Welding in the work shop

[Hugo Habicht]

Hello,

my work shop is fairly cramped and there is also still a lot of building timber being stored in it. Apart from that, acetone, ethanol, diesel, petrol, solvents, thinners, oil, propane, butane and other flammable substances are stored here in ample quantities, so you can see, not an ideal environment for welding.

In summer I typically do the welding outside, but even then it is often too windy and the protective gas from the MIG welder is not effective.

So I am looking for a solution for this predicament. Most buildings in the US are made from timber, or lumber, so I believe other people have the same problem and maybe came up with a solution. I was looking at heavy duty welding blankets as provisional protection in parts of the work shop or outside (easily removable, I do not do welding very often) but they are fairly expensive.

Anybody found a cheap solution?

 

[lynnmor]

Is a metal shed an option for you? The one below is $250 on Amazon.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Is a metal shed an option for you? The one below is $250 on Amazon.

View attachment 166653

Yes, that would certainly work, and not expensive either, but I am more looking for something not permanent, that I only put up when I do welding.

 

[jimh406]

I don't know what you plan to weld, but on option is flux core wire. Another option is to use panels to give you a small space to weld outside. This may be obvious, but you could watch the wind forecast and avoid the higher winds or time of day that has more wind.

 

[McMXi]

You could design and make your own version of a Miller welding booth. I have a couple of heavy fiberglass welding blankets and it'd be easy enough to use them as screens.

Add some casters and some hinges and you could make a really nice, foldable, rollable welding booth.

Weld Booths | MillerWelds

Configurable weld booths with single-panel design for maximum modularity and customizability. Engineered to seamlessly integrate into a variety of training and other welding environments. Weld booth panels are available in 4, 5, and 6-foot widths to be used as back or side walls.

www.millerwelds.com

 

[PoTreeBoy]

How about welding curtains? I've seen them used to contain sparks, block the wind and protect bystanders from flash. This set is less than $200US, can't vouch for the quality.

 

[chim]

My situation is like yours. The best I've come up with is taking the Millermatic outside and using flux core, or taking the stick machine outside. That works if the weather is OK.

There's too much that can burn in my garage, and no exhaust fan. I've seen some guys use 4' of drywall on the walls and go for it indoors.

I have a project that's waiting right now. Outdoor temperature was 10*F first thing this morning. Not going to work on it today.

 

[Henro]

I have found TIG welding indoors to be pretty user friendly. No smell (properly cleaned metal), no flying sparks, etc.

No MIG here, and stick welding is always done outside.

Of course, this is of little help to you since you probably do not want to buy a TIG setup. For me, TIG takes more time than stick/MIG plus when you don't do it much it takes a bit to get your touch back.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Hello,

thank you very much for the ideas, and yes, exhaust fan is a good point, had not thought about that.

So it looks as if it will be a wind screen outdoors. That Vevor screen looks promising, thank you for the link, had not come across that in my search. Not suitable for the 24m/s wind speed (average) we had today, but I would not go outside in those conditions anyway.

So a movable, collapsible weld booth for outside seems to be my best solution.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

I have found TIG welding indoors to be pretty user friendly. No smell (properly cleaned metal), no flying sparks, etc.

True, I do TIG inside but I only use it for stainless steel typically.

For mild steel and a lot of welding (which I have to do soon) MIG would be my preferred choice, suits my welding skill level

 

[WFM]

It was 17*F here today about 11am. I need to plasma a 3x4 rectangle in a box. I sit the box outside and ran the ground and torch outside thru the door. Cut it quickly and back inside. I have a dust/fume collector i run for mostly when im grinding. 99% of my welding is tig. But you still get a fair amount of smoke when welding feet mild steel. If I were mig welding daily inside id need a different better fume collector.
But good ideas above especially the containment booth.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

That Vevor screen looks promising, thank you for the link,

I've bought an exhaust fan from Vevor, and something else I don't recall. Quality is not impressive.

However, with something that simple (no moving parts), it's probably okay, and the price is right.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

I've bought an exhaust fan from Vevor, and something else I don't recall. Quality is not impressive.

Yes, you are right, I would not expect top quality. But typically the chinese made things are generally ok, just need a bit of modifications to get it right. And for something like the screen it would probably ok.

I thought about using boards or corrugated sheet metal for a shelter, but the screens would be much lighter and easier to move when I need then.

I will also have a look at the shed type that @lynnmor suggested. I would not even need anything that size, so maybe there are smaller ones available that can be quickly assembled. I like that it is fully enclosed, so the wind problem would be definitely gone.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

We all seem to be in a similar situation.

I do all my TIG welding in the basement, since it is a relatively “clean” way to weld, and it is my preferred method. (I just like TIG welding…..makes me feel “accomplished” for some reason)

However when MIG welding is called for, I use the “middle” of my garage and “crack open” the garage door for ventilation.

It’s certainly not “ideal” or OSHA approved, but the "sheet rock” on the walls is what was/is used in fire proofing my safes, so….

I have a “stick welding” attachment, but I have never tried it………..yet.

The various chemicals in the garage are problematic/concerning for me though.

 

[Yooper]

In my many years of welding, I never started a fire by welding. Grinding was a different story. That is where I had a few adventures. The concentrated hot sparks plus the wind created from the wheel to feed oxygen to the flammable material is what sets it apart.

 

[McMXi]

In my many years of welding, I never started a fire by welding. Grinding was a different story. That is where I had a few adventures. The concentrated hot sparks plus the wind created from the wheel to feed oxygen to the flammable material is what sets it apart.

I worked as a welder for many years, and if I had a $ for every time I set myself on fire I could have retired years ago! I used to go through a lot of Carhartt pants, but being cheap I'd try to wear them for as long as possible, even when they were full of holes. When I used to leave the house in the morning my wife would say "are you really going to wear those" to which I'd say "my life isn't a fashion show! Those frayed fibers around the edges of holes are like kindling to sparks from a grinder.

 

[chim]

True, I do TIG inside but I only use it for stainless steel typically.........................

You're likely aware, but at work we ventilated well when welding SS. Google hexavalent chromium.

 

[D2Cat]

In my many years of welding, I never started a fire by welding. Grinding was a different story. That is where I had a few adventures. The concentrated hot sparks plus the wind created from the wheel to feed oxygen to the flammable material is what sets it apart.

I've welded quite a bit of pipe fence. Have to keep alert, and when something smells different better look at the grass by the post.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

With the potential for your canisters releasing flammable vapor in a tight pace I suggest you not weld inside.

You're likely best making a booth out of welding curtains so the size can be expanded to fit your needs. Here are three of our booths that can be reconfigured for larger projects.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

You're likely aware, but at work we ventilated well when welding SS. Google hexavalent chromium.

Thank you Sir for pointing this out, I was aware of the chromium VI health hazard but not that it can be emitted when welding stainless steel. I always have good venting when welding inside.