Contrary to popular belief, welding is a simple task if you have the relevant skills and most importantly, the right tools. Becoming a welder is not only a way of broadening your knowledge but can truly open a wide range of opportunities for you. Here are the three must-have supplies needed for welding:
1. Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welder
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding knowledge is a must-have for welding activities. MIG welding refers to an arc welding process whereby a single solid electrode runs through a welding gun where it is fed into the weld pool to join the two base materials together.
Additionally, a shielding gun is also used to protect the weld pool from contamination. The MIG welding process is instrumental in helping home hobbyists, ranchers, motorsport geeks, and DIY welders to make a variety of fabrication on a wide range of materials, from 24-gauge up to 1/2 inch thickness. It is regarded as a flexible solution to all the fabrication and repair needs. Lastly, there are a few factors to put into consideration during the MIG welding process. For instance, metal preparation is one of the key aspects to consider. The solid MIG wire is prone to rust, dirt, and oil, making it crucial to use a grinder or metal brush to clean it before striking the arc. The other factors include equipment preparation, wire selection, and gas selection. Preparations make the welding process fast and smooth.
2. Auto-Darkening Helmet
Shielding your eyes when arc welding is just as important as anything else. When welding, the flying sparks and debris from the light can easily hit your face and cause serious eye and face problems. If no proper precautions are taken, the damage may even be permanent. Welders in the past relied on the permanently darkened helmets to protect themselves from the welding sparks.
The major limitation of such helmets was that the welders could not see anything with the visor facing downwards. Today, the auto-darkening helmets have been developed to help assess the areas you are about to bond and, at the same time, darken when the arc goes off to shield the eyes from excessive lighting and debris.
With such helmets, darkening is never paramount until harmful light is detected. Having an auto-darkening helmet to protect your face and eyes from the harmful fluorescent welding light leads to less straining of the eyes.
3. Safety Glasses
Regardless of the type of helmet you choose, you can still end up getting some debris in your eyes if they are not protected. You do not really wish to visit a doctor complaining of debris in your eye every other time. Besides, the whole experience of visiting the doctor is never going to be a pleasant one to remember. Such debris can as well cause blindness in the worst-case scenarios.
Now, this is where the role of safety glasses come in handy. Safety glasses are all important for the protection of your eyes from the flying sparks and debris. It is worthwhile to note that such glasses must have non-tinted clear lenses to effectively achieve their role.