MIG Welder - work in progress

Link to Risk Assessment : mig_welding_-_risk_assessment_-_2026.pdf

Please only use the equipment and materials covered in the induction. Please do not use your own equipment. The welding / hot works area is a trial, to prove to our insurers etc that we can have a hot works area without burning the hackspace down. Please do not allow non-member or people who have not been inducted use the equipment, they must have their own access and have been inducted by our inductors to be covered to use this equipment.

• Before commencing any welding, ensure the hot works area is clear from flammable items. Do not weld if there are strong, potentially flammable fumes in the space
• Do not weld items which could be flammable. Do not weld vehicles
• Do not weld items which contain surface finishes, which could release flammable or hazardous fumes such as painted or galvanised surfaces.
• Keeping workpieces clean can help to minimise sparks and will result in a better weld
• Make yourself aware of firefighting equipment in the space (e.g., fire extinguishers, just outside of the hot works area. Familiarise yourself with where they are, and how you would operate them.
• Have a bucket of sand next to the welding bench, which can quickly and safely extinguish minor flames with minimal cleanup
• The roller shutter doors must remain open during welding operations, and kept open until fumes have cleared
• Fume extraction should be used at all times where possible, and kept on until fumes have cleared. Check fume extractor has not been used for general extraction or hoovering - open the top and ensure there are no flammable items inside (eg sawdust).
• If you cannot use the fume extractor, a respirator should be worn
• After welding, you MUST remain in the space for at least 1 hour, checking the area for smouldering items or fires. If you cannot wait the hour, do not weld

• Welded parts will be hot, but heat can be minimised by welding intermittently, with short welds. Quench as required, but being careful of steam release.
• Wear appropriate welding gloves / gauntlets. Check their condition before welding. The Hackspace has gloves, but you may wish to bring your own
• Ensure you are sufficiently protected from sparks. Cotton (or other appropriate fireproof material) overalls or a top made from fireproof, burn resistant material with long sleeves should be worn. Such PPE is provided, and will be pointed out in the induction
• It is possible to get sunburn from welding, from the emitted UV light. You must wear a welding hood or use an appropriate visor.
• Make care when handling welded items, or torch components. Even with gauntlets there is a potential for burns
• Think about other members – don’t leave hot items lying around.

• Position the mobile welding guard such that it completely shields all uninvolved parties from arcing. This includes, but not limited to, members of public outside the hackspace, hackspace members and road users.
• Do not attempt to remove, prop up, or otherwise overcome the fixed welding curtain.
• Appropriate welding masks/shields/goggles must be used by all parties within the hot works area
• Prior to welding, with the isolator switch turned on, ensure the beacon lights are flashing. These warn other users that welding is being carried out

• Check the condition of cables and insulators before turning on the welder
• Avoid welding in high humidity. Wet clothing, floors, and workpieces increase the risk of electric shocks.
• Do not attempt to bypass electrical safety equipment, and keep welder covers closed during welding
• If you have a pacemaker (etc), and only proceed if you've confirmed with your doctor that it’s safe to weld.

The standard general waste dustbin potentially contain flammable materials, and therefore care must be taken to avoid invertedly disposing of hot embers, sparks etc, where they could later ignite. Placing hot items in the normal bin poses a fire risk

Therefore, a separate “welding dustbin” is provided. It is a standard steel dustbin without a bin liner, so is generally fireproof. Is solely for disposal of any waste which may be hot and pose a fire risk. For example, arisings from sweeping up, after welding.

Signage attempts to prevent its use as a normal bin, but experience shows signage is ignored, so there may be flammable items already in the bin. Before starting any welding tasks, empty the dustbin into the general waste bin.

Using this bin acts as a stop-gap, allowing time for any hot objects to cool down.

The following PPE must be used

• Gauntlets
• Fire-proof long sleeve clothing (e.g. overalls)
• Welding hood or mask. There are three hanging up, just outside the hot works area. Link to manual https://www.clarkeservice.co.uk/manuals/welding_accessories/PG4_Headshield_Iss_3.pdf
• Closed footwear
• a respirator, if it's not possible to use fume extractor

These are the minimum requirements. You may also need additional PPE for other related tasks, such as eye protection when using an angle grinder.

Prior to using the welder, you must attend an in-person induction. Please post on the forum if you want an induction.

Prior to an induction, please have a quick read through the welder manual, and read this wiki page.

The induction consists of a quiz, and an in-person induction. You must pass the quiz first.

Induction notes are here - induction_notes

Please note, the induction only covers the basics and essential safety elements, as well as any hackspace-specific rules. There won't be anything on welding techniques / settings, as there's a myriad of information online.

The welder is stored on the lower shelf of the welding table, in the hot works area, next to the roller shutter doors. Also on the table are a few welding accessories such as a pair of MIG pliers and a chipping hammer.

The Hackspace welder is a Clarke MIG160EN

Link to manual - https://www.clarkeservice.co.uk/manuals/mig_welders/MIG160EN_Mig_Welder_REV_8.pdf

Welder settings

Review the manual for a table showing recommended gas settings. Additional trial and error will be required to get the right setting.

Gas vs Gasless welding

The welder is designed for both gas MIG and Gasless welding, however in the Hackspace all welding shall be the gasless type. This uses wire with a flux core to prevent oxidisation and contamination of the weld pool. Whilst the welder can operate as a standard MIG (ie with Gas) the Hackspace does not permit compressed cylinders. The risk assessment for the welding has not considered the use of shielding gas, so for the foreseeable, all welding shall be gasless. As mentioned above, this welding setup should be seen as a trial, so please do not try to alter the equipment.

Welder polarity

The welder should remain in the “no gas” configuration. The torch is connected to the negative terminal (-ve), with the earthing cable connected to the positive (+ve) terminal.

Loading wire

The welder manual explains this best, however it will be shown in the induction

The fume extractor is an Extractability Protectavac by Weldability. It should be used at all times during welding, to help keep fume levels low Link to product page - https://www.weldability-sif.com/products/extractability/ext1vacmax230/

[photos to be added here at a later date, to show instructions for operation and maintenance]

This extractor is intended only for welding use, and not general extraction / cleaning tasks. However prior to welding, empty the contents of the extractor into the general waste bin, before starting any welding activity

The following items will be stored in the welder, as consumables

• Welding wire. Flux cored “gasless” wire, 0.8mm diameter, 0.45kg reel. https://www.toolstation.com/sip-mig-gasless-flux-cord-welding-wire/p13760 or similar

There are no known issues at this time. If you find any please report put a note on the equipment, put a message on the forum, or send a message to committee.