Do you want to tackle some welding projects at home? Whatever your at-home welding goals are, you’ll need to make sure you have what you need to weld at home successfully and safely. Once you have the right tools (and some patience with yourself), you’ll be creating cool welding projects in no time!
What You Need to Weld at Home
Electrical Set Up
Before purchasing a welder (and before running it the first time), you’ll need to find out whether your garage or shop can handle the electrical current a welder requires. Lower voltage welders are designed to work in a home outlet, while higher voltage welders need higher capacity plugs.
Equipment
There are a few essential home welding products: a welder, electrode, and shielding gas. You will also need to consider a metal cutting product, such as a chop saw or plasma cutter. A chop saw with a strong base and solid rear hinge pin will serve most welders very well for most of their cutting needs.
An angle grinder is also essential for prepping metals prior to welding and for creating a clean, strong, safe weld for MIG welding. Some welders suggest ultra-thin cutting discs for grinders to minimize the amount of material that’s wasted during the grinding process.
A welding cart is a safe way to store your welder and enables you to work in the safest and most convenient location. A welding cart can be purchased, or you can build your own.
You’ll also want to have work clamps to keep welding materials in place and ensure the weld is straight and neat. Clamps are small items, but they can make a huge difference in successfully completing a welding project.
Every home welder also needs to wear the following safety gear: an auto-darkening welding helmet, gloves, leather shoes, and protective clothing. Also, keep at least two fire extinguishers on hand that are within reach and easy to grab.
Cool Ideas for Welding Projects
There are a ton of cool ideas for welding projects. Below are a few to get you started and to provide inspiration for future welding projects you may want to try.
· Fire Pit
How awesome would it be to make your own fire pit? You just need some sheets of 12-gauge steel and cold-rolled steel rods.
· Grill
Ever think you could make your own grill? You can with welding skills, a metal barrel, and metal strips.
· Garden Wagon
If you or someone you know is a gardener, having a garden wagon will make carrying gardening tools a whole lot easier.
· Coffee Table
Forget your everyday, run-of-the-mill coffee table. You can create your own unique coffee table that is sure to quickly become your most admired piece of furniture.