Welding in attached garage - safety tips / tools...?

[Laredo]

So with finally settling on our new home purchase a few weeks ago, we ended up not being able to find a place with an additional detached garage. Gotta make what I have work for now (3 car 33x25x11.5 walls) until I can add on.

Many of my long awaited planned projects include small welding projects (utility trailer mods, custom tool karts, special use shelving, race car projects, etc).

Other than common sense precautions (clearing obvious combustibles, no "weld and run", fire extinguishers, etc), looking for recommended products / tools / tips to keep fire risk to a minimum.

 

[48windsor]

My advice

 

[txvwnut]

Don't set anything on fire.


Be mindful of any and all flammables that a spark could get to, and keep a fire extinguisher handy at all times.

A good quality welding curtain to put up or around the welding project will keep most sparks and grinding debris contained to the immediate area as well as protect any garage lizards from staring directly at the pretty light.

 

[crewchief888]

i do most of my welding (whenever possible) outside or close to the overhead door.

sometimes it's not possible, my bench and vice and at the back of the garage.

i dont "weld and run" i'm usually out there for 30 minutes or so after i'm done, and make a final check before i close things up.

i dont do any wood cutting in the garage.

 

[n20junkie]

Tig is easy to do inside.

Mig IMHO is dangerous unless your space is set up for it. Those little rolling balls of red hot metal can get into places and smolder for a while before a flame starts.

Do what you can outside. If the space is multi-use. A welding curtain around the welding area is a good idea.

 

[matt_i]

As above, sweep up, shop vac dust bunnies under "stuff". Those can be set on fire pretty easily. Also good to keep a door cracked if using mig or stick because the natural smoke can build up pretty fast. At the same time you don't want wild winds blowing the argon gas cover off the solidifying molten material.

Be mindful of your ground clamp. I forgot once and dragged the welder halfway across the garage before I came to my senses.

 

[Falcon67]

Not just about welding, but I keep several fire extinguishers of misc capacity around. After your welding session, don't leave right away. Last shop had almost no wall covering, just the paper backing of the insulation. Did a lot of MIG in there, no issues.

 

[ket-tek]

I mig and plasma inside my attached all the time...

Everything in my garage is on wheels or carts so it can be rearranged as needed whenever, so this helps but of course there will be temporary stacks of boxes of parts or junk during projects which yes, I have had cardboard or paper in the piles or on the floor smolder or actually flame up..

So, I never weld if I am going to be going inside or leaving the house in less than an hour. I have multiple fire extinguishers in the garage and one in the mud room that leads to the garage.

In my opinion a clean garage and lack of piles of 'stuff' laying everywhere is a beneficial factor. But I never forget that those 1000 degree bb's you don't see make if 40ft away while your staring at your gun tip.

Just always assume that you WILL catch something on fire during the years you will work in there.

For what's is worth I have caught many things on fire with the 4 1/2" angle grinder, and am more concerned with that than the mig.. Because the mig for the most parts falls down and rolls, but the grinder throws fiery sparks everywhere completely across the garage and has caught paper towels and such on fire on the benches. so I try to rotate myself or the work towards the garage doors so the sparks are hitting the door or going outside.

 

[APEowner]

I make it a habit to go back out to the shop a couple of hours after I'm done with any work involving sparks or flame just trouble make sure nothing is smoldering. I've only found something once but that was enough to convince me that that's a good habit.

 

[tonyciambrone]

My fire extinguisher hangs on my bench but when I weld I move it to within arms reach.
You can get welding blankets and use those to cover wood or cardboard surfaces. I don't think MIG is that bad, Flux core without gas can get dicey though.
I also have a plastic cooler that I place my torch, gas cans, acetone etc in when not in use. Someone might tell me this is a bad idea, which I am open to but it seems ok to me.
Make sure to use proper ventilation, especially if you aren't welding 100% bare metal.
Welding cords CANNOT be frayed and ideally need some sheathing around them. I use cheap corrugated plastic tubing on my ground clamp. Leather is better. This also leads to NO WATER on the floor or on you.
Really Sweaty? Towel yourself off.
Wear Cotton clothes or leather. at least they will not melt into your skin. Wear clothes, Skin Cancer and burns are not worth it. Cover your hair.
Wear leather shoes, not canvas or synthetic.
You are pretty much the most likely thing to be set on fire while welding.
No oily rags...Never use a torch to cut, nor weld on a sealed container! (Great way to die) If you do it must have the oxygen displaced by inert gas or filled with non-flammable liquid.
Never use extension cords unless necessary. If you must consult the owners manual for specs. my Hobart can do 50ft of 12/3 or 99ft of 10/3 COPPER wire. Make sure it plugged into a dedicated circuit that has the proper amperage breaker and wiring from the Panel. For extra credit, check the temperature of the breaker after a welding session.
Keep torch tips cleaned, same with nozzles.
Make sure the work clamp is in good contact with the work.


There's a LOT of things that can go wrong while welding.

