Welding in the garage.. how to avoid fire hazard ?

[WR250F]

I have quite a bit of welding to do over the next couple of months and I would like to be able to do at least some of it in the garage, out of the winter weather.

I usually just move my welding cart outside, as far away as I can get it from the house and use a couple of fiberglass blankets as a barrier against the splatter going everywhere.

I am concerned about possible fire hazard of doing any work inside and am wondering if any of you run a MIG inside and how you avoid torching yourself and/or your garage in the process.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Make sure you have all flammable liquid containers sealed and safely stored. Sweep the floor clean of dust, make sure you have good ventilation and a large fire extinguisher nearby in case you need it. Make sure you move all combustible items away from any potential arc, spatter, and/or heat. What are you welding? This may give us some ideas to better guide you.

I have about dozen sheets of steel sheet metal that are 36" x 36", I will place around where I am welding. I stand them up so that everything is contained in that area. On my welding bench I have it set up so I place some of my sheets of steel along the edges so that they block anything from coming off of the bench, I also use these when I am grinding so I don't shower the whole garage with sparks.

Its all about control, if you can control where things can go, you therefore control what happens. Is this a free standing garage or an attached garage? The reason I ask is that I have a buddy whose garage has a staircase that goes down into his basement, with this you have to be concerned with gases and fumes going down there.

TheGrooveking

 

[98TJ]

I have quite a bit of welding to do over the next couple of months and I would like to be able to do at least some of it in the garage, out of the winter weather.

I usually just move my welding cart outside, as far away as I can get it from the house and use a couple of fiberglass blankets as a barrier against the splatter going everywhere.

I am concerned about possible fire hazard of doing any work inside and am wondering if any of you run a MIG inside and how you avoid torching yourself and/or your garage in the process.

Pay attention to what's around you (combustibles). Use shielding gas - less spatter.











...and don't go out to get some water and decide to do a quick weld in boxers and flip-flops.











That's the voice of experience speaking.

 

[WR250F]

Attached garage, I will mainly be welding aluminum and stainless for the current project, but when this is done, almost all will be 1/4" or less sheet steel.

Boxers and a welder just seem like a bad idea

 

[98TJ]

Yeah, it was a LATE night "It'll only take a second" deal.

A second after pulling the trigger my foot was hot and I was done for the night.

 

[catsteve]

+1 on the fire extinguishers. Hang em near your exits.
I havnt had any problems yet with welding.
but i did have a very warm leg once while using a 9 inch grinder. The flames were a bit of a surprise when i saw them.

 

[web]

My first line of defense is a garden hose with the pressure on. I keep it within arm's length whenever I'm welding. When I didn't have a tap in the garage yet, I used to keep a bucket half full of water around. I only unintentionally knocked it over once

People are subconsciously reluctant to use fire extinguishers because they are somewhat expensive, rarely used (so you're not comfortable with them) and messy. So when you spot a deceptively small flame, you're likely to try other means of stamping it out first, and THEN grab the extinguisher and figure out how to use it. Meanwhile, the fire spreads and after that you have a big mess to deal with, if not worse.

Now whenever a tiny little flame appears anywhere, a quick spray of water is SO easy, safe and effective... then a quick wipe with an old towel and I'm back to work within seconds. I really wouldn't want it any other way.

Note that you can NOT use a garden hose on a flammable liquids fire, so it can never entirely replace a fire extinguisher in your garage.

So I do still have a fire extinguisher near the exit, but I doubt I'll ever use it on a welding fire, since that's usually a solids fire (maybe paint/wax at worst). Quick response is key. I routinely check the back or inside of whatever I'm welding.

 

[web]

In the list of prevention measures... when doing welding work on a vehicle body, try to clear the inside where you're welding. Remove seats, panels, pull up carpets etc, so you can see the other side of your work, and hose it down if needed. Many a car has burned down (sometimes taking the shop with it, if it couldn't be pushed outside quickly enough) by fires spreading through unreachable spaces behind the area you're welding. Wax coated rockers or the inside of interior panelling can spread a fire through the entire car interior, and there's not a thing you can do about it if you have no access.

While if you do have the area cleared (keep an eye out for smoke and check the inside regularly), it's the same 10 second hose- and wipedown and no problem...

