MikeD74T
Veteran Member
chh said:
Welding Bucket Hooks!
- Thread starter xlr82v2
- Start date
Sandlot
Gold Member
At work, the welders are required to where respirators under there hoods while welding stainless even with ventilation. A trick I learned welding overhead, is to wear ear plugs. It really sucks to get one of those slag balls down your ear canal, that is a sizzle you don't want to hear! 
patrick_g
Elite Member
BX, There are filtered air helmets for woodworkers. Some are air masks with hoses to belt mounted battery packs with filters and fans. This works for taking dust out of otherwise good air. This sort of system could easily be incorporated into a welding helmet, using of course, appropriate filters.
I have worked with and around flow booths, redesigning some in clean room applications and have a fair feel for airflow in and around a working person. That is why I think I have a good feel for just how poorly most welding operations ventilate their work areas.
There is no inexpensive way to properly ventilate a work space for welding with uncomfortably cold or hot ambient temps to contend with. This is especially true for the light to medium intensities of welding most of us find ourselves involved with.
With woodworking you can use a good cyclonic dust collection system with good output filters and route the effluent air back into the workspace recapturing conditioned air but with welding there are additional problems and filtration requirements for recirculating the air gets expensive.
Probably one of the best solutions for the DIY guy would be a low pressure breathable air supply flooding the inside of the welding helmet with clean air. Some canvas or similar attached to the helmet to cover the openings to the ambient air would prevent letting in fumes as the flow of good air flowing out would keep out the fumes. This would be a comfortable arrangement, not all sweaty as the fresh air flow would be better than a stock helmet. Comfort is always an issue when it comes to safety gear with use being less likely if it is uncomfortable.
NOTE: Do not use a typical shop air source for breathing air. Oil type compressors are especially not safe to breathe from. There are small compressors that are certified for safe to breathe air. HVLP turbines might be worth looking into to see if they mix the high pressure air with the low. If not OK but if they do then don't use it.
I set up a hookah system for a buddy once. I got a used inhalation therapy compressor from Parsons. One of those would be a good compressor for a small personal clean air supply to run into a welding helmet with a light weight flex hose like used on bonnet style hair dryers and some miniature vacuum cleaners. It would be important to control the source of the air being pumped into the helmet.
When welding in my shop for more that a few seconds I open the o'head door and other windows or doors for cross ventilation and use a fan if there isn't a breeze. When I enclose my tractor shed (21x48) to make a metal working shop (to separate wood and metal operations) I will be setting up a fume hood sort of arrangement for welding. I can think of no way to get good welding ventilation in my situation without loosing most of the conditioned air in the workspace. I will have a wood scrap and waste oil burning stove which will help a lot in winter but the metal shop will just not be as "swanky" as the wood shop. For example in summer it can only be air conditioned if I am welding outside and not inside the shop.
Pat
I have worked with and around flow booths, redesigning some in clean room applications and have a fair feel for airflow in and around a working person. That is why I think I have a good feel for just how poorly most welding operations ventilate their work areas.
There is no inexpensive way to properly ventilate a work space for welding with uncomfortably cold or hot ambient temps to contend with. This is especially true for the light to medium intensities of welding most of us find ourselves involved with.
With woodworking you can use a good cyclonic dust collection system with good output filters and route the effluent air back into the workspace recapturing conditioned air but with welding there are additional problems and filtration requirements for recirculating the air gets expensive.
Probably one of the best solutions for the DIY guy would be a low pressure breathable air supply flooding the inside of the welding helmet with clean air. Some canvas or similar attached to the helmet to cover the openings to the ambient air would prevent letting in fumes as the flow of good air flowing out would keep out the fumes. This would be a comfortable arrangement, not all sweaty as the fresh air flow would be better than a stock helmet. Comfort is always an issue when it comes to safety gear with use being less likely if it is uncomfortable.
