Thread: it was bound to happen :( just a rant

So the first project is an all steel welding bench?

yeah im looking at ideas on the net now im thinking of a fold up type i can get some 6mm guillotined at work to size ill ask tomorrow

im already drawing up another project, some built in shelves about 3m long 600mm deep to clear up room in the shed but im thinking its a little to ambitious for the little stick welder i think

Goes to show it pays to check your space before you start welding.

The other day i was setting up to paint some steel but then saw a joint that need a 'quick' weld. Totally dismissed the fact there was linen everywhere and thought 'its just a 2 sec weld'. Within 2 seconds i had a rather large fire which i managed to put out with a home made fire extinguisher.....2 buckets of sand

On the plus side, now you get to build a welding table

Cheers

UglyDan

Thats a good reminder for everyone to make sure their Fire Extinguishers are (a) There, and (b) In service. I have extinguishers in the kitchen, shed, boat, 2 in the family travel vehicle, 1 in the wifes commuter. Paranoid? Maybe, but the first time you have an engine bay fire in state forest 50km from anywhere you'll wish you had one! I also had an old lawnmower ignite through a flameout through the exhaust lighting fuel leaking from the dodgy carby set up on the old 160cc Victa 2 strokes. Was a good mower till the thing lit up!

A few back when I had my Mig 195 Ruarl pak2, my boss at the time found out I could weld alloy, he had a 25ft Trailcraft Plate Boat and had bought a new VolvoPenta leg for it, he wanted me to weld up the old holes in the boat where the old leg sat. Sure, no probs I said, can too that, price is a carton of coke.

I drove my truck around there and had a look, the boat was parked at the back of his house on some very dry grass. Funny how you look at a job and the alarm bells are turned off. I ran out my leads, earthed it to the back of the boat, sanded by hand the area to be welded and struck an arc, all was going good until I flipped my face mask up and sniffed. What's burning. "*$#k" the grass is on fire, "*$#K" there's diesel soaked on the ground where the grass is.

Ran to the power source and switched that off pulled the lead then with the power of ten men I lifted single handley 20 litres of water out the back of my truck, tore the lid off and tipped out the water over the fire. My bum hole was clinching thinking of that big alloy boat catching fire because I did not take care and carefully look at the job first and eliminate the dangers first.

When I weld now in my workshop or outside I do a once over removing anything that is flammable, if it cant be moved like dry grass, it gets a a good soaking first.

Pheeeeeeeeeeew. Still thinking about that boat.

DD

For years I've had used old carpet (always 100% wool) laid on the floor of the various garages I've owned.

Always interesting laying under a car and welding on the carpet.

You can smell the wool burning but it self extinguishes pretty quickly.

I find it more comfortable to lay on the carpet and it's warmer in winter.

Another good point is anything you drop doesn't bounce off into the darkest/hardest to reach spot. It usually just stays where it lands.

I have two extinguishers in my garage/shop area and I wouldn't work in there without them. The car I'm usually working on will also has an extinguisher in it.