1/8 inch 6013 at 125 amps on 3/16 inch thick steel, welding done outside. When possible I would wear a hood and watch how he welding trying to discover a secret ot two. But it occured to me that many times I have seen folks hold a hand in the line of sight of the arc, sometimes just position something in the way of the arc so it could not be seen (a workers body, the chop saw, etc). * How safe is blocking the arc in this manner? * What about the arc welding inside with reflective white walls, metal walls etc. Can the bounce arc flash be harmful. *What about the shop dog, cat, and should they be removed from the area when arc welding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habu68 Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Turning the head toward a white or metal wall can cause an uncomfortable case of "snow" blindness. Been there done that. not fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Turner Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 When I was doing a lot of welding as a Lather, I was working on Splash Mountain at Diseyworld. We had 35 guys welding in the area of a 2 car garage I got a flash burn on the back of my neck that blistered and I also got flashed from the reflection coming off the inside of my lens a bunch of us had to go see a doctor. That was the most uncomfortable flash I have ever had, Thanks Glenn I feel old now. LOL You can get flash burn on your skin and it is like a first or second degree burn I suggest cover it all especially your eyes, they say welding flash can promote skin cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 the problem is the intense UV that welding gives off. The intensity of the light given off is much greater than sunlight, when you are in the vicinity of arc welding you should wear dark tinted safety glasses that wrap around or have tinted side shields and have UV protection. Mig and Tig Welding are much more intense, and the harmful rays will penetrate the weave or thins spots in your clothing. A small hole in a shirt will leave the skin underneath looking like you had laser removal of a skin defect and a blister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skunkriv Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 When I was a kid my aunt and uncle had a mynah bird that talked. Oscar lived in the house in the winter and the rest of the time lived in Uncle Bud's welding shop. One of the many things he said was "watch your eyes". Not sure if the bird closed his or not :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I welded up my forge hood and wore a white T shirt needless to say my whole stomach was burnt my neck and arms...you need to cover up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 When I was a kid my aunt and uncle had a mynah bird that talked. Oscar lived in the house in the winter and the rest of the time lived in Uncle Bud's welding shop. One of the many things he said was "watch your eyes". Not sure if the bird closed his or not Aww that is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BT Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 *What about the shop dog, cat, and should they be removed from the area when arc welding? This is something I have wondered about too, Glenn. When my daughter moved to OKC this year, she left behind a 2 yr old Labrador that likes to hang out in the shop (and drink out of the slack tub). I always get him out of the shop when I am welding, but was wondering if animals are naturally smart enough to not stare at the welding arc, or if they need to be removed from the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Any pet deer would watch. It's probably best to minimize exposure to other animals, too. It's not instinctive for humans to look away either. We know lots of people who have burned their eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 18, 2007 Author Share Posted October 18, 2007 The standard blacksmithing t-shirt should not be used for welding. You can identify the shirt you were wearing for several days as the holes in the shirt act as a pattern for the sunburn on the tummy. Anyone ever notice that welding at night attracts bugs? The welding arc seems to be a beacon in the night advertising a mandatory must visit location for any bug in your zip code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdalcher Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I did a painful funny a month or so ago. I just had a small piece that needed welding and the perfectionist in me kept intruding. So I wound up grinding it down and rewelding three times. Oh did I forget to mention that I was shirtless... needless to say I had a pretty good sunburn on my belly and most annoyingly in my belly button. Note to self, ALWAYS wear appropriate clothing even when only welding a short bead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 When I was a kid my aunt and uncle had a mynah bird that talked. Oscar lived in the house in the winter and the rest of the time lived in Uncle Bud's welding shop. One of the many things he said was "watch your eyes". Not sure if the bird closed his or not I want one for my welding shop . mmmm... I may have to call the local pet store!j/k :p:D:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 I don't think I'd like it calling me an idiot when I did something stupid...:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 I once had a 300 amp engine driven Linde MIG that would burn you through a single shirt. It used .055 wire and was designed for pipeline welding so you could really turn up the juice. The first time I used it, I wore a white T-shirt under a denim work shirt that I neglected to button up the front. At the end of the day, I had a nice lobster stripe from neck to belt. I have a very bad habit of not wearing long sleeves and will often weld ony with gloves and helmet so I always have nut brown forearms with lighter hands and shoulders (farmer's tan). Not a good idea since skin cancer runs in the family and I already live somewhere where the sun shines 300 days a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.