Questions about shop set up

admin

New to welding.  I plan to do stuff around the farm using a Hobart 135 welder (which I have yet to plug in) and an oxy-acetylene set up.  This will be smallish stuff...say, making a new sheet metal panel for my old tractor.  Or, perhaps just heating a rusted bolt.  Definitely some grinding.I have an existing woodworking shop (insulated/heated) with an attached garage (uninsulated/unheated/very good ventilation).  My plan is to clear out everything in the garage that is flammable...but I'm unsure about just what constitutes "flammable."  My building is on a concrete slab, but has wood walls.   The space is about 16'x27'.  One 27' wall is covered in 1/2" fir plywood.  The opposite 27' wall has wood shelves built along it.  One short wall (north) has windows, the other has a metal garage door.  The ceiling is open to the rafters.So, do to wood shelves have to go, or would hanging something in front work?  Is the plywood sufficient along the other long wall?  I guess what I'm imagining is placing sheet metal in areas that would be directly hit by showers of sparks by grinding or my metal chop saw, but I don't know what's appropriate elsewhere.  I'm guessing the problem with the shelves is that they provide a horizontal place for a spark to sit, but if I added a horizontal surface to bounce off any stray spark, then the spark falls harmlessly to the concrete.  Is that good logic, or foolishness?  I've ordered a 6'x20' welding screen, which I was planning to cut up and use as curtains in front of the windows so my kids wouldn't get flashed if they wandered around the back of the shop and looked in.
Reply:I weld on a dirt floor that is covered in belting material from a stone quarry. I know it aint good to do but even when I cut a bolt off a tractor and the slag hits the mat it dosnt catch for some reason. When I worked in the quarries and coal mines and the welders would cut on the screan plants or shaers, the belting wouldnt catch. Not saying it wont. my walls are made from saw mill lumber I had cut from trees off my land. I do have oil in the shop, quarts, K1 heaters, and ALL GAS IS SORED AWAY from the shop. I have enough lead and ground so I can leave the welder out and if I have to weld a crack or a frame real quick it will reach into the shop. I do the majority of my work outside on more of that belting. But then again I dont do this for a living so what do I know. Attached Images
Reply:In a 16'x27' garage I wouldn't worry too much about the shelves unless you are welding/grinding close to them. A welding blanket drapped as a curtain could help protect them. The big concern I'd see is all the dust that usually collects when using woodworking tools. That dust plus a hot spark is a smoldering fire waiting to start. Be sure you clean that space very well to get rid of ALL the dust. Generally woodworking and welding in the same space doesn't go well together unless you area super clean freak. I'd also suggest investing in a couple of good fire extingushers and scatter them about the shop area if you haven't already got some. I like to keep one small one and a tleast 2 full size ones around. Usually if you hang around for 1/2 an hour to an hour cleaning up after a project thats a sufficient "fire watch" to catch any issues from sparks that might cause a fire. Oh the cement backer board sheets used for tile work makes a good fire resistant wall covering thats usually inexpenive and readily available..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I'm leaning toward hanging the 20 foot curtain across the short dimension, 10 feet back from, and parallel to, the metal garage door.  Doing this would create a 10x16 space which has only two small areas on each side of the metal door to cover with cement board.  It also allows me to open the garage door and aim grinding sparks out onto the gravel, if the weather is reasonable.  There is a door between the garage and the wood shop, but it's well sealed, and there isn't dust in the garage area.  This has surprised me, honestly, because wood dust is normally insidious.
Reply:Welding curtains are good to control sparks.The wood is usually about 11% moisture or more. But you can buy fireproofing to put on plywood.Even white latex paint would help. Or grey latex paint.If the plywood walls are smooth any sparks will fall to the floor.Avoid ledges that sparks can land on. Have steel shelving.Last edited by Donald Branscom; 03-13-2011 at 12:25 AM.Reason: spellingAWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:I decided to hang corrugated sheet metal, which was easy, and made it much brighter in there, which leads to another question:Now that I have all this reflective surface behind me, what is the best way to avoid getting the arc flash reflected into the back of my helmet?Thanks.