Welding safety questions

[rlplive]

Hey guys how's it going? I have a few questions. I am going to start practicing some welding on my car. It needs a new floor first of all. The current floor has some patch panels on the trans tunnel that were riveted on in the past. I thought it would be good practice to pull out the rivets, cut the panels to fit, and weld the and grind them smooth. The car is sitting complete fully assembled. Is it safe to weld up on the side of the trans tunnel? What precautions do I need to take?

[Mike Holleman]

Hey guys how's it going? I have a few questions. I am going to start practicing some welding on my car. It needs a new floor first of all. The current floor has some patch panels on the trans tunnel that were riveted on in the past. I thought it would be good practice to pull out the rivets, cut the panels to fit, and weld the and grind them smooth. The car is sitting complete fully assembled. Is it safe to weld up on the side of the trans tunnel? What precautions do I need to take?
Ryan, The first thing that comes to mind is fire safety. On an assembled car you need an observer standing by with a water hose and a fire extinguisher. Make sure you steer clear of fuel lines, trans lines, brakes lines etc.

[toxicz28]

Don't forget about the carpet. It will catch fire.

[-CRUISER-]

What was said previous is true ! Just be carefully of anything combustible (Plastic, rubber, fabrics) If the car is complete and I'm guessing you'll be MIG welding safe bet is to cover the closest windows with cardboard ! Also for the time it takes, remove the as much interior as possible. Personally I would highly recommend practicing outside the car with similar thickness metals before going at it on the car. As for welding on the trans tunnels just make sure your tranny lines are a safe distance away and that its definitely not near any fluid leaks !

Hopes this helps

[rlplive]

I should have been more clear. I have the seats and carpet removed. My main concern is the tranny and fuel lines and fuel tank. I will take all of your suggestions. Thanks for all of your help.
Ryan

[fbody_mike]

One rule I have set for myself, anytime I weld in the garage I make it a habit to have a beer and hang around for atleast 1/2 hour to an hour afterwards just incase something flares up.

Didn't someone put up a video recently of a woman cutting the floors on a 2nd gen Camaro with a plasma cutter and setting things on fire, one of them being the fuel line? Staying calm, and having a fire-extinguisher worked for her.

[RS_Customs]

Welding blankets come is small sizes, you may pick one up if the lines are close and cover/wrap them. Also like the others have said, cover the glass with cardboard so the weld splatter/sparks doesn't embed metal into the glass. Practice on some metal outside the car to get the hand of it and the settings of your welder. If you have a friend that knows how to do this, see if they will come over and help/tech you some tricks.

Robert

[JRouche]

Great info. Even the inexpensive welding blankets from harbor freight will work for mig welding. Not so much for plasma cutting, Ive torched a few.

Id double up the thickness of the blanket and drape it over the trans, might take a lil work to slide it over the trans if its tight to the tunnel. Maybe attach two wires to one side of the blanket and thread the wires over the trans then push AND pull the blanket over the trans.

The metal of the trans wont get hurt, the paint may get cooked. But more importantly there might be some plastic connectors going into the trans that a molten nugget of steel will ruin, and wiring and hoses.

If there are any fuel or electrical lines running along the rocker you can protect them from splatter with aluminum foil. Yup, as thin as it is, it will protect, and its cheap and easy to wrap around tight (to the body) lines.

What I do is rip off a large sheet of aluminum foil. I have a large roll of it in the garage just for masking purposes (painting or welding) bought from smart and final (restaurant supply store), its inexpensive and comes in wide rolls.

When I use it for welding splatter I use more than needed to make it bunch up. The bunched up foil will protect the wires and lines from splatter and even from the errant 1/4" molten blob that might fall. The aluminum foil will burn, and the drop may get through. But by the time it has melted through the cooling aluminum its pretty much harmless by the time it gets on anything else.

One of the best comments was to have a "Fire Watch". A second person there looking for fire. And fire can come from several areas when welding in a garage, not just the car.

