oxyfuel safety

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i am a 17 year old welder i know how to mig and stick weld i am looking in an oxyfuel set up but my mom is a little bit worried cause of the flame and risk of fire or worse i've used a torch i know how to light shut down and set the gas 4 the torch but she's still worried i've read a lot about cutting torch safety what do u guys think i have a mig and stick welder
Reply:W/o knowing the inside of your shop/garage, I'll say when cutting w/ a torch some of the sparks can roll quite a ways. Wood bottom plates of walls,sawdust, paper or any flammable material could smolder quite awhile before bursting into flame. So look around real good before using the torch either in the shop or even outside. And keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water handy.                                          MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Get Mom to stand fire watch.Brother, sister GF also works.Better have a firehose (garden hose) xtinguisher readyI usually start fires while grinding, never welding???Last edited by Insaneride; 01-26-2013 at 09:57 PM.Reason: grinding
Reply:If it is your mom's house, then it is definitely her call on whether you get AO or not.I store my AO cylinders inside, but wheel them outside on the concrete patio to weld.  There is just too much flammable stuff in my garage to weld (or even grind much) in there.  You could definitely use a welding blanket to cover larger flammable stuff.  Of course you should have a fire extinguisher and a nearby water source just in case.  The problem isn't usually the FIRE you do see, but the sparks and embers you don't see, which smolder and ignite later.  I've heard a lot of folks talking about shutting down their AO rigs/grinders an hour before they leave the shop, so they can watch for smoldering fires which ignite later.KevKevin / Machine_Punk from The Aerodrome Studio - Lincoln PowerMIG 210 MP - Meco N Midget w/custom welding station - Vintage Victor 100Current Projects: The Aerodrome Studio
Reply:as been said without knowing the build or construction of where your going to be working with it, its difficult to advise, and basically if you mom says no i guess shes the boss.Its difficult to say otherwise
Reply:well i work out of a 2 car garage i just want a torch to cut metal because sometimes some stuff i just can't cut with a chop saw
Reply:Like others have said, use it outside. Always be conscious of what direction your sparks are blowing. Always have a garden hose turned on and ready to go. Maybe get an older, experienced friend to watch you and make sure you're doing everything safely. That might put your moms mind at ease."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Make sure you secure the tanks, and store them away from any mechanical hazards or heat.  Buy flashback arrestors and use them, and make sure all fittings are secure and not leaking. If you knock the top off of an oxygen cylinder or allow flame to creep back into an acetylene cylinder, you'll wish you had only set your house on fire.However, as others have said, the danger of starting a fire with cutting slag is the biggest risk.  That stuff showering out of the cut is not just "sparks", but lots of substantial-sized blobs of molten metal.  You'll understand if any make their way into your shoes...
Reply:For heating and cutting, go with Oxy/Propane.  A bit safer than Acetylene."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:The best welding shop is all/mostly non-flammable, such as block/brick or steel and not attached to a residence. I once saw someone welding right next to a big stack of round hay bales in a wood building !!!I wonder what the OP's , Mom's, Insurance company would think about a 17 year old operating a "welding shop" on the premises ? Would they cover a claim ? Someone may want to check the fine print on the policy.
Reply:Build a sheet metal box to catch a lot of the sparks.
Reply:I have welded in similar garage situations, attached, with few worries.  However, as BradTN says, I always kept the welding environment clear of flammables.  Anything that is remotely flammable or fragile that really needs to be stored in the area needs to be on a high shelf or suspended from the ceiling.  "Hardi" cement board, designed as tile substratum, is very useful for this sort of setup.  You can make tabletops out of it, and cut it into strips to shield wooden baseboards.  In addition to all this, it goes without saying, at least to me, that you need to address all of your working hazards with carefully developed, consistent safety routines. If possible, you should be protected by more than one nearly-unconscious safety habit/rule at all times.  For instance, with the cutting issue, no matter how immersed I get in working, I always make note of where sparks and molten metal splatters are going, making sure nothing is catching fire (I learned that one the hard way, when I lit up a garbage can that was inexplicably filled with shredded paper, in a University welding shop).  When I decide to shut down for the day and leave the space, I review what I did and how long ago, in addition to total area safety check routines I go over at least twice... you get the idea. If you have discipline, you can develop "set it and forget it" safety routines that will free you from these worries, make you quite safe, and consume a minimal amount of your work time, but you have to work hard and be willing to change.  I think safety issues of any sort are more about people than equipment.Last edited by Draak; 01-28-2013 at 10:31 PM.___________________________www.kevinwilbanks.comSmith AW series torch systemVictor 2-stage regulatorsWilbanks adjustable parrot vise standsHarbor Freight 6x48 belt sanderBeverly ShearMetabo, Bosch, Makita grinders
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideI usually start fires while grinding, never welding???
Reply:Originally Posted by Mig welder95i am a 17 year old welder i know how to mig and stick weld i am looking in an oxyfuel set up but my mom is a little bit worried cause of the flame and risk of fire or worse i've used a torch i know how to light shut down and set the gas 4 the torch but she's still worried i've read a lot about cutting torch safety what do u guys think i have a mig and stick welder
Reply:Talk her into a new age "safe" plasma cutter.