Many think that the most important part of the welding process is the actual welder. We’re sorry to tell you this but, it’s not. The accessories that you have are a key part of keeping you in the game when it comes to welding – we just tend not to think about this important fact. Why do we say this? Have you considered the effect that any welding process would have on your eyesight if you didn’t have a pair of welding goggles? Or even a mask?
This guide will introduce you to the factors that should be considered when you begin your search for welding gear.
What factors go into buying welding accesories?
Where are you going to be welding?
A factor that many simply don’t take into consideration when they begin searching for welding gear is the actual place where the welding will be done. The gear you bring when you’re in a welding shop is completely different from the gear you’ll need if you’re doing the welding outside surrounded by other individuals. What do we mean? Well, if you’re in an actual welding shop, then they will likely have the necessary equipment to keep others safe from the hazards accompanied by welding – there will also very likely not be as many people in the surrounding areas.
If you’re outside you’ll likely need to buy your own welding curtain or something of the like to keep others safe from your welding.
Video credits to Howcast. It goes over a way to set up an indoor workshop to weld in.
What welding process will you use?
There are various different methods involved in welding, each of which involves different types of accessories. For this guide though, we will stick with gas welding – an activity that requires ventilation masks so the wearer doesn’t deal excess damage to their lungs.
Size of the item / welding space
As a prerequisite one should always consider the size of the item they are considering purchasing. If it doesn’t fit, then you will likely not be able to enjoy the benefits that it’s meant to provide. Outside of the wearable products one should consider the space they have available for the item – this is another major consideration to keep in mind when it comes to the size of the item. If you purchase an item that it is too large for the available space then you will have to go through the process of switching it out and returning – it’s probably best that you measure the space you have available before you decide to purchase anything.
Durability
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that whatever you’re purchasing is going to be able to stand the tests of time (and excessive use). The best way to do this is to pay a great deal of attention to the type of materials that the equipment is made of. Another easy way would be to look at comparison reviews of the item you have in mind – this is an easy way to gauge the longevity of an item in comparison to another equally valuable item.
Budget
Regardless of your income you want to make sure that the item you purchase will be able to fit inline with your budget. For the majority of welding accessories (unless you purchase the best items available, in which case you have to expect to spend a pretty penny) you won’t have to spend a ton of money. In fact, on most of the items you can expect to spend surprisingly small sums of money.
What type of Welding Accessories
Facial Protection
If you don’t have facial protection, then you likely don’t understand how dangerous welding can seriously be. Despite the exposure to harmful gases and bright lights, you have to worry about a whole plethora of other potential hazards (hazards that we will discuss in another post). Now, to avoid these hazards it’s probably best that you purchase equipment to keep you out of harm’s way.
Safety Goggles
There are various names for them but, for the most part they are known as welding goggles. These handy little tools are the key to making sure that your eyes are safe from sparks and any debris that your face may come into contact with during the process. These tools are also very good for keeping gasses out of your eyes during the weld as well.
Welding Helmets
Some people think that getting a pair of welding glasses is all that you need in order to stay safe – we’re here to say that there is literally no truth in that. A pair of welding goggles will keep your eyes safe but, a welding helmet will keep your entire face safe.Welding helmets keep the skin on your face safe from shrapnel and from the possible damage the gases can have on your face.
*the above photos gives examples of injuries that when the body is unprotected near a blast site / combustible objects / flying objects and welder’s flash.
Hand Protection
While all welding gloves are simply called “Welding Gloves”, they are all made with different purposes in mind. There are gloves made specifically for TIG, MIG, and Stick welding. Each of which will be broken down in subsections.
- MIG: MIG welding is a process that is known for producing a fair amount of splatter as well as for generating a decent level of heat. Aside from this, MIG welding is also known for giving operators more dexterity since users are able to operate a welding gun equipped with a trigger that ca activate / deactivate the process. For this reason, many MIG welding gloves are made of denser leathers that are capable of handling more heat.
- TIG: TIG welding has been said to produce much less heat than MIG which implies that one should be able to use much thinner gloves.
- Stick: Much like MIG welding stick welding is an activity that is known for producing a high level of heat – which means that the gloves one uses must be relatively thick and capable of preventing your hands from being burned.
Protecting the torso
Aside from welding gloves other parts of the body, mainly the torso, will need to be protected. The common accessories made to protect an individual’s torso are aprons and jackets, as these are the objects that will provide the most protection for this part of your body. When purchasing either of these accessories it’s important to pay attention to the materials that they are made of. Much like the MIG welding gloves that we discussed in the above section, you’ll want to make sure the welding gloves you choose are designed from a thick leather – otherwise they will get burned through and won’t help much (since they’ll expose your hands).
Ventilation
When you’re TIG welding, you want to make sure that you have respiratory equipment, aka breathing masks and things of that nature. If there isn’t proper ventilation in the area that you weld in then you will likely inflict permanent damage on your lungs (something that no one wants to happen).
There are various different pieces of equipment designed specifically to provide respiration while welding – each of which will be covered in a later review by us.
Welding Shield
As we mentioned earlier in the review, it’s imperative that you make sure to purchase a welding curtain of some sort if you weld in a completely open space. This will make sure that your welds aren’t causing immense damage to those around you.
The purpose of this guide is to inform you of the specific materials that you’ll need (and are commonly used) to continue to weld efficiently. Depending on the type of welding you’ll be engaging in you’ll need different things – but that’s what we’re here for, to make sure you make the most informed purchasing decisions.