 

[BD1]

Besides all of the above the guys posted, a connected garden hose to a operating waterline helps too. IF you have a floor drain COVER IT, can't be too carefully. A quench bucket is nice too. I even have two 5 gallon buckets filled with water just in case. Make sure your tank or tanks are always secured.
Guards on grinders and avoid shooting sparks inside if possible . Keep pets away too and kids.
The WELDINGWEB is a GREAT helpful site if you want to check it out.
http://weldingweb.com/

 

[brownbagg]

pipe fitter gave me this tip. get you a small metal pail, so if you stick weld, drop the end in the pail. dont have to worry about anything hot on the floor and dont have to pick up your ends later when you sweep the floor

 

[pmiranda]

Don't forget ventilation.

 

[Laredo]

....Everything in my garage is on wheels or carts so it can be rearranged as needed whenever...

Lots of great tips! Thanks all.

Do you happen to have photos of some of these "wheels" and "carts"?

 

[CrashmanS]

At the body shop I worked at, it was a general shop rule that no one welds on a car after 4. This allows time to catch one that will smolder.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[dffay]

All good advice. I'm also meticulous about personal safety too like long sleeves and a very nice 3M brand respirator with flat filters that I wear under the hood. The ones purchased at the welding shops are rated for heavy metals in the mist and whatever flux may be aerated if I'm doing stick

There are times welding has to be done inside due to temp or wind speed so I keep a wide perimeter for spark control. And, like others, I hang around for a while so I don't walk away from a slow burn underway somewhere under the bench.


I have a stepladder. I never knew my real ladder.

 

[rattle_snake]

Loud music, exhaust fan and plenty of cold beer (for obvious reasons)

 

[BassProCamaro97]

I always wear a good respirator when I'm welding or grinding in the attached garage. I also try and let the fumes clear for a while after I finish.

Anyone have an exhaust fan installed in their garage for this exact purpose?
I'd feel better about working in there all winter if I had one running while everything is closed up.

 

[ndnchf]

Make yourself a welding table with a shield to contain errant sparks. Many years ago I made this one from scrap. Its 3/8" plate steel, gas pipe legs and the skin off an old washing machine. Its not pretty, but I use it in my attached garage and it does a great job of keeping the sparks in check.

 

[fsae0607]

I made a ghetto fabulous frame out of 1/2 EMT, 90° fittings and pipe hangers bolted together to join them. I bought a welding curtain from Harbor Freight and zip tied them to the frame. I put this around my welding table. A DIY welding curtain for about $50 or so.

Also keep a 5 gallon bucket of water filled nearby your welding area to quickly douse any small fires that may pop up, so you don't waste your extinguisher.

If I had to do it again, I'll make it out of 3/4 EMT so it's a bit stiffer.

 

[trashmanssd]

Well I can't add much that has not been said already but I can add to funny/dont do stories. Welding on Rubbish trucks we use a lot of flux core and a lot of ventilation and fans right on use to push fumes away as you never know whats on the metal you are welding.
But 2 funny mistakes were,
1. welding a new hopper linear (half round 1/4" wear sheet in the back where trash get laoded and compacted) in you have to get in there and its a kinda awkward place to weld smooth round metal tub so you are always fighting with a comfortable position and on your knees a lot. well I miss placed my knee pads and was few hours into welding and my knees were killing my so I rolled up my sweat shirt (yes a ball of cotton under me) and put it under my knees. 15 minutes late I am mid bead think good lord its getting hot in here flip up my mask and my sweet shirt and pants are on fire luckily both were not overly flamable so few pats with gloves and some rubbing and they were down to a few smolders got out and changed into spare clothes.
2nd was welding on the ledge that is at the end of the body when you open it up to dump (also its the area right above that hopper linear section inside the truck body and also requires a wear plate) welding on new wear plate. While wearing improper clothing bad idea had pair of thin nylon pants on I was just doing pm's on trucks(had not planned on welding that day but something ripped a whole in the plate and it only takes a hour or so to replace it so figured I would just do it quick so driver could have his truck the next day). well got it all prepped welding in the wear plate which angles at you a bit, about 10" drop that comes out about 3". Nice big pipping hot piece of slag bounced down that ledge and ended up burning through my pants and burnt right into the tip of my wiener. Luckily again was not bad just a little topical burn was healed and gone in a 7-10 days.
Just be safe think things out and no matter what you will still screw up once in a while, hopefully it just doesn't good to bad and cause permanent injury. We are human and we make mistakes just got to learn from them.

 

[TractorJeff]

RULE #1 NEVER WELD IN AN ATTACHED GARAGE!
IF YOU ARE AND THINK YOUR SAFE, THEN YOUR KIDDING YOUR WIFE!
Been alive a long time and have seen too many house fires started in the attached garage!
Take it outside on the driveway!

 

[NitroShark]

Learn to TIG weld- Problem solved.

If you're TIG welding and you have Sparks or bits of molting metal flying around, You are doing something very wrong...

 

[matthewg96]

The welding Curtains are good more for the grinder unless there are multiple people working.I say if you can do it outside do that. Unless your doing stick you should probably be good.

 

[NitroGarage]

Using chlorinated brake cleaner to clean parts before welding causes phosgene gas due to heat and UV radiation. Many welders have died doing this.

Use acetone instead but be mindful of rags/vapors/open containers around arc welding.