Table of Contents

Welder - work in progress

Induction Required

This equipment requires an induction prior to use. For your own safety and to avoid damage to the equipment do not attempt to use it until you have been inducted.

Burn Hazard

Welding generates heat, resulting in workpieces and equipment which may be very hot. This may pose a burn hazard to the user or those around them, take care during and after use.

Fire

The welding process generates sparks and embers which can start fires. Steps must be taken to prevent fires - see safety notes below.

Risk of permanent damage to eyesight

The welding process generates intensely bright light, which can cause lasting eyesight damage.

PPE Required

This equipment requires the use of eye protection and appropriate clothing.

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

Induction

Prior to using the welder, you must attend an in-person induction. Please post on the forum if you want an induction. Should be starting spring 2025

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

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.

Safety

Avoiding fire and fumes

Avoiding burns

Avoiding damage to eyesight

Preventing electric shocks

PPE

The following PPE must be used

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

Equipment

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

Welder

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

Fume extractor

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

Avoiding bin fires

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.

Consumables

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