Run through safety elements of induction –

• Remind inductee that everyone is responsible for their own safety, and everyone must take all necessary steps to protect others from hazards (for example, but not limited to, burns or eye damage) -

Explain steps to prevent fire and hazardous fumes

• Weld only in the hot works area, ideally on the welding table
• Clear the area of flammable items
• No welding of vehicles. Materials to be welded shall be uncoated to avoid fumes / fire
• Point out firefighting equipment. Fire extinguishers, sand bucket
• Open the roller shutter doors and remind inductees it must remain open at all times
• Fume extractor must be used. Show its operation (including opening the top to check it hasn’t been used for extraction of flammable materials)
• Remind inductees that they must remain in the hackspace for at least an hour, to check for sparks or fire before leaving.

Explain steps to prevent burns

• Remind inductees that welded parts will be very hot. Suggest intermittent welding to minimise excessive heat build up. Point out bucket for quenching water, reminding it should be emptied after welding
• remind inductees about risk of burns and suggest PPE.
  • Gauntlets
  • Fire-proof long sleeve clothing (e.g. overalls)
  • Welding mask (note that the manual is on the hackspace wiki)
  • Suitable closed footwear
  • Respirator (to be confirmed - present on risk assessment)

Point out supplied PPE hanging on rack

• Point out that the welding torch components and welding table will be hot.
• Remind inductees that they are responsible for others safety, so avoid leaving hot items lying around.

Explain steps to prevent eyesight damage

• Position the welding curtain such that it protects all hackspace members and those outside hackspace from arc eye.
• Explain the dials on the welding mask and that their recommended settings are in the manual. Show how to test the battery and the masks’ function.
• Remind inductees that not every hackspace member is inducted in welding, so ensure they are aware of other members’ actions whilst welding. If someone enters the hotworks area without adequate eye protection, stop welding and ask them to wear a mask.
• Welding is only to be carried out within the hotworks area

Explain steps to prevent electric shocks

• Instruct inductees to 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
• Check whether any of the inductees have a pacemaker (etc), and only proceed if they’ve checked beforehand if it’s safe to weld.

Point out key components of the welding equipment.

• Welder – Clarke MIG160N
  • Front panel – identify what each control does
  • Feed speed
  • Power dials
  • On switch (explain the temperature protection feature)
• Lift wire reel cover. Identify wire spool, feed mechanism. Show how te replace reel and feed wire
  • Torch
  • Earth clamp
  • Input power lead
• Welding table
• Welding accessories
• chipping hammer for removing slag
• Mig pliers
• Spare wire spools. 0.8mm diameter, flux cored. Small (0.5kg) spools are used, to try and limit wastage.
• Spare torch tips

Preparing for a weld

• Make sure the area is clear of flammable materials, and safety equipment is in good condition.
• Set the welding mask to the appropriate setting. At least shade 9, or 10 for higher currents. Sensitivity and delay should be set to “Medium”. The time delay can be increased for high current work
• Prepare the material for welding.
• The induction will use scraps of mild steel, about 2mm thick.
• Make sure the steel is clean and any paint finishes removed. Briefly state angle grinder safety
  • Make sure disc is in good condition and secure. Use the correct disc type
  • Eye protection
  • Hearing protection
  • Hold workpiece and grinder securely.
  • Be aware of sparks and fire potential. Use in the hotworks area only.
• Suggest use of anti-splatter spray

Prepare the welder.

• Check there is sufficient wire left on the spool, of the correct type (gasless flux-cored) and diameter (0.8mm)
• Set the welding settings. Start point should be (for 2mm mild steel)
  • Switch A – (toggle switch on left) switched to “High”. Switch B – (rotary switch) set to 2.
  • Wire speed set to 6.
• Attach earth clamp to table, or preferably the workpiece.
• Plug in welder and switch on isolator and welder power switch
• Make sure there’s about 5mm of wire protruding from the torch

Performing a weld.

• Hold the torch about 5mm away from the workpiece, with the tip angled about 10 degrees from vertical. Gasless MIG uses the “drag” method, so the torch is angled towards the direction of travel
• Press the trigger on the torch and “drag” the torch in the direction of the weld
• Release the trigger, allow to cool, and chip / wirebrush off any slag
• Be disappointed in the weld quality. Attempt to blame the equipment or weather

Clearing up.

• Turn off the welder on the front panel, turn off the isolator and unplug the lead. Re-fit lockout padlock
• Make sure the welder is returned to its shelf under the table, with the earth lead and torch stored out of the way. If you’ve removed a reel to use alternative wire, replace the reel once finished to leave the welder as you found it. Try to avoid opening new reels unnecessarily
• Be aware of any hot items such as the workpiece, welding torch, or welding table.
• Remove any scraps, sweep up, and leave the area cleaner than how you found it.

* Remain in the space for at least 1 hour for welding, checking for sparks, or signs of fire.