so, i went to mcmark's shop today to work on my car. mostly prep work for the engine test-fit.

lots of cutting sheetmetal and grinding down spotwelds etc. then on to cutting out the /4 motor mounts with the plasma cutter.

i *thought* i had it all covered, safety wise, got the goggles, gloves, noise protection ...
spent about 5 hours cutting & grinding.

then, on my drive home, it felt like i had a sunburn on my arms, but i couldn't really see anything.

so after i got home, i take a shower and now i can clearly see that both of my forearms are *covered* with thousands(!) of tiny burn marks!

should have worn something with long sleeves, damm 914club t-shirt ...
Andy

Get some welding leathers, kind of hot inside, but very effective in stopping both UV burns, and thermal burns from flying molten metal. you'll need to drink a lot of water to [prevent over heating in them on a hot day, but they can save your skin. Try aloe verra gel on your burns, helps them feel better, and maybe heal faster at least the arm burns are better than UV eye burns, them is very painful.

When I took an intro weld class, they said one of the worst is getting a hot spark in your ear, or worstest, a bit of molten metal can burn through your ear drum. Cotton only beanie or hat. They actually mentioned this about welding cars because you often shove your head in close to see in tough places. The welders mask doesn't necessarily cover your ears.

C'mon where's the pics?

Yup yup..

Instead of leathers, use the green fabric stuff.. Breathes really well. They have sleaves with expandable ends that work awesome!!

That being said, I weld and grid constantly all day long, I have a noticable "welders tan".. Left hand has a glove line, right hand is slightly darker.. (no glove sometimes..)

Aloe Vera... awesome stuff.. Get the green kind with bubbles in it.. only stuff thats worth putting on.. After that.. go for a walk (5 mins) cools your arms like crazy.. come back, re apply... repeat.

Andrew

The green stuff is DYED green.

More importantly, find some that is 100% Aloe Vera. No stupid additives to make your brain happy, just the shit that works on your burnt skin.

And I would just wear long sleeves for grinding.

Andy, BTDT too many times to even remember to warn you.

Wusses ................. The Cap'n, scarred for life

I think for you Cali guys the green welders jacket is a better idea. I bought the leathers for welding underneath my lift and it is hotter than hell in the summer time.

Always wear ear plugs when welding, problem solved.

Oh yeah don't weld in tennis shoes a molten piece of metal can burn through your shoes, socks and then onto your foot. But sandals are OK.

go down to T-town and get a cheap suede jacket. great for welding.

I learned the hard way welding can cause sunburns. Wearing a tank top and running shorts was really really bad.

The test of a welder's commitment is when a huge chunk of slag is burning a hole through you.... and you suck it up and finished running the bead without stopping

I thought I would save time by welding WITHOUT a welders mask and just by closing my eyes.

Worked great, went very well....I had a real nice sun burn all over my face and I got welder poisioning i think.

No Mask!! Just you wait til you get a flash.....once was enough for me....and Andy, you can't ALWAYS wear the sleeveless stuff

When I worked at the shipyard, I got flash burns several times from other welders. We worked in close quarters sometimes and you'd catch their arc. Flash drops only work for about 20 minutes at a time.

Oh, and please cover up guys and gals. Skin cancer is a serious issue.

I heard about flash burns. thats where you dont close yoru eyes before the arc starts, and you get burned?

Eyes getting sun burned? YIKES! Something about raw potatoes

After that day I wore my mask.

Your eyes can get burned through your eyelids. Closing your eyes is not protecting them when it comes to welding.

:zoiks:

A few years ago I was helping my friend do some tig welding on our go karts.
Even thou I turned away while he was welding the white part of my eyes was
still exposed to the arc. My eyes got burned and that night was the worse night
ever. It felt like they were cover in sand and the tears made them sting even
worse. Never going to do that again.

Eh, when I weld I have at least long sleeves , a hat and mask, and gloves. When I grind, I have goggles, gloves and my shooting ear muffs on. When the weather is at least 70 or under, I also wear overalls. I am deaf enough as it is to want to loose any more hearing. And burns suck, so I try to avoid them.

I tent to wear the same denim shirt when I weld, and it has thousands of little burn holes in the arms. Soon I am going to have to retire it and put another into use.

Zach

I got into a flame war (I know you're surprized) with a bozo on another forum. He said the best thing he ever bought at Harbor Fright was a $30 self darking welding mask. I told him is a dumbass if he is trusting his eyes to a POS from HF. One guy said "if it wasn't safe they wouldn't be selling it.

Remember, safety first and sometimes you need to pay a few dollars more for it.

Paul..

Those masks acutally are nice..

used one for about 2 months (for hours daily..) without any fail.. Actually it was TOO sensitive.. any little light and it would darken on you..