 

[Olafur]

I try not to weld or grind the last .5-1 hour I am in a garage/shop. If I leave right after welding I like to come back soon and double check the area.

 

[StinkyBunny]

If I'm welding inside, ALL gas and diesel cans go outside, ALL OF THEM. All it takes is 1 piece of spatter to ruin your day, I've seen it happen. Get a CO2 extinguisher, I don't use dry chem extinguishers. Have the hose within a reasonable distance as well as being turned on.

 

[Nova_Guy]

I try not to weld or grind the last .5-1 hour I am in a garage/shop. If I leave right after welding I like to come back soon and double check the area.

A good fire extingusher and this are your best bet. I always try to stop welding at least a few minutes to an hour before I go in for the night.

 

[Larwyn]

My two car attached garage is my hobby level fabrication shop. I have my welding table in the center of the garage and keep any flammables as far away as I can. The welding table is on wheels so I can easily move it out of the way for working on larger projects.

Almost all my indoor welding is MIG with a limited amount of Oxygen/Acetylene. For the larger stuff I roll the stick welder outside, I do not use it indoors. I installed a garden hose in the garage and have 4 fire extinguishers around me (put them between where you are most likely to be and the more flammable areas of the shop). I also have a couple of the welding "screens" that I like to use for blocking the sparks from welding/grinding (mostly grinding) from traveling very far.

A comfortable shop stool and well stocked beer fridge are also part of my fire prevention plan. I try to always hang around in the shop for an hour or so after welding or grinding. It's a good time to clean and put away tools while also putting away a couple of brews. Many people would add a music source or TV to the fire watch but I prefer to use my ears to augment my eyes and nose in "watching" for signs of fire.

 

[diesel research]

Must be doing something wrong. Been trying to set the shop on fire for years, can't seem to accomplish it.

 

[Outlawmws]

Your welding is only part of you fire hazard and the posts so far have it covered pretty well.

A significant part of welding is often grinding and this can send a shower os sparks, (and grit for the matter) almost everywhere. I've seen more rags on fire with a grinder than I have with a welder, so keep that in mind as well.

Get all cloth rags and paper towels off the floor and into a covered container, preferably well away fro your work area, and grinder "spray" areas...

 

[ZRX61]

Don't leave home for at least an hour after you finish...

 

[IDASHO]

Must be doing something wrong. Been trying to set the shop on fire for years, can't seem to accomplish it.

Me too.

Only thing ive done is hang clear plastic over the windows of the garage to keep the sparks from sticking to the glass.

Ive got a ton of stuff int he garage, and I do a ton of grinding and welding. Not once have I even had something smoke or smolder from a spark.

Granted, precautions are a good idea. But it takes a LOT of hot sparks to ignite something.

 

[Outlawmws]

Must be doing something wrong. Been trying to set the shop on fire for years, can't seem to accomplish it.

Me too.

Ive got a ton of stuff int he garage, and I do a ton of grinding and welding. Not once have I even had something smoke or smolder from a spark.

Granted, precautions are a good idea. But it takes a LOT of hot sparks to ignite something.

Amateurs!

 

[mossyboy6]

Frankly, I would be more worried about the fumes than the fire hazard.

Make sure you have proper ventilation!
Find a way to contain the splatter, 2x4s around the work area so it doesn't bounce under some cardboard boxes close by is a reasonable method.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I've set some piles of household **** on fire over the years - it's a good idea to keep a couple of cheap fiberglass welding blankets around. Although in retrospect, I did manage to get rid of that horrible pink Christmas tree.

 

[ClassicGMJunkie]

Don't make a mistake like I did and wear an orange shirt when welding...

everything with a shine or reflective surface makes you think there is a flame around the corner. When there IS.... well.... don't ignore it

 

[diesel research]

Amateurs!

Even better, is the fact some genius (at work) decided the best place for the solvent/flammable cabinet is 3ft from the "welding table".

Having said that, I did see one guy weld while a bottle of isopropal alcohol was on other end of the table. No sparks, yet bottle burst into flames. Of course, he panicked, knocked it over and spread flames all across the table....

