Yes, staying clean while welding is impossible. Welders like you have the job in mind and keeping your clothes clean isn’t something you really think about. Your focus stays on welding and staying safe. But, if you don’t want to have to deal with having to wash away too much stains from your work clothes, here are some welding clothing tips.

Welding Clothing Tips: Minimize Stains on Welding Clothes

Oil is your number one enemy when it comes to stains. That and of course dirt and dust. Whether you’re working in a workshop or a factory, there’s grease and dust all around and it could be hard to really avoid it. What can you do to minimize the stains on your work clothes?

Do not touch welding clothes as much

It does sound basic but if you make yourself aware and practice it for some time, it becomes a habit. Next thing you know, you find less amount of stains on your work clothes because of this habit. So, the next time you work, be more aware of the many times you touch your welding pants or welding shirt.

Keep a rag/handkerchief in your pocket all the time

Make sure that you have a rag or handkerchief in your pocket all the time. Never leave your home without it. Or better yet, have a several in your workshop or workplace so you won’t have a problem having one whenever you work. That way, before you touch any of your work clothes or any item at all, you make it a habit to wipe your hands with that rag.

Starch your welding clothes

The starching process of welding clothing has been around for a long time and it’s done by both professional and amateur welders. This is done to prolong the usability of welding clothes by preventing dirt and dust from accumulating on the clothing. It also makes a piece of garment oil resistant. This then prevents too much stains on the work clothes making it easier to wash them.

Just remember you can only start 100% denim or cotton welding clothing.

two welders working — Photo via unsplash.com

Get Coveralls, Have Work Clothes that are meant for just working

If you really want to minimize the stains you get on your welding clothing while at work, get coveralls and use that over your welding clothing. They last long and you won’t have to worry as much. Also, apart from your leather welding clothing or welding jackets, only use work clothes that are meant for just working. Meaning if you use them and they get stained, you wouldn’t mind as much.

As a welder, dealing with stains, dust, and dirt is something you need to live with. It is impossible to be super clean at the end of the day. But if there are ways for you to minimize the stains you need to deal with, then why not? So, the next time you weld, keep these things in mind and save yourself the headache of having to deal with too much stubborn stains on your welding clothing.

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Welding Tips for Beginners

September 4, 2020

If you’re here that means you have decided to try your hand at welding. Congratulations! You are in for an adventure. Before we go to specifics, know that to get better at welding, hands-on experience is definitely essential. It’s the only way you learn and improve fast. Here we give you the basics of what you need to know to get started - welding tips for beginners - to make sure you adjust quickly and effectively.

Not a lot of people realize that a career in welding, altho risky, can be very fulfilling and rewarding. It gives you travel opportunities, allows you to earn what doctors and even lawyers earn, it’s always in demand and you don’t need a college degree to be a welder. If you’re having second thoughts about taking this route in life, don’t. A career in welding is one of the best choices you will make for yourself. With that, let’s move on to the five welding tips for beginners.

5 Welding Tips for Beginners

Welding Tip #1 Know the Fundamentals of welding

Before you go on and actually do anything hands-on, read and learn more about the fundamentals. Get to know some terms, the most common types of welding processes, and any other fundamentals there are. Assuming you haven’t done that yet, here’s a quick rundown of the most important things you should know.

The process of welding is quite simple. It’s joining two pieces of metal by heating them to its melting point. Once these pieces of metal are melted, they combine in a weld pool and are finally joined together when the molten liquid solidifies.

A filler, a third source of metal, is used together with the two base metals which adds to its total mass. These filler metals could be electrodes, continuously fed wire, or filler rods. This depends on the type of welding process being done.

The key to welding is to creating a puddle where you can melt the filler material. If you stay in one place for too long, it burns a hole in your base metal or you could end up getting your welder stuck. So, if you are going to do any beginner practice at all, it should be to practice leading that puddle without trying to join any metal together.

It’s the speed you travel and the distance you have between the rod and base that’s important. If it’s too close the rod can stick, if it’s too far it can splatter and disconnect the arc.

Welding Tip #2 Decide what welding process you’d like to learn first

Reading more about the fundamentals of welding, you’d know a bit more about the different methods or types of welding. There’s TIG welding, MIG welding, Stick Welding, and Flux Cored Arc welding.

One thing you have to know as early as now is that there is no one method or process of welding that works for all applications. So, think of what kind of projects you want to work on and decide what process you want to master.

Welding Tip #3 Buy some tools and take care of them

A beginner should have some tools to get started. As someone who is just starting to make it all happen, here are some of the basic tools you should have:

Measuring tools – calipers, tape measure, metal T squares, marking tool
Welding clamps
Welding magnets
Sheet Metal Gauge
Electrode
Wire and Electrode Feed
Angle Grinder
Metal Brush

A tip. Electrodes or filler metals (welding rods) are one of those you really have to take extra care for. Most methods like in TIG welding, for example, rely on the cleanliness of the surface material and the purity of the rod. Also, make sure you calibrate electrode size and amperage before welding. Take care of your tools and they will take care of you.

Welding Tip #4 Get yourself some welding protective clothing and equipment

You’ve got the fundamentals, you’ve got the goal. Now you’re a bit ready to do some observing or maybe even some more hands-on practice. But even before you can do that, make sure you have your own welding protective clothing and equipment because safety is still a priority.

If you go shopping for your own gear, you’d find that there’s a lot to choose from. You have welding jackets, gloves, sleeves, aprons, chaps, leggings, coveralls, safety boots, welding helmet, safety glasses, respirators, ear muffs, and even welding blankets. For each of these, there are thousands of brands and thousands of different styles. All it takes is for you to know each of them and read more about how to choose the best ones.

Read:
Welding Protective Clothing and Equipment
How to Choose the Right Welding Jacket
Welding Sleeves: A Complete Buying Guide
3 Factors to Consider in Buying the Best Welding Gloves
What to Know About a Welding Apron
How do I Choose the Right Welding Blanket

Once you’ve done a bit of research, one thing more you should remember in protecting yourself, NEVER look directly at a welding arc even for just a second or a split second for that matter. This can damage your eyes and could stop you from even doing any welding even before you’ve started.

Welding Tip #5 Find a welding mentor and Practice!

Sure there are welding schools our courses where you can learn a ton of stuff which you can’t learn anywhere else. Once you educate yourself, you need to have a welding mentor who can help you improve. One who wouldn’t just tell you your work is good when really it isn’t. Find one who has years of experience and who isn’t afraid to tell you what you’re doing wrong.

If they aren’t really so much into teaching, find someone you can observe and mirror. That way, you learn tricks you wouldn’t find in books or any other material. Actual welding is still the best way to learn so you have to make sure you learn from the best.

Lastly, practice. All the reading, all the observing won’t really do you good if you won’t practice. It takes time to learn a method, and it takes time to actually know the right way to do it. So, start now and don’t waste time. Build your career as a welder and you won’t be sorry. It may be risky, but it’s also lucrative, fun, and can provide endless opportunities. Good luck!

Welding Clothing Tips: How to Minimize Stains on Welding Clothes While at Work

Welding Clothing Tips: Minimize Stains on Welding Clothes

Do not touch welding clothes as much

Keep a rag/handkerchief in your pocket all the time

Starch your welding clothes

Get Coveralls, Have Work Clothes that are meant for just working