That is a nice machine, I have one.

You will want to at least pick up a chop saw, you can get them for $100 or less on craigslist.


And if you don't have an auto helmet get one.

 

Auto helmets are for amateurs and for people that want to go blind.

 

what is wrong with auto helmets?

 

Have a budget auto-darkening helmet that is a #10 shade, non-adjustable. I just remember trying to strike an arc in H.S. shop with a manual helmet and not having much luck. :sonicjay:

First project: build welding cart.
Second project: build a custom frame to mount a racing seat and controls for racing games on the PS3. :d:

 

handy: welding pliers
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=33836

must haves: nozzle dip, anti-spatter spray, random assortment of clamps and vice grips

 

Thanks Johnny - You sure like spending my money - first the radiator, now this! ; )

Great suggestions for a noob! :thumb:

 

Long sleeve shirt (preferably welding jacket),gloves, squares, clamps, chop saw and hand grinder. I keep a scribe, tape measure, ruler and square in my welding apron.

 

I'd rather spend someone else's money any day.

Another thing I thought of is to have an extra pack of tips for each size wire you have. Tips blow out at 8:49 when it's a 12 minute drive to the store that closes promptly at 9pm to buy a new one. It's a nice $5 insurance policy.

 

I know several professional welders, many who have done it for quite a long time, and some are the old timers as well....all of them except 2 use auto helmets, though all of them have also spent alot of money on thier helmets, so no junk...the 2 welders I know who do not use an auto helmet (father and son) have a very good reason...they are iron workers, and are normally working several stories up...spend alot of money on a good helmet, drop it once, and its trash...buy an elcheapo helmet, drop it and it breaks, who cares?
they both have decent auto helmets for use at home...

alot of things (clamps and jigs) that you will need/want you will figure out as you go, and alot of those types of things you just build as you need them...one thing you may want to build before getting into any other projects, after the welding cart anyway, is a welding table...just a small basic table, at a height comfortable to either sit or stand at while working (your choice) made of all steel, usually with a heavy mesh or screen top...you can clamp pieces through the screen top, or around the sides of the table, or just set your pieces on it, leave the ground clamp on the leg of the table, and start welding

arrow magnets are nice to have as well...also at least one angle finder, clamps and visegrips, aluminum speedy square, clamps and visegrips, steel protracter is nice to have, and you should also get some clamps and visegrips, you'll use them alot, and you never seem to have enough

 

Tons of vice grip clamps, not the pliers kind. extra everything, tips, nozzles, a spare liner, spare tank of gas, spare spool....and what everyone else said...

I use only autodarkening at work. We have one or two "old" ones as well that collect dust. I use them simply for speed. I can weld 20 3/4" welds in a row without lifting my helmet once, while the old timer has to flip up his helmet ever single weld, then back down again. Also upside down under your Jeep welding, just leave the helmet down, especially when you have only enough room for your head.

 

Save your money. Use your Raybans.

 

:sonicjay::sonicjay:

And don't forget a beer fridge.

 

chop saw will not only cut tube, it can cope it.

 

A Bridgeport is always nice when you build stuff.

 

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2005/10/through-a-glass-darkly.aspx

According to Jim Harris, product manager at The Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland, "A lot of people are under the misconception that it's the darkening of the helmet that protects your eyes. Actually, that's purely a comfort issue." Harris explained that damage and discomfort to welders' eyes result primarily from the welding arc's emission of ultraviolet and infrared radiation, both of which are prevented at all times by all helmets that comply with the current ANSI Z87.1 standard--even when the helmet is turned off.

Cliff Frey, St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M's senior technical services representative, elaborated on this protective quality of the helmet, noting that the hoods provide the continuous protection from welding radiation via a permanent, built-in, non-electronic band-pass filter. If, in a worst-case scenario, a helmet's electronics were to fail and not trigger the liquid crystals that normally provide the appropriate split-second shading, the visible light allowed in the hood might be as dazzling as a camera's flashbulb, he said, but would not be capable of causing "arc eye," retinal burns, or other damage because the wearer's eyes would still be completely filtered from the harmful rays. "As long as you have your faceshield down, regardless of whether there are even batteries in the system, you'll get the bright light but you will not get burned," he said.

Just make sure the auto darkening helmet meets ANSI Z87.1 standards and you are about as safe as you can possibly be.

 

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2005/10/through-a-glass-darkly.aspx

Just make sure the auto darkening helmet meets ANSI Z87.1 standards and you are about as safe as you can possibly be.

That's good to know. I just looked, and the basic Hobart auto-darkening helmet that I bought from Tractor Supply is ANSI Z87.1 approved.

 

I agree with the pro-auto helmet guys and would recommend ear protection. (Especially if you're doing out of position welding!)

 

I think they have it covered:

For welding:

helmet of choice, gloves of choice, protective clothing of choice.
welding pliers
nozzle gel
big bag of spare tips

For fabricating:

clamps
surface prep stuff (I like a right-angle die grinder with a 3" roloc sanding disc)
a 4x6 cheepie band saw is a lot nicer than a chop saw

 

X3216516513 on the right angle die grinder with the 3" roloc sanding discs......and prep everything!

 

Got a Milwaukee chop saw. :woot:

 

now go buy a 20-pk of dust masks and a UVEX full face shield for it...

 

I have found that buying safety glassing and dust masks in bulk helps me to always have one handy. Cutting a lot on the chop saw creates a lot of metal and ceramic dust thats probably not the best to breathe in.

Here's the UVEX. Whats really nice, is you can get a shade 5 lens for plasma & torch cutting...

 

Got the same one myself. Havent got a tinted shield for it yet so for now I just use my dark glasses under it when running the plasma cutter.

 

Hot damn, MIG is fun.

I think I need biggar wire than 0.025 for 1/8" though... :teehee: