Welding
seems overwhelming to beginners. It is too simple to be performed without much
guidance in the beginning and comes with a bag full of accessories that need to
be arranged for. Welding accessories can easily eat into and take a toll on anyone’s
monthly budget.
If you are a novice about to set foot into the
world of welding and are clueless about the several nuances that are involved,
you’d better consult an experienced welder to walk you through everything from
scratch—from choosing the right welding machine to getting acquainted with the instructions to get the perfect weld and also with welding safety measures.
Read
on further ahead to know how you can buy welding accessories on a budget and
save on your precious money without compromising on the quality:
1. Choosing the Right Welding
Machine
When choosing a welding machine you should try to hunt for
one that has a reserve. The greater the diameter of the welding electrode, the
greater is the power consumed by the machine.
Your best bet would be to choose a welding machine that has a high Amp level
if you plan to use the machine mostly at home for various small-scale DIY
projects. You could look for a welding machine that comes equipped with a
hot-start function to facilitate the ignition of arc. Also, you should choose
an inverter type welding machine over a transformer-based one even though the
latter is cheaper because the former are portable and provide better capacity.
2. Choosing Welding
Electrodes
Before you set out to select your welding electrode, make
sure you have decided clearly on the material you would be welding. Also, the
thickness of the material has a crucial role to play; usually the thickness of
electrodes tends to vary from 2 mm to 3 mm. However, for welding thicker
materials, you can choose welding electrodes that are 3 mm – 4mm in their
diameter.
3. Choosing Welding Helmets
A welding helmet should have an eye protection glass that is
efficient to protect your eyes from the glare of welding. You can check for the
efficiency of the welding helmet glass by looking out of the window in a dark
room to see if you’re able to spot anything else other than the outline of the
window; in case you are able to sight anything other than the window outline,
the welding helmet glass isn’t effective enough.
4. Choosing Welding Boots
Welding boots must imperatively be resistant to fire. This is
because while welding, the spatter scatters haphazardly in every direction and
runs the risk of sparking off a fire at the slightest trigger. Furthermore,
look for welding boots that are resistant to electricity and possess a sole of
rubber.
5. Choosing Welding Gloves
Needless to say, welding gloves are a must have for you. The
sparks and spatter from the welding can cause severe burns to the skin of your
hands if you do not protect them under efficient and good-quality leather
gloves. However, you may also pick gloves that are cut resistant and can also
offer protection from the cold if working in low temperatures. Also, you can
look for waterproof welding gloves so as to be able to work properly.
6. Arranging for Steel
Also, for simple home projects or for the sake of learning
you could substantially cut down on your costs by arranging for steel at cheap
rates from your neighbourhood scrap yard.
Last,
but not the least, remember that while you must be reasonable with your
expenditure, you mustn’t simply always go for the cheapest accessory or equipment available since you might end
up compromising on the quality in the process. You can trust brands such as
Ador Welding, Esab, Arc Microweld and Weldtech for their reasonably priced
welding equipments.