Welding Tips and Tricks

Noticed that in your last video "the 10 ways to help pass a structural weld test" that you had the guard off of your grinder! This is a big no no and being you are teaching the proper ways of welding you should also be stressing the safety aspect also. Just saying...

I'll bet you were the kid who reminded the teacher to assign homework.

This isn't "grindingtipsandtricks".

Safety is your own responsibility, and if the video "inspired" you to take the guard off your grinder, I'll personally nominate you for a Darwin Award.

I work in heavy industrial construction, where safety is enforced like martial law, and I'll still take the guard and/or handle off when it simplifies the job.

Steve

sometimes you just have to have the guard off. I have a few grinders, the main one always has the guard on it. flap wheels, in my experience, are a whole lot more dangerous without a guard and they don't fit in most guards. the back edge of those things are vicious.

OSHA states that if necessary to perform the task, the guard may be removed from the grinder (actually any tool), AS LONG AS it is IMMEDIATELY replaced after the task is completed.

It's a gray area but you have to be careful with showing things like that especially if it's available to the public as a teaching device. There are plenty of dummies out there. It should be said that the grinder cover was removed only to get a better view as to showing the process or something similar.

Some years ago,I was working on a museum exhibit when a photographer from Popular Mechanics took a picture of me working (a rare moment ) but he said it was a good thing I was wearing safety glasses because there are people at OSHA whose job it is to go through magazines , trade publications and training videos and look for violations. They can come down pretty hard on some things since they already have the proof on tape. It never hurts to be too careful sometimes.

ogorir wrote:sometimes you just have to have the guard off. I have a few grinders, the main one always has the guard on it. flap wheels, in my experience, are a whole lot more dangerous without a guard and they don't fit in most guards. the back edge of those things are vicious.

I've polished my glove more than once with a flap wheel!

What unnerves me most is when I have to use a cut-off wheel without a guard. That's rare, but it happens, and your gloves are nothing to a zip-disc. I have a scar or two to prove it.

Steve

Otto Nobedder wrote:Safety is your own responsibility, and if the video "inspired" you to take the guard off your grinder, I'll personally nominate you for a Darwin Award.

I'll second the nomination.
There always has to be one in the crowd.

Well, kinda late in on the action, but I find not having a guard to be safer in most situations, and much more control able, I always wear gloves and refuse to use a grinder with no handle, I have been bitten only by using a grinder single handed. Now, while I am at it, I do like to use a welding helmet with clear lens as a face shield, the replacement cost is cheap for the lens, perfectly flat for no distortion, and added protection due to the larger size around the chin. Cutoff wheels are scary, especially the 7 inchers, but with finesse, they are very safe..flap discs, oh yeah, that side edge can wipe out a glove pronto....I just try and keep it away from my hand,leg,arm,face,chest......thanks for listening.....this is a great site....Paul

Dear ekfinn, I am with ya on this......as they say, 'if ya can't stand the heat, get outta weldin' or something like that....

Thanks for all ya have done for our Country, Best Regards on our Celebration of our Declaration of Independence day.....

Paul 'BrownBess' Brown

As one of my old bosses said about one of the other workers who was there because the welfare state finally cleared him for work and cut off the teet-payments-- "You cannot win wars wiz people like diz." (Guy was German, escaped East Germany with fraudulent papers to flee to the West in the trunk of a car).

It's because of people like the OP that our society (and as a byproduct, our military) is turning into a bunch of pussies. I figure at our current pace of feminization, the Chicoms or the Rooskies are going to gut-check us with an amphibious landing within the next two decades. By that time there won't be anybody left willing to sink a Ka-Bar into some communist scumbag's face with their dirty clenched fist.

Aw hell, what do I know? I'm just a bitter 29 year old War on Terrorism Marine vet.

No shit, we all know using a grinder without a guard is more dangerous than with a guard. Know the risks, acknowledge them, manage them, and carry the fuck on.

Im with ya on this one brother. Ever see Red Dawn? Thats how its gonna happen. Happy 4th of July, Semper Fi.

Hi,

I'm new here, and I benefit greatly from all the advice and sharing of experiences--thank you all. The fella who started this thread seems to have been treated too harshly for his concerns about safety. Like many of you, I often find removing a guard or safety device to be necessary or actually safer because of the better view or control. One reply stated that the guards were removed for demonstration purposes--a very valid and legitimate motive. Providing that sort of feedback in a kind and respectful manner was all that was needed--but many felt compelled to embellish their comments with disrespect, insults, and vulgarities. And unfortunately, some people will twist any discussion into a platform to launch their political views--the old saw, "There's one in every crowd" is more appropriately applied to this sort.
Please stick to the subject of welding and please be kind and respectful in ALL you write and HOW you write it. Before you hit the submit button, please ask yourself if what you've written is on topic, and most of all, ask "Is it helpful or hurtful?" If it's not on topic and it's not helpful, then don't submit it--stay mute. You will ultimately devalue this site if you don't.

It's interesting that your first post on this forum is a criticism of the (usually) good natured banter that occurs here.

We are all equals, thus no one is above the occasional ball-bust.

Yourself included.

Steve

Hi there,
I think I have to agree with finewoods. I don't think we needed the comment about stabbing people in the face. I am a welder and am not all that soft but people need to be able to raise their safety concerns. After all, speaking up might just save someones' life. As for the grinder guard talk, if you have never seen a grinder used that way, and trust me many out there haven't, it waves a big red flag.
Keep up the good welding posts everyone.
Kind regards,
Mick

Otto Nobedder wrote:It's interesting that your first post on this forum is a criticism of the (usually) good natured banter that occurs here.

We are all equals, thus no one is above the occasional ball-bust.

Yourself included.

Steve

I will have to agree with ya Steve. If any one of you have ever worked in a fab shop, you know how there is the good natured "male bonding" that takes place among the guys. It is no different here. I believe that what is trying to be said through these posts is that, yes, it can be a serious matter, but we don't need anyone acting like the "safety guy" who walks around the shop all day pointing out every little thing that is "potentially unsafe". We are all grown men and all have common sense (at least I hope) to know the inherent dangers of our jobs.

Hi,

I'm new here, and I benefit greatly from all the advice and sharing of experiences--thank you all. The fella who started this thread seems to have been treated too harshly for his concerns about safety. Like many of you, I often find removing a guard or safety device to be necessary or actually safer because of the better view or control. One reply stated that the guards were removed for demonstration purposes--a very valid and legitimate motive. Providing that sort of feedback in a kind and respectful manner was all that was needed--but many felt compelled to embellish their comments with disrespect, insults, and vulgarities. And unfortunately, some people will twist any discussion into a platform to launch their political views--the old saw, "There's one in every crowd" is more appropriately applied to this sort.
Please stick to the subject of welding and please be kind and respectful in ALL you write and HOW you write it. Before you hit the submit button, please ask yourself if what you've written is on topic, and most of all, ask "Is it helpful or hurtful?" If it's not on topic and it's not helpful, then don't submit it--stay mute. You will ultimately devalue this site if you don't.

Dude, do you walk into a bar and tell people to quit drinking cause its going to ruin their liver? Are you -that- guy?