Don't Get Burned: How To Avoid Problems When Tackling A DIY Welding Project
If you've decided to tackle a welding project by yourself, make sure that you avoid making costly mistakes. The last thing you want is shoddy workmanship, or serious injuries. Unfortunately, that's exactly what you'll get if you don't take your time to do the job correctly. You've got a lot riding on your welding, so you want to avoid mistakes. Here are three steps you can take to make sure you aren't faced with problems.
Clean the Surface Before You Start Welding
When you're welding, one of the most important things you should remember is that you need to start with a clean surface. Even if you're just going to be spot-welding something, you still need a clean surface to work with. Failure to clean the surface can lead to shoddy results. Not only that, but the weld won't hold as well as it should. Take the time to remove all the grease, oil and grime from the surface before you begin welding. If you're going to be welding on a painted surface, be sure to remove all the old paint before you begin. It might take a little longer to complete the task, but you'll know the jobs done right and the weld is going to hold.
Take Your Time and Get the Job Done Right
It can be tempting to speed through the process, especially when you're on a tight schedule. Unfortunately, speeding through a welding job can leave you with disastrous results. For one thing, when you speed through the welding process, you end up with a cold weld, which won't hold up under the pressure. Taking your time will ensure that the surface you're working on gets hot enough to allow the weld to get through to the metal below. Without that additional time, you won't generate enough heat to the area to ensure a stable weld. Don't take chances that your weld won't hold. Always take your time and ensure proper control of the heat.
Follow All the Required Safety Protocol
You might think that since your welding as a do-it-yourself project that you don't need to follow all the required safety protocol. However, whether you're welding in a commercial welding shop, or your own garage, the rules still apply. To avoid serious injuries, you've got to follow all the required safety protocol. That means wearing the right safety gear, which includes leather welding jacket to protect your arms and torso, welding gloves to protect your hands, and welding mask to protect your face and eyes.
Don't take chances with your safety. If you're tackling a do-it-yourself welding project, follow the tips above to avoid serious complications. If you run into problems during the project contact welding professionals such as 5M CNC.