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FR welding jacket

Top Welding Jacket Questions: What You need to Know

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a man wearing a hybrid welding jacket

Welding jackets are an essential piece of welding PPE for any welder. With it, you get maximum protection against sparks, heat, and molten metal, reducing injuries and burns. Here, we answer a few of the top welding jacket questions just so you get to know more about them, how to properly use them, how to take care of them, and more! Let’s get started. 

Top Welding Jacket Questions

What kind of jacket do you need for welding?

The ideal kind of jacket you need for welding depends on your specific needs and type of welding. But, most welders go for flame-resistant (FR) welding jackets. These are specifically made and designed to protect you from molten metal, sparks, and other welding hazards. These FR jackets are made mostly from materials like wool, cotton, leather, or a blend of natural and synthetic fibers. 

Do I really need a welding jacket?

Yes! Welding jackets are an essential piece of welding PPE and must-haves. They should be worn at all times when welding. They are the barrier between your skin and the heat and sparks generated when welding. Wearing one will reduce the risk of burns and injuries. 

What is the use of a welding jacket?

Protection: Welding jackets protect your upper body from welding hazards like sparks, molten metal, and heat. 

Comfort: In addition to protection, you get insulation and warmth. With so many options for welding jackets out there—leather, cotton, or even a hybrid one—wearing one protects you from extreme weather and makes welding more comfortable. Wear a cotton welding jacket in the summer to keep you cool, and wear a leather welding jacket to keep you warm in winter. 

Durability: All welding jackets are designed to withstand heavy-duty weld work. You just have to choose the best one!

a man wearing a pigskin leather welding clothing

Should I wash my welding jacket?

Washing the welding jacket is not generally recommended. But you can spot-clean them if you want to remove any dirt or debris. Remember not to use any harsh chemicals or too much water because this can damage the FR properties of your jacket. 

What can I use as a welding jacket?

If a welding jacket isn’t available, you can use a welding apron or maybe even a combination of welding pants and an FR welding shirt. But we strongly advise you to get a high-quality welding jacket for welding. 

Top Welding Jacket Questions: How to choose a welding jacket?

In choosing a welding jacket, you need to consider these factors: 

Material: When choosing a material, go for flame-resistant material like cotton, leather, or wool.

Fit: Always make sure your welding jacket fits you comfortably and gives you a full range of motion. 

Length: Choose a longer jacket so you get maximum protection for your torso and arms. 

Features: Look for additional features like adjustable cuffs, multiple pockets, or a hood for convenience and protection.  

Now that we’ve answered the top welding jacket questions, learn more and read our blogs about welding jackets and how to take care of them. Invest in a high-quality welding jacket now because if you invest in high-quality welding PPE, you invest in your safety.

Best Welding Jacket for Summer

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welder working under the sun

Spring is here and that means summer is just around the corner! It’s back to welding in hot temperatures. That means it’s time for you to suit up! Get yourself a breathable welding jacket or a lightweight welding jacket that will give you the comfort you need while also getting maximum protection. But with all the options out there for welding jackets, how do you choose the best one? Here are some factors you need to consider in buying the best welding jacket for summer.

 

Your Guide to Buying the Best Welding Jacket for Summer 

Material

The first thing you need to consider is the type of material. During the summer, you need something lightweight and breathable. The best material for a summer welding jacket is cotton. For this season, the less leather the better. 

 

While leather is the best material for welding jackets, using cotton welding jackets in the summer will increase airflow which then provides more breathable comfort. Plus, leather welding jackets can get heavy. Cotton welding jackets are lighter which gives you more room for movement.

 

welding under the sun

Color

This can sometimes be overlooked. As you know, a brighter color deflects sunlight while a darker color absorbs heat. So in choosing a summer welding jacket, go for the lighter shades. 

 

Comfort

When it comes to buying the best welding jacket for the summer, always go for one size bigger than your actual or usual size. If you go with your usual size, it may feel too tight which you wouldn’t want at all. With the extra heat during this season, you’d want all the breathing room and comfort you can get. 

 

welder at work

Type of Welding

Whatever type of welding you do, you always need welding PPE. Safety is always a must. If you do TIG weld, you don’t get too exposed to spatter. In this case, some would just use a welding shirt. But for the other types of welding processes, you are definitely exposed to more spatter which could burn through any fiber. 

 

Consider alternatives like a hybrid welding jacket – a cotton welding jacket with leather welding sleeves. There are options like this that you could get so you don’t worry about getting unwanted burns. 

 

These are some factors to consider in buying the best welding jacket for the summer. If you want to invest in something, invest in premium welding clothing. Invest in comfort and maximum protection!

What to Buy A Welder for Christmas 2021

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gift for christmas 2021

In just a few more days we are celebrating Christmas, the biggest holiday in the world! And in just a few weeks, we welcome the year 2022! Indeed, time flies really fast. During the holidays, everyone gets busy preparing for get-togethers. But there’s one particular task that everyone finds really challenging and that’s choosing a gift for friends or family. Well, we know the struggle so we want to help out. Here we give you a list of what to buy a welder for Christmas 2021. 

 

Christmas Gifts for Welders 

Welding/Craft Specific Gift Cards

A lot of welders are very specific or picky with their tools and equipment. And while you mean well, you want to get them something that they will definitely use. So, instead of getting them that specific tool, get them a gift card to a welding/craft store. That way, they get to choose what they like. 

 

A personalized fun welder T-shirt or Welding Mug (or both)

The good thing about giving a welder a fun personalized T-shirt or mug is that you get to choose what to print on it. Just be sure you know your welder friend or family member that much for him or her to really like it and actually wear it or use it. Make it fun and creative!

