lesson learned; Still Peeling! You'll laugh.

[fdburner]

"Time to burn.
No training. FREE. No experience. FREE. Welder. CHEAP
Grandfathers antique burn goggles. FREE. The Burn on my face.... Priceless"

Obviously without the common sense God gave a goat I made a poor descision regarding the welding helmet. I probaly don't need to explain. After buying some aloe, a better helmet, and doing research, I'm looking to get a good machine.
From the first spark, until hours later , I knew I was in trouble. Anyone else ever been in these same shoes?
Started some projects; under deck ladder racks, & stainless bow rail topping the list. Got real lucky with material.
Beside my equipment search, I am looking for reccomended learning resources, & any suggested project ideas.
Any help you guys can offer is appreciated.

[sjmiller]

I'm teaching myself how to weld by mostly reading - and classes I can attend. Mig welding doesn't appear to create as much UV radiation as TIG does. Helment, gloves, and a Tee shirt worked fine with MIG. The first time I did so with TIG - my forearms were "sun burnt" - they crusted over and pealed.

Safety is head to foot 100%, body parts do not regenerate..

[jniolon]

BUT, Mig can toast you quite nicely also...

spent a nice afternoon welding up a field gate... single 20 section of 2" pipe welded to 2" upright with a diagonal brace about 15' long... didn't fuss with fit up much..just mig'd it all with multi passes. Just wanted it strong enough to keep the kids on 4 wheelers from bustin thru it or pulling it down.

Like you... T-shirt and gloves ... had a good old time burnin wire. Later that night after shower started feeling tingle in upper arms. From my elbows up to my t-shirt line, nice, cherry red biceps on both arms. Kept that color and tingle for several weeks.. took a good bit of ribbing from the real welders at work... told me it wouldn't have happened if I'd used SPF50 shielding gas

now when I turn on my MM200 I reach for the nice green fireproof jacket ...it's hanging on the gas bottle valve so I don't forget.


john


I'm learning much more about how much I don't know as I get older.

[squig]

one trhing that really burns me up are these tv shows that have all these so called "WELDING EXPERTS" that are so tough and tattooed they dont need a shirt or jacket to protect them from skin diseases that they could get from these practices .COVER EXPOSED SKIN all welding will burn unprotected skin DUH!

[Bart]

Always pay attention to where you feet are when welding especially when wearing tennis shoes. Slag can burn through the cloth of the shoe real quick . When this happens, you'll be ripping your shoe and sock off as quick as you can. Hopefully there won't be any witness, because it sure is fun when you on the side lines watching someone hopping around trying to get that shoe off. .

[link523]

i was stick welding vertical up short sleeves little burns all over my arms from splatter i have a leather jacket now let me tell you its not fun to get burned also set my pants on fire the other day with a spark from my mig pants frayed at the bottom

[Lu47Dan]

Burns !!!! What really fries my hide is when these people on TV shows (no names ) weld without gloves on . By the time they are 50 their hands will be concrete .
When I was a apprentice , taking the advanced welding course, I was in the welding booth doing a 5G 6" tig weld . My welding jacket was a little short in the sleeves and I burnt both forearms . not too pleasent for me I saw one of my friends in the trade ,welding a 6" 90 on in the stands , he had just bought a new pair of boots that had the a heavy strap where the tongue was sewn on at . Had a drop of slag fall on the tongue and get caught against the strap and burn through the tongue . He had third degree burns on his foot!

Dan


I agree with you John

[Richard]

paints cought on Fire

years ago my Father got some paints from Sears and one day when he was welding some hot slag dripped down onto his pants leg and cought the bottom of his pants on Fire. it proceded to burn and melt into his skin on the frunt of his shin. after he got the fire out, he pieled out what he could stand to with the pain and then let the rest grow out....ouch
from then own when Mama bought Daddy some pants she would pull out a little piece of metirial or thread and light it with her cigaret lighter to see if it would burn. . if it did burn she did not buy
I guess the paints that burned were mostly poliester or had a lot of poliester in them. . he even had the unifom guy get everyone 100% cotton unifom pants and shirts as to ,Hopefuly, keep this from hapining again.

[lgjhn]

one trhing that really burns me up are these tv shows that have all these so called "WELDING EXPERTS" that are so tough and tattooed they dont need a shirt or jacket to protect them from skin diseases that they could get from these practices .COVER EXPOSED SKIN all welding will burn unprotected skin DUH!

Thats why I hate those shows...
They are continuously doing unsafe acts on them and the naive people that watch it think they can do the same thing.....only they either hurt themselves or destroy something.....
My two cents worth is to stay away from those shows, practice safety at all times and learn to do things the proper way...
Those shows are giving real weldors a bad rap in the eyes of the public....

[Curly09]

I've been smoked far more than I care to remember. In the Miltary you are required to maintain a fire Watch. The short of it is its an extra set of eyes for safety of the ship. Great in therory, bad on the members selected for the duty. Mostly folks selected are ones other departments can do without.
Spent 3 days in the Hospital with flash burn when one decided to move in for a closer look at what I was working on just before I flipped my helmet. Another was asleep when my coveralls went up in flame with me in them.

Ultimatly, as the operator the buck stops with me! I am the professional responsable for the entire evolution start to finnish and if an area is unsafe its my call to work or not.
Just keep in mind that if a situation feels unsafe it usually is.
If your working under a military contract your going to get folks over your shoulder keeping an eye on there equipment.