Assistance prior to purchase

I am used to grinder sparks down my ear 'ole ...and just about every where else :oops:

The temperature is much higher from a welder, its just so much more energetic. They take a while to cool, so if one goes down your boot and you hop about till it stops hurting its because it burned the nerve, if you put your foot down too soon it moves and burns elsewhere all overagain.
Never had bellybutton burn, always wear plenty of cover, I get inside my elbows burned (got one today) knees etc, they stick like glue to teeth too :lol:

I get inside my elbows burned (got one today) knees etc

hope that wasn't when you were weldin a doggy patch on a car :lol:

All my own fault Dave, when she's lifted the angles will be kinder to a welder underneath.

Wear a good hat too - my mate lost a lot of hair due to welding splatter (he now wears a berry)

Lawrence

For a novice who is continuously welding for a long period, sun screen, factor 50 is a must. :shock:

Last time I welded for over an hour I looked like I had fell asleep on a sun bed with Ski Goggles on.

I looked rather strange for over a week. Luckily, any fog member who came to my house was banned from taking piccy's. :wink:

Thats before drift asked if there is any incriminating photo's :butt:

im a bit different from the usual pastey white skin ...i've got a permanent tan remember

Its not the appearance Carl, when your skin feels its getting tight enough to split open and the touch of anything, even a soft pillow has you in agony you learn the lessons.

Also weld flash, wear glasses and use a screen, weld flashes are worst arcing up and down, but you will still get one from a steady weld. It is a blistered eyeball, hard drops are now ilegal, they burned the blister off (excrutiating at the time, but well worth it). The only real aid to a flash is a damp tea bag on you eyes to get some sleep, you look like Alice Cooper gone bad and the pillow worse, but it can get you a few hours kip. Whiskey also helps, but the morning is twice as bad.

The power available on a home set is much less, the flashes etc arent as bad, were giving you all the negatives to learn from rather than get bitten yourself. They are great bits of kit, will save you £££ in mods and a stick welder is so versatile, with practice you will be cutting stuff up with one as well as welding.

it's ok alex ....i've already experienced "arc-eye" ...and yes it was painful ...so i do know what risks are involved :wink:

..

i have welded with a stick welder before ...but that was a good few years ago when i was about 16-17 ...so it's just a case of refreshing what i've previously learned

but in anycase thank you everyone for your input ... :lol:

wearing a white teeshirt makes it worse as it reflects the flash to places it would not normaly get to