Welding Project: Bookends

Welding doesn’t have to be all about work. In fact, there are many people who enjoy welding as a hobby. U.S. Welding & Safety Supply Co. is going to introduce you to a few welding projects for hobbyists. The first welding project we’ll be working on is bookends. Follow our step by step directions and you’ll have two beautiful bookends to decorate bookshelves in your home, or give as a homemade gift to someone who enjoys reading. 

Materials Needed:

• 4 flat pieces of heavy gauge steel
• Ground clamp

Directions:

1. Clean the metal pieces before you begin welding.
2. Use a ground clamp to secure two pieces of metal together at a 90-degree angle.
3. Use tack welds to secure the pieces of metal in place.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the other two pieces of metal.

This welding project is simple, but it makes a creative homemade gift for any avid reader! If you’re feeling creative and inspired, you can even customize the bookends with other metal objects, or paint designs onto them. You can find all of the welding supplies you’ll need to this easy to do welding project at USWeldingSupply.com. Check back with our blog to learn about more fun welding projects. 

Now that’s What I Call Welding! – Volume 2

When we aren’t busy welding or working hard, we’re rockin’ out to only the best heavy metal music! Nothing gets us quite as pumped as a fast, heavy metal song. Here are our top 30 metal songs to get you all fired up. Now, fire up that welding gun, and rock your way through the work day! 

1. “Hallowed Be Thy Name”- Iron Maiden
2. “War Pigs”- Black Sabbath
3. “Master of Puppets”- Metallica
4. “Ace of Spades”- Motorhead
5. “Iron Man”- Black Sabbath
6. “Raining Blood”- Slayer
7. “Hellion/Electric Eye”- Judas Priest
8. “Cowboys From Hell”- Pantera
9. “Symphony of Destruction”- Megadeth
10. “Caught in a Mosh”- Anthrax
11. “Holy Diver”- Dio
12. “Pull Me Under”- Dream Theater
13. “Keeper of the Seven Keys”- Helloween
14. “Over The Wall”- Testament
15. “Epic”- Faith No More
16. “Let it Go”- Def Leppard
17. “Runnin’ With the Devil”- Van Halen
18. “Back in Black”- AC/DC
19. “Enter Sandman”- Metallica
20. “Welcome to the Jungle”- Guns N’ Roses
21. “Breakin the Law”- Judas Priest
22. ‘Communication Breakdown”- Led Zeppelin
23. “Blackout”- Scorpions
24. “Under the Blade”- Twisted Sister
25. “Over the Mountain”- Ozzy Osbourne
26. “Am I Evil”- Diamond Head
27. “Detroit Rock City”- Kiss
28. “At War With Satan”- Venom
29. “Cold Sweat”- Thin Lizzy
30. “One”- Metallica

There’s always room on the list for more! What are some of your favorite heavy metal songs? Let us know in the comments below!

Protecting Yourself from Burns When Welding: Treatment and Healing

In April, we discussed the types of burns that occur when welding. While flame retardant clothing can protect you from burns, accidents can happen. Here’s how to treat a welding burn. 

First-degree burns

How do you treat a first-degree burn? After you first become burnt, run the burned part of your body underneath cold water for a few minutes. After the burn is cool, apply burn ointment. You can also take an over-the-counter pain medication to reduce pain.

How long do these burns take to heal? A first-degree burn will usually heal in about three to seven days.

Second-degree burns

How do you treat a second-degree burn? Cool the burned area immediately after being burnt, apply burn cream, and then covered the burned area with a gauze dressing that won’t stick to the burned skin. Make sure you change the dressing daily and never puncture the blisters.

How long do these burns take to heal? A second-degree burn usually heals in about two to three weeks.

Third-degree burns

How do you treat a third-degree burn? Do not try to treat a third degree burn at home. If you think you have a third-degree burn, go directly to the nearest hospital.

How long do these burns take to heal? Healing time depends on the severity of the burn.

Protect yourself from burns when welding by wearing flame retardant clothing, welding gloves and other welding safety gear. You can find an assortment of affordable welding protection gear at USWeldingSupply.com. 

Cost Effective Welding Tips To Save Money

Not many things are cheap these days, including welding supplies. Cutting down wherever you can is almost essential in today’s economy. Whether it’s the physical cost of materials or welding clothing, there are certain ways to save money, making your welding more efficient in cost and time. It can be difficult at first, especially if you’re used to welding a certain way. 

USWeldingSupply.com is always looking for ways to save you money and the following three tips will make every welding process easier and more cost-effective.