 

Magnetic Wristband

Here’s something that’s easily one of the best things you can give the welder in your life. You know how screws, nails, and drill bits fall or get lost easily? Well, get them a magnetic wristband! Magnets are embedded into a lightweight mesh that they can wear on their wrist. A super-strong wristband tool holder! 

 

Welding Tool Bag

A super useful gift would be a welding tool bag that can also hold a helmet. Hammers, pliers, vice grips, combination square and tungsten, gloves, cap, respirator, and even other valuable things like car jets, flint striker, scribe, safety glasses, soapstone, or a pocket ruler. Moving his tools will not be a hassle with this welding tool bag. 

Welder Wall Art

Next on the list is welder wall art for their workshops or offices. It’s not exactly something they would use but it’s something they’d appreciate and see every day. The challenge here is to know what kind of wall art your welder friend or family member would like. You can either go for historical conversational pieces related to welding or a landscape photo that you know they’d appreciate. That or just funny wall art pieces that would just remind them of how awesome they are! 

Welder Stickers

Welder stickers! What a great idea! Get some badass welder stickers they could put on their helmet, lunch box, toolbox, thermos – anywhere! The greatest thing about this is it won’t cost you too much. 

 

Personalized Survival Knife

Make sure they don’t have one yet. Aside from it being a super useful tool, it’s also a man’s or even a woman welder’s best tool. 

 

A High-Quality Leather Welding Jacket

Every welder should have a high-quality leather welding jacket that will give maximum protection and will also make them look awesome even while at work! Check out DURIN Leather Welding Jacket. It’s made of split leather hide with flame-resistant cotton fabric made for comfort and safety. 

 

 

It has a protective neck collar, lined sleeves for freedom of movement, adjustable cuffs with generous pockets! You can even throw in a carbon felt welding blanket made in the USA that they can use for work or even for their smokers!

Waylander Welding Merch

If you’ve purchased any of the Waylander Welding protective clothing, why not add some Waylander Welding merch? It’s the perfect look you can go for while at work or even during days off. Get the Waylander Welding T-Shirt or the Waylander Welding cap. 

What Not to Do When Wearing FR Clothing

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welder working

It’s not enough that you wear Flame Retardant (FR) clothing. It pays to know the right way to wear them and know what not to do when wearing them. Remember, wearing FR clothing correctly can give maximum protection, but if worn improperly or out of the industry standards, they become less effective. Here we give you the common mistakes welders do in wearing FR clothing. 

What not to do in wearing FR Clothing

Do not wear FR clothing without a Non-FR outer layer

While you have your FR clothing on, you need to make sure that you are wearing an FR outer layer. It can be tempting to wear a non-FR jacket most especially during the cold weather. But chances are, that outer layer can still ignite and burn putting you at risk. 

Do not wear a Non-FR synthetic underlayer

One other thing you need to remember is that when you wear FR clothing, make sure you are wearing an FR underlayer as well. T-shirts that are made out of polyester or synthetic materials can help with moisture management but these are not flame resistant and can even melt to the skin. 

 

two welders working
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Do not roll up your sleeves

While this can be a challenge most especially if you are beating the heat, rolling up your sleeves exposes your arms to welding spatter. The best thing to do is to look for FR clothing that is lightweight so you get maximum comfort and maximum protection. 

 

Do not unbutton your FR clothing

It’s important to know that unbuttoning your FR clothing can expose your skin to heat and welding spatter. If you’re wearing non FR clothing underneath, for example, heat can easily ignite and burn which leaves you unprotected. 

 

welder working
Photo via unsplash.com

Do not leave your shirt untucked

In wearing welding clothing, you should always check if your shirt is tucked in properly. If not, heat and flame can go under and lead to greater injury. Make sure that when you buy FR clothing, get one that is purposefully made with long shirttails. 

 

These are just some of the things a welder needs to remember when wearing FR clothing to get that maximum protection that it is made to provide. 

How to Wash FR Clothing

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welder working wearing FR clothing

As welders, Flame-Retardant FR clothing is a standard PPE. Every layer of welding protection is a must since fire and heat is a thing we deal with on a daily basis. By this time, you may already have invested in FR welding jackets, FR welding shirts, or FR welding pants. With daily use, they may now have seen a bit of wear and tear. The question is, have you been washing them the right way? Remember, for FR clothing to work properly, they need to be well maintained. Here’s how to properly wash FR clothing. 

 

Before we move on, you should know the difference between flame retardant welding clothing and flame resistant welding clothing. Flame retardant clothing only has a coat of fire-resistant material while fire-resistant clothing is literally made of resistant material. Whichever type you have, you could use this process for proper upkeep. 

 

welder working wearing FR clothing

How to Wash FR Clothing

Wash FR clothing separately in a Cotton or Normal cycle at any water temperature (maximum of 140ºF or 60ºC) and tumble dry on low. Use a liquid detergent and make sure you turn the FR clothing inside out before you wash to reduce streaking from abrasion. Also, make sure that all soils or stains are removed from the garments before the wash process. 

 

Here are the things that you need to take note of in washing FR clothing:

  • Do not use soap (tallow soap with animal fats) and fabric softeners. These can leave a flammable coating which can be dangerous.
  • Do not use chlorine bleach or liquid non-chlorine bleach. This can reduce the level of flame resistance.
  • Do not use starches, peroxides, or vinegar 
  • Do not use hard water. This can deposit small packets of magnesium and calcium which are flammable.

 

FR clothing usually lasts for 5 years. Some rare FR gear would even last 20 years. Most lose their effectiveness after 25-50 wash cycles. FR clothing have specific laundering instruction and requirements and it’s important you check the label and follow manufacturer recommendations. This will guarantee a longer lifespan. Remember, FR clothing cannot wear out its FR properties easily unless the fabric is mishandled in some way. 

 

welder working wearing FR Clothing