Mark, Im saying the green jackets because their nicer in the summer and are lighter weight, and they breath.. Their not leather, its a lightweight fabric.

How in the world do you know that piece of crap is protecting your eyes? It can be burrning a hole in your retnias and you don't know it until you go to the doctor for your yearly eye exam and he sees it. There are ANSI or ECE specs that all helmets must meet. Good helmets cost good money for a reason. Sorry, I'm not taking the chance.

Even with the proper equipment, you need to be careful.......


Years ago I was installing sway bars on Betty's 914 when a red hot piece of metal landed right on the crotch of my jeans. I didn't know it, and it proceeded to burn through the jeans, through my underwear, and put a nasty second degree burn on a very "sensitive" part of my anatomy. From experience, it is impossible to bandage that part of the male anatomy, and it hurt like hell for weeks until it healed.



And before anyone asks.... I DO NOT HAVE ANY PICTURES and I will not show you the scar!


I got out there after treating the burn and finished the sway bar install. The welds are still there after close to 20 years.

So is the scar

And the wife too....

and i bet the memory of that event has been burnt into your brain for the rest of your life as well ...
Andy

My thoughts exactly.



I tried one of the "auto darkening" helmets (an expensive one at that) about a week ago. (Had to do some welding on a jobsite and that is what was available to me.)

I couldn't get used to it. I kept flipping the hood up and flipping it back down prior to striking the arc. Anyway, I didn't get any flash (welded for probably 6 hours).

I still can't bring myself to buying one of those things.

20 years ago, I burned my eyes and had to drive myself to the eye doctor for eyedrops. (The early morning sun really hurt the eyes). After I healed from that, I went and bought a new helmet with a large (4x5) gold lens (shade 11) and have been using it without issue ever since.

I can't stand getting anything in or near my eyes to this day (which is why I don't wear contact lenses).

Like the saying goes, if you have a $10 head, then buy a $10 helmet.

Niether my Dad nor I like the autodarkening helmets. We don't feel that they react quickly enough to adaquately protect your eyes. I would rather flip down a hood and know that my eyes are perfectly safe than rely on a battery powered "machine" to do it for me.

I agree I am not a big fan of autodarkening helmets either. If you block the light sensors you will get flashed anyways. Can't stand that. I like my manual helmet, flip it down and there is no flash.

If I am tacking something I use a gloved hand to shield my eyes, just put it between the gun and my eyes. Works great and fast.

What's interesting to me, is how little safety is practiced on some of the hot rod/chopper shows when it comes to welding (and other general saftey precautions). I believe it sends a really bad message to those starting out. Every watch Paul jr on Am. Chopper? I'd fire his ass in a heartbeat; really lousey safety practices. On the other hand, Jesse Combs (a young female welder/fabricator for those that don't know) on Extreme 4X4 (I think) always wears the approprite safety gear; at least so far. I've had a 'V' neck burn that discolored and damaged my skin some 20 years ago. Yup, shirt was not buttoned all the way up. Only recently did a dermatologist give me a potion that seems to be getting rid of it quite nicely.

I've managed tool and die, and prototype machine shops for many years. It always amazes me when I see experienced machinists stick their face close to a milling cutter without eye protection. Seems obvious, but you'd be surprised with how often it happens.

Andys

Actually those self darkening helmets are ALWAYS protecting your eyes. The base glass blocks the harmful (read - sunburning) UV rays. The auto darkening is only blocking the super bright (but not damaging) visible spectrum. Yes if it didn't work you would get flash blindness. It's the same as that spot you see in front of your eyes from a flash. That is just saturation and is not damaging.

By the way, that said, UV damage to your retinas is CUMULATIVE. It's NOT the same as getting a sunburn on your skin. The damage EVEN SMALL EXPOSURES adds up over time. I design UV lasers for a living. We've been extensively trained on this subject. Sometimes the hard way.

Our training quote is: "Don't look directly at the laser with your remaining good eye."

3 days with eyes covered (after a hospital visit) in a Louisana Motel after welding with a buzz box and the wrong goggles --- very painful experience.

Have you ever tried eating pancakes by Braille? Very sticky

That's the thing about bad helmets. You don't realize your eyes are being damaged. When you burn your skin you see it, feel it and it grows back (sometimes). With eye damage you don't SEE it coming. Get it...SEE it coming.

i wear my safety glasses most of the time when working. but that's because at my age i need a little help. the glasses have +1.50 readers on the bottom!

And don't forget a mask/respirator, too. Cutting thru rust, metal, paint, years of crud and dirt without breathing protection can do a job on your sinuses and lungs. Who knows what's in that stuff after 30+ years?? I wear a mask/respirator until I'm sure the area I'm working on is clean.