1. Keep it cool and easy to work with: Using the most efficient torch when you are welding is essential is keeping your work cost-efficient. Try selecting a torch with great insulation, as it takes less time for the torch to heat up and cool down. In the long-run, this will save money, contributing to lower power costs. These torches are usually air-cooled or water-cooled.
2. Casting vs. Welding: Adding a weld? Most people would think that adding a weld would be more expensive. In some situations, it might be, but in others it may be more cost-effective. Finding a different part to weld can save you from starting from scratch, as well as save money.
3. Safety first: Looking out for careless errors can significantly affect your efficiency costs. Whether it’s wearing the proper leather welding gloves or making sure the work area is clean, safety is one of the most important principles in welding. This is one of the hardest things to practice, especially if you have employees working with you. Doing things repetitively may make errors harder to detect, but make sure you’re going over your work with a fine-tooth comb to foresee any accidents waiting to happen. 

Cutting costs is important, but not cutting corners is more important. Remember that efficiency and safety are always more important than the cost of a project. Your customers will appreciate the efforts you take to make their products excellent.

The Dangers of Exposure to Welding Fumes & Dust

As you may already know, welding certain metals releases fumes during the welding process. Each of these metals has their own characteristics, which may be harmful to your health or safety. While we strongly recommend protecting yourself by using a welding fume extractor, wearing a respirator, and keeping your work area well ventilated, it’s also important to understand the risks of being exposed to different welding fumes. 

 

Aluminum: Acute exposure to aluminum dust and fumes can result in eye irritation. This doesn’t sound that bad, but when a welder is chronically exposed to aluminum fumes it can cause shortness of breath, weakness and possibly a chronic cough.

Antimony: Exposure to antimony can cause a variety of unappealing symptoms, some of which include irritation to the eyes, skin, nose, throat or mouth, coughing, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea and more. The fumes from this metal target the eyes, skin, respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Arsenic: Inhaling arsenic fumes can cause numerous acute effects, such as respiratory irritation, skin abnormalities, and eye irritation. Chronic exposure can lead to liver damage, cancer, kidney disease, blood disease, spotty pigmentation of the skin, dermatitis and other serious health conditions.

Cadmium: Often found on steel or in silver solder, exposure to high levels of cadmium over a short period of time can result in lung damage and flu-like systems, such as chills, fever, muscle pains, etc. When a person is chronically exposed to low levels of cadmium over an extended period of time the health concerns are more severe and include kidney disease, bone disease, lung disease and cancer.

These are only a few of the many fumes that are released from metals during the welding process. Make sure you check back with us next month to learn about more harmful welding fumes and stay protected with welding safety clothing and gear! 

Welding Gloves for Every Welding Application

Goatskin, pigskin, cowhide and more! With so many types of welding gloves available, how can you be sure you’re using the best pair for the job? 

• Cowhide welding gloves are tough and durable. They are flame and heat resistant and provide good electrical resistance when they’re dry. Often, cowhide welding gloves are worn during MIG or stick welding.
• Similar to cowhide, welding gloves that are made from calfskin have better dexterity, but are not as tough as cowhide welding gloves.
• Pigskin welding gloves are made of a thin material, which is oil and weather resistant, but not very heat resistant. If a job deals with a lot of heat and fire, choose welding gloves that are made from a stronger heat resistant material.
• Lightweight, flexible and durable, goatskin welding gloves are oil and weather resistant while providing the welder with the flexibility needed for precise TIG or MIG welds. Gloves made from goatskin are also great for stick welding, as well! 

Some of the other features you should look for when choosing a pair of welding gloves include, a flexible wrist area, angled thumb for natural grasp, reinforced thumb and palm, and flame-resistant lining for additional heat protection. 

Now that’s What I Call Welding! – Welding Playlist Volume: 1

Have you ever felt like cutting loose while you’re welding? Just imagine how fun and silly it would be to use a hand cutting torch as a microphone!  Please, don’t tell us you don’t jam out when you’re welding. Just in case you need help finding tunes to get your groove on as you create your latest master piece, every month U.S. Welding & Safety Co. is going to give you a list of 20 great welding songs.

Now that’s What I Call Welding – Volume: 1 includes 20 hot hits!

1. Hot in Herre – Nelly
2. Drop It Like It’s Hot – Snoop Dogg
3. Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
4. Burning Up For Your Love – Madonna
5. Fan the Fire – Earth Wind And Fire
6. Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
7. Wild Fire Woman – Bad Company
8. Sunburn - Fuel
9. Inside The Fire - Disturbed
10. Fire – Jimi Hendrix
11. Comin’ Under Fire – Def Leppard
12. Fire – Bruce Springsteen
13. This is Why I’m Hot – MIMS
14. Hot Stuff – Craig David
15. Hot For Teacher – Van Halen
16. Hot Blooded – Foreigner
17. This House Is On Fire – AC/DC
18. Hot In The City – Billy Idol
19. Light My Fire – The Doors
20. Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon

What are some of the songs you would add to Now that’s What I Call Welding – Volume: 1? Let us know with a comment!