15 MIG Welding Tools
Introduction:
You are aware of the fact that MIG welding is an excellent weld process that meets your indoor purpose. If you are a car lover, it is a very good choice for your welding requirement. MIG welding is unparalleled in replacing rusty sheet metal, fabricating the brackets, removing the stuck fasteners. A more powerful MIG welder will give you an astounding result by repairing even the tackle frame. There are handy tools and equipment that will make your MIG welding very convenient, and they are very important if you are a beginner. They will speed up your weld job. Here we present you the fifteen MIG tools and equipment.
1. Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet
It is one of the most important MIG welding tools that you should choose the user-friendly helmet. You may buy a helmet with solid shade. But this will be problematic for you, allowing not to see the welding work through the lens, and it may lead you to place the weld improperly. An auto-darkening welding helmet is a great choice for beginners since it provides better accuracy and less frustration.
2. Gloves
Since welding melts steel and other metal for making joints, it naturally generates intensive level of heat. Gloves help you to protect from burning by overheat. Unlike a TIG weld, MIG weld requires thicker gloves. Although you will find it difficult with these gloves to pick up thin or small things, they give you precise positioning and stability to hold the MIG torch.
3. Proper Clothing.
Proper clothing is a very crucial material that you should always wear while doing a welding job. You must have a jacket made of leather of non-synthetic flame-resistant material to save you from burning. A hat or other head covering like a bandana or backward cotton baseball cap will save you from an errant spark that may land on your neck or scalp.
4. Fire Extinguisher
You need always to keep a recently checked fire extinguisher nearby while performing welding works. The Competent Authority must approve your fire extinguisher. To cover the possibility of fire that may arise at the time of MIG welding steel, you can use an A-B-C rated extinguisher.
5. Hearing and Face Protection
For welding works, you must have a face shield, safety glasses, and earplugs/muffs. Although welding work is not that louder, it creates much noise while cutting and grinding metals. Earmuffs will preserve your hearing whereas, safety glasses & face shield will protect you from flying debris at the time of grinding the disc brakes.
6. Angle Grinders
Angle grinders are a very useful tool for welding work. You should keep two such grinders for a better outcome and saving time to look for the spanner and change the disc for the next job. One grinder with cutting wheel and the other with sanding or grinding disc is very helpful for the welders. Grinding disc can remove scale, prepare surfaces, chamfer corners, and weld smoothly. Experts suggest that sanding discs are better since they create less noise and don’t annoy the neighbors.
7. Chop Saw
You will need a chop saw for cutting angles and tubes. It is affordable and has patient clamping for getting repeatable 45-degree miters.
8. Carpenter Squares
Carpenter square is an interesting tool, and it is great for checking the joints. It helps to check the miters and mark the cutting points. If you have beefier fabrication version, it will allow clamping directly so that you can maintain square joints at the time of welding.
9. Level
It is another helpful tool that will help you in keeping projects realistic.
10. Tape Measure
Accuracy is a crucial fact for weld works. Tape measure ensures accuracy. If you can’t cut the pieces accurately, even the squarest corner won’t line up. Retractable versions of tapes are very good if you need to work on long pieces. For smaller pieces and intricate parts, flat steel rulers are helpful.
11. Soapstone
It is a cheap yet very useful tool. The welder uses chalk like material namely soapstone, for marking on the steel material. You can see the mark made by it even when the metal is hot.
12. Pliers
Apart from some specialty MIG pliers, you will find a few extraordinary needle-nose or diagonal cutters. You may need to snipe off the wire and sometimes to clear it if it stacks to contact tip.
13. Clamps
Another vital tool that you will need for weld work is clamp. Lots of clamps, including C-clamps, Vise-Grips, and Pipe clamps are available in the market. Collect the clamps according to your welding purpose. Clamps hold the workpieces tightly together.
14. Magnets
Welding magnet is a very important fabrication tool for its versatility. Magnets hold pieces in place and create a 90-degree angle with any of your projects. Although they do not provide secured like clamps, they are very helpful. For building welding frames of the table and fire pit grades, their use is lovable.
15. Nozzle Dip.
Frequent application of nozzle dip ensures more weld and less curse. It keeps away the spatter from sticking to the torch tip. It is very cheap and lasts longer. It presents building up slag, flowing of shielding gas, and unspooling of wire.
Conclusion:
Our best wishes are with you for starting your weld work with the recommended tools and equipment. Keep working safely!!
