Thread: welding flash

Hi Dean ,

Perhaps flashing was more prevalent when trying to establish an arc on MMA machines due to continued alignment of the electrode when not striking due to sticking. Your MIG arc starts may have been easier therefore less need to flip your shield. The UV from both MIG and MMA is equally dangerous but a higher arc voltage in MMA machines would most likely result in a longer arc and therefore more intensity of radiated light. Were you using an inverter welder arc machine or transformer type?

Regards
Pete

Originally Posted by mid life crisis

just a bit of a question is there any difference in getting a welding flash from a arc welder compared to a mig welder ?
the reason i ask is over the yrs ive copped a few bad arc weld flashers that have laid me up in bed a few days with the head aches and sore eyes ect ect . but ive never copped one from a mig thats done the same to me in the last few weeks ive had a mate around helping me with my car trailer and im sure had he been using a arc i would have copped a flash where as we have been using the mig ive been ok ......is it just good luck or is there more into it ?

cheers dean

Hi Dean not sure on what ur case may be but i use to be a mig aluminum welder and those are the worse one , had all the other stick and arc but aluminum were the worst of all, you get most of your flashes from the side of your eyes and if u are welding in the dark it is easyier to get a flash ... Learnt that one the hard way haha

Originally Posted by besttools4u.com

Hi Dean not sure on what ur case may be but i use to be a mig aluminum welder and those are the worse one , had all the other stick and arc but aluminum were the worst of all, you get most of your flashes from the side of your eyes and if u are welding in the dark it is easyier to get a flash ... Learnt that one the hard way haha

Yep, and Stainless comes a close second. Most boilermakers I know would generally rate a Mig flash as worse than a stick flash all things being equal.
A pair of clear safety glasses will do wonders to reduce the severity of a flash as well as providing excellent all round protection.
Working in a dark environment also increases the perceived intensity of a flash due to your pupils being dilated.

i would agree with karl in that mig is worse than stick in general.I know when uv burns on my upper chest are concerned,mig is worse,I always assumed it was because the arc and weld pool with mig were not covered with a slag skin???