NOTE: Do not use a typical shop air source for breathing air. Oil type compressors are especially not safe to breathe from. There are small compressors that are certified for safe to breathe air. HVLP turbines might be worth looking into to see if they mix the high pressure air with the low. If not OK but if they do then don't use it.
I set up a hookah system for a buddy once. I got a used inhalation therapy compressor from Parsons. One of those would be a good compressor for a small personal clean air supply to run into a welding helmet with a light weight flex hose like used on bonnet style hair dryers and some miniature vacuum cleaners. It would be important to control the source of the air being pumped into the helmet.
When welding in my shop for more that a few seconds I open the o'head door and other windows or doors for cross ventilation and use a fan if there isn't a breeze. When I enclose my tractor shed (21x48) to make a metal working shop (to separate wood and metal operations) I will be setting up a fume hood sort of arrangement for welding. I can think of no way to get good welding ventilation in my situation without loosing most of the conditioned air in the workspace. I will have a wood scrap and waste oil burning stove which will help a lot in winter but the metal shop will just not be as "swanky" as the wood shop. For example in summer it can only be air conditioned if I am welding outside and not inside the shop.
Pat
Sandlot
Gold Member
Expensive, but if you make your living sticking stuff together with molten metal........
Grainger Industrial Supply: PAPR System,Welding,HE Filter,Shade 9-13 1AGB9
Grainger Industrial Supply: PAPR System,Welding,HE Filter,Shade 9-13 1AGB9
patrick_g
Elite Member
Sandlot said:At work, the welders are required to where respirators under there hoods while welding stainless even with ventilation. A trick I learned welding overhead, is to wear ear plugs. It really sucks to get one of those slag balls down your ear canal, that is a sizzle you don't want to hear!
When I lived on my sailboat in San Diego, my next hatch neighbor was a weldor. He got a spark in his ear and it perforated his ear drum. They cut his outer ear mostly off, folded it back, and repaired the ear drum and sewed his outer ear back in place, He had to avoid getting his ear wet for quite a while. He was hard surfacing a rock crusher when it happened, just a freak accident but he put a little cotton or foam plugs in his ears after that to avoid a repeat.
Pat
OP
xlr82v2
Platinum Member
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Ouch!
I'll take one down the pants any day over that!
I'll take one down the pants any day over that!
Well, for both the fume removal and the hood venting I am thinking about using computer fans.
For the helmet, I was going to try to take a box (maybe the size of a plastic ammo box) and mount one or two 5" computer fans blowing into the box. From there I was going to outlet the air via a 1.25" shop vac hose to either the top of the helmet like the PAPR system that Sandlot posted or maybe in the bottom straight towards my mouth.
I have not figured out what to do about filtering the air. Having the unit on the floor should help grab air where things are cooler (assuming the bad air is warmer and will rise). The other option would be to hook up a remote source of air ... who knows.
As for the hood, again I was leaning towards installing a 8" fan in the ceiling with a flexible hose coming down. On the end of the hose, I was thinking about using a plastic washing machine overflow tub (turned upside down). One other thing I was thinking about was installing some hockey-puck low voltage lights in the hood to help light up what ever I am working on with the wires running up through the flexible hose.
To Patrick_G's point about exhausting all of the "conditioned air", there is no way around this other than to try and filter the air. I have a wood shop with a cyclone dust collector .... If any of you have a wood shop and have problems with dust, get one because they are AWESOME ... you won't regret it. I was welding today (outside on the driveway because I was in turn burning old ... probably lead paint beyond the area where I ground off the paint) and it was about 35 degrees F. I don't mind the cold too much because you can always warm up your hands on the hot steel! But it is nice to stay warmer. The problem I find is that I don't think the smoke or fumes are too bad until I leave the heated area and then come back in and almost choke. With this in mind, exchanging the air (albeit slowly) with a 8" fan can only be a good thing.
