Grinding and flying Sparks

bigtiller · Nov 1, 2020

I may need a curtain for stopping the sparks from a grinder from flying and landing on things I don't want pitted. I am thinking about two of them so I can form them into an "L" shape and easier to move would be great also. I am thinking around 6X6 or maybe 6X8 ft.

Any recommendations or reputable places to look?

ovrszd · Nov 1, 2020

Good question. My Brother was recently grinding in my shop and etched my man door glass....

Rustyiron · Nov 1, 2020

I'd bet that as long as your "curtain" was 3'+ away from you grinding that you could get away with a "cheap blue tarp".
If that worries you, search welding curtain, they usually also double as a flash shield so that other workers in a commercial welding or school situation are protected from arc flashing .

ovrszd · Nov 1, 2020

My welding bench is on easy to roll casters. It is parked against the wall by the man door. Brother did some grinding where it was setting rather than roll it out into the middle of the shop away from glass windows. He felt worse than I did. He won't make that mistake again.

dragoneggs · Nov 1, 2020

When I was looking into it, I was thinking of buying one or two of these curtains and making my own frames from electrical conduit.

Airgas - TIL61R68 - Tillman(R) 6' X 8' 14 mil Yellow Transparent Flame Retardant Vinyl Welding Curtain With Grommets Set On 12" Centers On All Sides

I haven't shopped prices, but these have grommets and I like the idea of flash protection but not blocking light.

YLee Kioti · Nov 1, 2020

dragoneggs said:
When I was looking into it, I was thinking of buying one or two of these curtains and making my own frames from electrical conduit.

Airgas - TIL61R68 - Tillman(R) 6' X 8' 14 mil Yellow Transparent Flame Retardant Vinyl Welding Curtain With Grommets Set On 12" Centers On All Sides

I haven't shopped prices, but these have grommets and I like the idea of flash protection but not blocking light.

Our weld and machine shop used something like this but they were slit.
It was like walking through those bamboo curtains, same yellow color thick very durable.
on edit found them: Welding Strip Curtain – Akon – Curtain and Dividers

PILOON · Nov 1, 2020

For grinding sparks don't use synthetic (nylon/ rayon) materials. as hot sparks will melt or fuse their way in.

(My fleecy shirts can attest to that.)
Also those synthetics can flare up if they catch fire and are extremely difficult to extinguish.

You will observe that all welding apparel is usually cotton based. Sure it can smolder but it wont flare up.

dragoneggs · Nov 1, 2020

YLee Kioti said:
Our weld and machine shop used something like this but they were slit.
It was like walking through those bamboo curtains, same yellow color thick very durable.
on edit found them: Welding Strip Curtain – Akon – Curtain and Dividers

Those would be ideal... been watching for something like that, used condition, for years to become available as the material is very expensive. Always thought it would be cool for a room divider that you could throw sparks against. Efficient use of space which is extremely important to me.

My other thought is a set up like a pull down projector screen(s).

ray66v · Nov 1, 2020

I have done body work all my life. All I use to cover glass when grinding around it, is to cover it with regular, thin, cheap, masking paper.

I know it sounds like it won't work, and or, you may think that it will catch fire. It does seem impossible to suggest that a spark which is hot enough to stick to the glass, is repelled by a piece of paper. This is one of those things that sounds like it won't work, but it does. I have done this a million times.

Perhaps the way it works is it provides enough of a barrier to slow down the spark a fraction of a second, so that it is cool enough it can't stick to the glass? :confused3:

It is obviously not the best way to protect glass from welding sparks. But, it will in fact also work for mig welding sparks, provided you are not welding in close proximity to it. You can successfully use paper to cover glass that may be at risk, if you can't get all of it with your welding blanket.

3M actually makes a real nice self adhesive paper to stick on glass, for this purpose. But, like most of their products it's pretty expensive.