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Thread: Safety of Welding Outside
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3rd Aug 2018, 08:29 AM #1New Member
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Safety of Welding Outside
Hello,
I'm fairly new to welding/metalworking and I'm just about to buy my first MIG welder. Previous experience has mostly been using my gpa's SMAW on the farm.
I live in an apartment and don't have a garage just yet. A good friend of mine has a rental house with a driveway but not covered garage. If I weld using fluxcore in the open in his driveway, is that an issue? I'm concerned about passerby on the (small neighborhood) road getting upset about the arc and making a fuss. I've been around campus where they're welding on a building out in the open without any shielding and didn't seem to have any issues.
Worst case scenario I may be able to place my car in between the road and me welding, but I don't even know if I need to bother with that.
Is it a bad idea to do it in the open without buying a screen?
Thank you, and God bless!
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3rd Aug 2018, 04:44 PM #2China
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This being a Australian based forum ( I am assuming you are in the USA ) it is not possible to give a answer as local regulations may apply, if it was in Australia I would say
it would not be a issue
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4th Aug 2018, 12:13 AM #3New Member
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Ah, didn't realize that this was Australian-based. Thanks for the info. Well I guess we'll just try it and find out then.
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4th Aug 2018, 06:09 PM #4Most Valued Member
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If you are worried about it can you tie a rope across the driveway and hang a sheet or tarp over it, just don't set fire to it
shed
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5th Aug 2018, 12:24 AM #5New Member
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Good thinking!
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5th Aug 2018, 06:06 AM #6Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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Using your car as a barrier may not be a good idea as welding sparks can easily travel 4-5 yards and when they land on the car duco can make a permanent mark that lets rapidly to trust.
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5th Aug 2018, 06:16 AM #7
The UV radiation generated dissipates very rapidly over distance. There is an OSHUA table somewhere on the net that references this.
From memory, there was also a study by the US Army.
Flash intensity drops with the cube of the distance. So the intensity 10 feet away is 1,000 times less than it is 1 foot away. 20 feet away is 8,000 times less. 30 feet is 27,000 times less.
Once you're 10-15 feet away there's not much issue from a flash as long as the person doesn't sit there and stare at it. If they're 30 feet away there's pretty much no issues even if they do.
Grahame
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