I wish I woulda had a fire watch a few years back. I had already done ALOT of welding on my car. It was in all steel, no fabric at all, not even seats. No fuel lines, no electrical, this was a steel car for the most part. I had already welded in an entire floor pan, rear and front suspension. There were no greases, oils or undercoating left. The car was basically fireproof, I coulda turned it into a BBQ if I needed to.

So Im doing some welding under the car, exhaust mounting tabs, simple stuff. Not so simple. I got complacent, used to welding and grinding and never skipped a safety step.

Well, Im welding and I get a whiff of a paper burning smell. Now thats odd I thought. I continued to weld and the smell was more intense. WHAT!! I scrambled out from under the car and stood up to see 2-1/2 to 3 foot flames inside my car!!! I did the immediate STUPID thing and tried to put the flames out with my hands and a near by towel (wish I was wearing my welding gloves, I never do while welding, hmmm, why do they call them welding gloves dummy). I just got a lil burned but wasnt doing much to put the fire out. So I grabbed the extinguisher (have three of them in the garage) and killed the fire.

WTF was burning?? All the cardboard boxes of new parts that were waiting to get installed on the car.

I was limited on garage space so the new car parts were stored in the car, STUPID!!!

I only lost a remote door system (electrical door openers, I dont have door handles). I got really lucky, I could have lost ALOT more.

My lessons learned.

(1) SLOW DOWN!! I was prolly in a hurry to install the exhaust and didnt think the entire process through.

(2) Think about both welding surfaces before you go to weld, the work side and the damage side.

(3) Pay attention. If you smell or hear something that doesnt feel right examine it immediately, not later when the damage is done. I had an indication of paper products burning but I blew it off. Same thing with mechanical components. If you hear or feel something that is outta the norm check it NOW, dont wait, it just gets worse.

(4) When welding it really IS a good idea to have some extra eyes on the surrounding "Stuff" that you might not be able to see why yer head is deep in the helmet and yer eyes are on the weld puddle. Welding is kinda a tunnel vision sport. You are totally engaged in the weld pool and the garage could be on fire all around you and you might miss it. Even if its a son or daughter for you home shop guys like me. I have a feeling my nine year old son woulda said DAD!! Yer car is on fire before it got to three foot flames. Just make sure to protect the kids if you use them :) Eye protection and the works.

(5) Fire extinguishers. Im cheap, but I do make sure there are three in the garage and two down stairs in the house and two upstairs, and make sure EVERYONE knows where they are and how to use them. You may have to spend 60 bucks for three extinguishers and a campfire to teach your 9 year old son or daughter (and wife) how to use them but its worth it. And usually the extinguishers are under cabinets or in closets. If they have been there for 5 or 10 years the fam forgets where they are, specially the kids. Keep reminding them where they are and how to use them. It might make the diff if your children get out of the house or not. Me! Id die in the fire trying to get my kids out. But if I saw my son breaking through the fire with the extinguisher from the other side of the flame front Id be going to heaven either way.

OK!! Solly for the side track from welding safety to home fire safety. But... Just one of those things, I think its important. Been to too many home fires as a cop. JR

[rlplive]

Great info. Even the inexpensive welding blankets from harbor freight will work for mig welding. Not so much for plasma cutting, Ive torched a few.

Id double up the thickness of the blanket and drape it over the trans, might take a lil work to slide it over the trans if its tight to the tunnel. Maybe attach two wires to one side of the blanket and thread the wires over the trans then push AND pull the blanket over the trans.

The metal of the trans wont get hurt, the paint may get cooked. But more importantly there might be some plastic connectors going into the trans that a molten nugget of steel will ruin, and wiring and hoses.

If there are any fuel or electrical lines running along the rocker you can protect them from splatter with aluminum foil. Yup, as thin as it is, it will protect, and its cheap and easy to wrap around tight (to the body) lines.

