New to welding: Safety Questions

[mmranch]

I am new to welding and about to be starting with stick welding soon. I have been studying and I have acquired a bunch of equipment and safety gear.

But before I begin practicing actually striking an arc and welding... I want to make sure I completely understand what to look out for and guard against to be safe.

So for example:

Lets say I have my DC welder setup and plugged in. I have a small portable welding table and the work lead is attached to this table top. The work (a cleaned piece of steel is on the table). I have a 3/4" thick rubber mat to stand on. I am setup to weld outside my shop door and the weather is dry and the ground is dry. I have my welding helmet on and safety clothes, welding gloves, etc.


From the moment I turn the welder power switch ON and set the controls to stick weld and set whatever amps (settings)... the stinger lead contacts are hot. If I put a rod into the stinger contacts... the contacts and the rod are now hot. As I move the rod close to the work piece to start an arc and weld... welding (hopefully) begins. Assuming the welder defaults to the last settings used the next time I turn it ON... the stinger contacts would be hot the moment the welder is turned ON.

My questions are...

Is my understanding of what is hot correct? If so, then I should always have my welding gloves on before turning on the welder and not take them off until after I turn the welder OFF?

Should I also never touch the work piece/table while the welder is ON unless I have gloves on?

Thanks for any clarification!

 

[RNeumann]

You are over paranoid- this may help put your mind at ease.....

Underwater welding - YouTube

Rubber mat and gloves aren’t needed for electrical protection. From an electrical standpoint the risks are very minimal. I have never seen an electrical injury from welding.

 

[Doofy]

None of those thoughts have ever crossed my feeble mind. I weld on things here and there using Buzz Box, Engine driven Miller AC/DC 400amp tow behind and my Wire Feed. Maybe I should be afraid now or dead. Going to keep an eye on this thread.

 

[/pine]

Citing your fears...it's likely more important to make sure there are no combustible materials or fuels etc. nearby...also make sure there are no greasy rags laying within spark splatter range...

Personally I rarely wear gloves unless I have to handle hot pieces etc...I do keep a fireproof welding blanket handy when I have to weld close to something I cant move...

Good luck and have fun...being able to weld and make repairs adds a whole new dimension to ones ability...

 

[mmranch]

So you're saying the burn risk/fire starting risk/eye damage risk are the main risks and that if you touch the stinger contacts or rod with bare hands you don't get shocked?

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. I thought all these leather items such as gloves and jackets, etc. had an electrical protection component as well as burn protection.

What if I have a stinger (with rod in it) hanging on my welding cart handle and I walk by and my belt buckle brushes against the rod tip... will it strike an arc?

Thanks!

 

[Doofy]

Here is a bit of info: How not to get electrocuted? : Welding

 

[MickeyDBC]

I have stick and mig welded in rain, mud, and standing water and never gotten zapped. I always make sure that I have a good ground connection from the welder to the workpiece and when in doubt about anything I ground the workpiece to earth. Worry more about the high voltage side like the on/off switch and ground circuit that the welder is hooked up to. The low voltage side can bite, but it has to work a lot harder than the high voltage side.

 

[dragoneggs]

Totally agree with /pine here. Don't worry about electrocuting yourself. Worry about catching something on fire via grinding, cutting or welding. Gloves are for handling the hot parts and protecting against splatter, sparks, etc. Might want to get some metal tongs for handling small parts that get very hot.

I used to have a bathroom mat to stand on near one of my benches. Started a couple fires at my feet working on a bench mounted vise. Don't work over or near any combustible materials and you should be pretty darn safe. Also parts can stay hot for a long time and little metal splinters hurt like heck. Keep some kind of gloves on working with metal is my suggestion. Oh and no short pants! A lightweight welding jacket is nice to throw on if you are working in a T shirt.

 

[Doofy]

AND....any exposed skin can get very burned by the arc flash. Ask me how I know?

 

[jaxs]

You are the first one I've heard of that does that. OP,wear gloves or you'll be sooorrrry

AND....any exposed skin can get very burned by the arc flash. Ask me how I know?

You tell-um Doofy. And nearer the arc is the worst.