 

[Nova_Guy]

A friend of mine used to build alumium concrete forms for a living. He finished up for the night after using a grinder. The sparks landed on a pair of welding gloves that were on top of a acetylene tank. At some point after he left the gloves started to burn and the melted the tank release plug. His pole barn has really high ceiling and even after the tank caught on fire it never caught anything else in the building on fire.
When he went into the building the next morning the entire shop was covered in black soot. He said it was like looking into cave with a little glow in the middle. It was what little gas that was left in the tank still burning like a candle.
Why the oxygen tank next to it didn't leak or blow in the cart to make the fire much worse in a miracle.
After that he was more careful with were and when he did grinding.

 

[ZRX61]

I managed to set a wad of steel wool on fire with a grinder a few weeks ago...

Years ago I was working in a large L shape barn that was divided by wall that didn't go all the way to the roof at the L.. I was under the hood of a LandRover when I heard a pop, a bit of yelling & then some pieces of plastic starting landing over all the place.
Guy the other side of the wall was using a 9in grinder at one end of a 15ft bench.... at the other end was a truck battery on a charger..

BOOM!

He was left with a U shaped battery that was missing the top, front & back. I walk over to take a look just as the owner walks up.. first words: "Ya think it'l still hold a charge?"
Unlikely, it won't even hold water...LOL!

 

[ZRX61]

A friend of mine used to build alumium concrete forms for a living. He finished up for the night after using a grinder. The sparks landed on a pair of welding gloves that were on top of a acetylene tank. At some point after he left the gloves started to burn and the melted the tank release plug. His pole barn has really high ceiling and even after the tank caught on fire it never caught anything else in the building on fire.
When he went into the building the next morning the entire shop was covered in black soot. He said it was like looking into cave with a little glow in the middle. It was what little gas that was left in the tank still burning like a candle.
Why the oxygen tank next to it didn't leak or blow in the cart to make the fire much worse in a miracle.
After that he was more careful with were and when he did grinding.

Acetylene is kept at low pressure, it was probably burning like that all night. If you get over 15psi or so with that stuff it explodes...

 

[Outlawmws]

Acetylene is kept at low pressure, it was probably burning like that all night. If you get over 15psi or so with that stuff it explodes...

Not that low of pressure (It is however dangerous stuff):

Acetylene gas is shipped in special cylinders designed to keep the gas dissolved. The cylinders are packed with porous materials (e.g. kapok fibre, diatomaceous earth, or (formerly) asbestos), then filled to around 50% capacity with acetone, as acetylene is acetone soluble. This method is necessary because above 207 kPa (30 lbf/in²) (absolute pressure) acetylene is unstable and may explode.

There is about 1700 kPa (250 psi) pressure in the tank when full. Acetylene when combined with oxygen burns at a temperature of 3200 °C to 3500 °C (5800 °F to 6300 °F), highest among commonly used gaseous fuels. As a fuel acetylene's primary disadvantage, in comparison to other fuels, is high cost.

As acetylene is unstable at a pressure roughly equivalent to 33 feet/10 meters underwater, water submerged cutting and welding is reserved for hydrogen rather than acetylene.

That burning tank probably had the hose pressurized, and he burned through the hose end wound up with a "Pilot light" that fed that sooty burn that pure acetylene has.

 

[Nova_Guy]

Acetylene is kept at low pressure, it was probably burning like that all night. If you get over 15psi or so with that stuff it explodes...

I'm not sure how it all works with Acetylene. I worked at a plant that sandblasted, repainted and refilled oxygen tanks and refilled acetylene bottles. The Acetylene tanks were on the other side of the plant so I didn't mess with them that much. They had a plant to make the gases there but didn't make oxygen anymore, but they still made acetylene on site. I think it only takes carbide and water to make the gas.
I know they are filled with rags, acetone and have a special filter on top before the valve goes in. The stuff in the tanks holds the gas in some other state and only allows it out at certain rate.

And if you catch a toad and put it under the liquid oxygen vent it will freeze one solid in a matter of seconds. I never did it but the guys I worked with took great pride in freezing any animal that they caught. A frozen toad will shatter when thrown against a wall.

 

[gorilla]

A spray bottle of water is a good way to stop a fire when it's small. I don't recommend it as a substitute for a fire extinguisher.

 

[TireTracks]

Weld outside? I've never liked welding indoors, traps the smoke and you really don't want to be breathing that.