For the helmet, I was going to try to take a box (maybe the size of a plastic ammo box) and mount one or two 5" computer fans blowing into the box. From there I was going to outlet the air via a 1.25" shop vac hose to either the top of the helmet like the PAPR system that Sandlot posted or maybe in the bottom straight towards my mouth.
I have not figured out what to do about filtering the air. Having the unit on the floor should help grab air where things are cooler (assuming the bad air is warmer and will rise). The other option would be to hook up a remote source of air ... who knows.
As for the hood, again I was leaning towards installing a 8" fan in the ceiling with a flexible hose coming down. On the end of the hose, I was thinking about using a plastic washing machine overflow tub (turned upside down). One other thing I was thinking about was installing some hockey-puck low voltage lights in the hood to help light up what ever I am working on with the wires running up through the flexible hose.
To Patrick_G's point about exhausting all of the "conditioned air", there is no way around this other than to try and filter the air. I have a wood shop with a cyclone dust collector .... If any of you have a wood shop and have problems with dust, get one because they are AWESOME ... you won't regret it. I was welding today (outside on the driveway because I was in turn burning old ... probably lead paint beyond the area where I ground off the paint) and it was about 35 degrees F. I don't mind the cold too much because you can always warm up your hands on the hot steel! But it is nice to stay warmer. The problem I find is that I don't think the smoke or fumes are too bad until I leave the heated area and then come back in and almost choke. With this in mind, exchanging the air (albeit slowly) with a 8" fan can only be a good thing.
Sandlot
Gold Member
BX,
It is much easier just to buy a respirator that is made to fit under a welding hood. They are not that expensive.
Grainger Industrial Supply: Respirator,Half Mask,M 6JR26
Grainger Industrial Supply: Pad, P100 Filter, Pk2 6JR29 These cartridges fit under a mask.
It is much easier just to buy a respirator that is made to fit under a welding hood. They are not that expensive.
Grainger Industrial Supply: Respirator,Half Mask,M 6JR26
Grainger Industrial Supply: Pad, P100 Filter, Pk2 6JR29 These cartridges fit under a mask.
Sandlot-
Your right about easier, but if I wanted easier I would have skipped on the tractor, welder, torch, etc etc and just wrote checks!
Seriously, I did think about that option, but two key things are making me think "complicated"
First and foremost, the smokey room syndrome - I have to figure out a way to exhaust or otherwise clear the fumes. This stuff is fun, but its not worth dying over.
Secondly, I sweat when things get hot and I have worn respirators (when painting) when the temp get up high .... It stinks. I figured the benefit of having the blowing air would be that it would also act as a cooling source. I already have the fan and I may be able to get the hose for free as well. I will post pics if / when I put one together.
Your right about easier, but if I wanted easier I would have skipped on the tractor, welder, torch, etc etc and just wrote checks!
Seriously, I did think about that option, but two key things are making me think "complicated"
First and foremost, the smokey room syndrome - I have to figure out a way to exhaust or otherwise clear the fumes. This stuff is fun, but its not worth dying over.
Secondly, I sweat when things get hot and I have worn respirators (when painting) when the temp get up high .... It stinks. I figured the benefit of having the blowing air would be that it would also act as a cooling source. I already have the fan and I may be able to get the hose for free as well. I will post pics if / when I put one together.
MUDONTHETIRES
Gold Member
Brian,xlr82v2 said:Yep, I could have burned through it with some 6010 or 6011, but, what's the fun in that
That's the main reason I haven't tried to do any overhead... no leathers! The thought of all that slag dripping down on me doesn't sound like too much fun!!
Let me start by saying those are mighty fine welds!
Your video is great too!As a beginner welder (purchased 1st welder 2 weeks ago) I have a silly question. Why did you elect to use 7018's over 6011's? After I learn how to strike an arc without having it stick to the metal,
I plan on welding hooks on my bucket. I have a Lincoln AC225. I'm welding 3/8" hooks on a 1/4" plate. In your opinion, should I use 7018's? Thanks for reading,
Mud