Welding Tips and Tricks

What are you guys using? What holds up well? We have the standard white fiberglass woven style but I put a hole in one with splatter from the plasma cutter in a tight spot and want to get a better replacement.

I don't know anything that holds up well to the plasma cutter.

I often have to protect things within as little as three inches of the back-side of a 90A cut. I'll usually cut scrap 16 ga. stainless to fit, and fold 6 or more layers of 30 oz fiberglass. The upper layers melt into solid glass, which conducts heat slowly, so usually this is enough.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:I don't know anything that holds up well to the plasma cutter.

I often have to protect things within as little as three inches of the back-side of a 90A cut. I'll usually cut scrap 16 ga. stainless to fit, and fold 6 or more layers of 30 oz fiberglass. The upper layers melt into solid glass, which conducts heat slowly, so usually this is enough.

Steve S

That is basically the exact same method I do..I could actually see the blanket glowing red under my sheild. What I love about this site is we are all from different backgrounds and expierence so I've been exposed to a few new things and products just by throwing even a basic question out.

We have chrome leather. They don't cope very well with the direct spark stream from cutting but are perfect for welding.

Welding blankets come in a variety of temperature ratings.
Molten metal from plasma cutting would probably burn through any welding blanket placed horizontally eventually but you could benefit from going to the highest temperature rating you can find if you are not already using it.

Could use Silica based cloth instead of fiberglass based. It has a significantly higher melting point and may last longer under these conditions.

Eg. http://acmetex.com/products/high-silica ... lica-cloth

Lists it as a 3000°F melting point.

Pretty common material, so should be available from multiple sources.

Bye, Arno.

We used to use a short piece of 4x4 angle turned with the legs " ┌ " facing towards the column web when backgouging the inside flanges of the column. Otherwise the shower of yellow jackets eat you up when bouncing off the web and back at you.
Can you deflect the shower vs trying to contain it with a blanket?

jwright650 wrote: Can you deflect the shower vs trying to contain it with a blanket?

Like what jwright650 said... What is your goal? When i need to deflect the shower of sparks, i will use anything from scrap angle iron to large sheets of plywood or cement board when cutting vertically. I rarely need to catch the sparks, but when i need to, i will put a fiberglass blanket underneath the board so the sparks don't roll away.

Basically, I do not bother burning up blankets and rags, just solid, noncombustible materials.