What I do is rip off a large sheet of aluminum foil. I have a large roll of it in the garage just for masking purposes (painting or welding) bought from smart and final (restaurant supply store), its inexpensive and comes in wide rolls.

When I use it for welding splatter I use more than needed to make it bunch up. The bunched up foil will protect the wires and lines from splatter and even from the errant 1/4" molten blob that might fall. The aluminum foil will burn, and the drop may get through. But by the time it has melted through the cooling aluminum its pretty much harmless by the time it gets on anything else.

One of the best comments was to have a "Fire Watch". A second person there looking for fire. And fire can come from several areas when welding in a garage, not just the car.

I wish I woulda had a fire watch a few years back. I had already done ALOT of welding on my car. It was in all steel, no fabric at all, not even seats. No fuel lines, no electrical, this was a steel car for the most part. I had already welded in an entire floor pan, rear and front suspension. There were no greases, oils or undercoating left. The car was basically fireproof, I coulda turned it into a BBQ if I needed to.

So Im doing some welding under the car, exhaust mounting tabs, simple stuff. Not so simple. I got complacent, used to welding and grinding and never skipped a safety step.

Well, Im welding and I get a whiff of a paper burning smell. Now thats odd I thought. I continued to weld and the smell was more intense. WHAT!! I scrambled out from under the car and stood up to see 2-1/2 to 3 foot flames inside my car!!! I did the immediate STUPID thing and tried to put the flames out with my hands and a near by towel (wish I was wearing my welding gloves, I never do while welding, hmmm, why do they call them welding gloves dummy). I just got a lil burned but wasnt doing much to put the fire out. So I grabbed the extinguisher (have three of them in the garage) and killed the fire.

WTF was burning?? All the cardboard boxes of new parts that were waiting to get installed on the car.

I was limited on garage space so the new car parts were stored in the car, STUPID!!!

I only lost a remote door system (electrical door openers, I dont have door handles). I got really lucky, I could have lost ALOT more.

My lessons learned.

(1) SLOW DOWN!! I was prolly in a hurry to install the exhaust and didnt think the entire process through.

(2) Think about both welding surfaces before you go to weld, the work side and the damage side.

(3) Pay attention. If you smell or hear something that doesnt feel right examine it immediately, not later when the damage is done. I had an indication of paper products burning but I blew it off. Same thing with mechanical components. If you hear or feel something that is outta the norm check it NOW, dont wait, it just gets worse.

(4) When welding it really IS a good idea to have some extra eyes on the surrounding "Stuff" that you might not be able to see why yer head is deep in the helmet and yer eyes are on the weld puddle. Welding is kinda a tunnel vision sport. You are totally engaged in the weld pool and the garage could be on fire all around you and you might miss it. Even if its a son or daughter for you home shop guys like me. I have a feeling my nine year old son woulda said DAD!! Yer car is on fire before it got to three foot flames. Just make sure to protect the kids if you use them :) Eye protection and the works.

(5) Fire extinguishers. Im cheap, but I do make sure there are three in the garage and two down stairs in the house and two upstairs, and make sure EVERYONE knows where they are and how to use them. You may have to spend 60 bucks for three extinguishers and a campfire to teach your 9 year old son or daughter (and wife) how to use them but its worth it. And usually the extinguishers are under cabinets or in closets. If they have been there for 5 or 10 years the fam forgets where they are, specially the kids. Keep reminding them where they are and how to use them. It might make the diff if your children get out of the house or not. Me! Id die in the fire trying to get my kids out. But if I saw my son breaking through the fire with the extinguisher from the other side of the flame front Id be going to heaven either way.

OK!! Solly for the side track from welding safety to home fire safety. But... Just one of those things, I think its important. Been to too many home fires as a cop. JR

Thanks, this is some great advice. I will use all of this info.

[Fl Buick]

My shop rule when I was in the biz was welding stops 1/2 hour before we leave for the day. No beer at work though; sorry