Welding Tips and Tricks

I am about to start TIG welding for the first time and have already bought myself a welding helmet with a PAPR system.

Will be welding mostly steel, stainless steel and aluminum indoors. Will I need a fume extraction system or since TIG doesn't release much smoke, maybe a fan blowing across the welding table will do?

I will eventually get a Kemper mobile extraction unit when I eventually get to start MIG welding but is it necessary to get it ASAP or can it wait?

Fume extraction or PAPR is always a good thing. A fan blowing, not so much as it will more likely disrupt the shielding gas enveloped while TIG welding.

cj737 wrote:Fume extraction or PAPR is always a good thing. A fan blowing, not so much as it will more likely disrupt the shielding gas enveloped while TIG welding.

Ah yes, I failed to take the shielding gas into consideration. My bad!

So is PAPR all that is needed for TIG welding all kinds of metal? Will I only need a Fume extractor for MIG and Stick?

Osha typically recommends fume extraction at the source and respiratory protection when that isn’t possible.

I can’t speak for everyone but I don’t have fume extraction, but even if I did I would still use my respirator.

So to answer: you will be better off with your papr unit than without. I wouldn’t worry too much based on the materials listed. Keep in mind that welding vaporizes the metal so there is exposure with all processes. The correct particulate filters with a well fitting respirator or papr will capture 99.9% of those particles. If you get a fume extractor later down the road even better.

Honest answer. You need to invest in equipment that will read metal particulate content. To evaluate at a measurable level. Otherwise you’re just guessing.

A PAPR is already worlds ahead of what most people have, if you're getting detectable levels of smoke while tig welding it's likely a result of insufficient cleaning. As long as your space has any sort of ventilation, like a small exhaust fan, or even an open window, it should be sufficient, the exception may be stainless due to fumes containing hexavalent chromium which is carcinogenic, although according to a study there isn't nearly as much risk with tig welding as there is with stainless SMAW/GMAW and you're usually under OSHA limits



Industry-Wide Survey for Hexavalent Chromium (CrVI) Exposures in Shipyard Operations,
Atrium Environmental Health and Safety Services, LLC, October 2007. https://www.nsrp.org/wp-content/uploads ... Atrium.pdf

First, you should never take any risk as far as the fumes extraction is concerned. one of my welder has nearly lost his eyes while welding carelessly. There will be definitely fumes while doing Tig weld. So, take all the necessary precautions. You can also take air fed welding helmet, papr system as well as welding helmet with a respirator.