How can I make my own welding curtain?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Tset Tsyung

Joined
Apr 14, 2014
Messages
24
Hey all,

FYI, I'm a TOTAL noob at welding... and not much better at knife making :o

I've just purchased a cheap and cheerful arc welder for various projects (Including, of course, knife making). However I do not have a workshop per-se... merely a small box room that my wife has let me have (can you feel the oppression?). So I don't think I will be able to use it indoors (although I may try after clearing up the room...). So my question is this:

If I make my own frame, what material can I use to make my own welding screen/curtain/blanket? This will need to be able to take the sparks from the welding and block out the eyes of curious neighbours so as to not cause blindness...

Any suggestions would be GREAT!!!

Many thanks in advance for your time and help.

Mike
 
Last edited:
Do not use the welder inside the house! No knife is worth burning down your house!As far as a curtain, you can get some welding blankets or just get welding curtains. As long as it's fire retardant, it will work. Good luck!
 
Just weld outside in the driveway and put up a couple big pieces of plywood. Make sure they're a good ways away from where any sparks would land and be a good distance from the house. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have a garden hose or five gallon bucket of water around just in case.
 
i would be concerned about other people looking at it and hurting their eyes with nothing to block it.
 
In construction here in Canada there's a 40foot rule where you must protect the public or other workers from seeing the arc flash, in theory the uv radiation isn't damaging at that distance...
 
Hey all,

Many thanks for the input. It's really just been confirming my thoughts already.

Unfortunately I can't afford the price for ACTUAL welding curtains (They're quite expensive!). I will try and erect something BEFORE I start welding (most likely along the lines of JG Custom Metal Works suggestion of wood and fire protection) none the less.

Justin, I appreciate what you're saying, and that was my initial thoughts too. However I don't want end up getting sued by stupid neighbours who stick their heads over the fence... 'cos let's face it, they WILL do that, lol.

Again, thanks all! XD
 
Hmm, just a thought... would Tarpulin across a line work in a pinch? (Talking worst case scenario-type-thing)
 
From a distance, there is no worry about blindness.

Welders curtains are fairly reasonable on eBay. $25 will buy a 6'X4' sheet that will make a screen more than suitably wide.

As suggested, a sheet or two of 1/4" luaun plywood or Masonite will also work.
 
Hey Stavey,

Unfortunatley my back garden is only 3 meters wide... If they're not blinded from the sparks, then they'll be blinded by my white legs/builders bum :s

Wow, I've been looking on some sites and the curtains have been a LOT more expensive!!! Will prices up both curtains and board and go for best option. THANKS ALL!!!
 
Your "white legs"? I do hope you're not planning to weld in shorts with bare legs? Those dingle balls do burn!!!!

Ken H>
 
I hear ya I just find it crazy that you have to do that on your own property. Especially if your in your yard that has a fence.

It's like telling them not to stare at the sun...lol they should know better
 
You need an extremely rare "Weld and Shoot" to accomplish this daunting task.

In High School we had these welding booths so we could all practice... I think they were just plywood but then again we had a weight room with tin cans full of concrete to lift.

Get three rectangular pieces of thin plate metal or the likes and hinge them together in a long line. You can fold them in a 3 sided "box" configuration for welding then fold the whole thing up for storage.
 
Tset, where are you from? If you have access to Harbor Freight you can get welding blankets for plenty cheap. Anything that blocks light can be used as a welding screen. The expensive ones are so that the process can be observed safely from the outside, hence the translucence. Otherwise anything that blocks light can be used as long as it is not super flammable. I use the HF welding blanket approach as I like that it is flame retardent, mainly for grinder sparks more than anything.
 
Go to your local big box builder supply store and get a couple sheets of Cement Board (Durock is one brand). This is NOT drywall, but cement with a fiber binder. You can use one for a base and two or three for shields or just the shields. They're fire resistant so you're safer than using plywood. A roll of duct tape will hold the whole thing together.
 
If you work indoors, make you you use a respirator and very good ventilation. Nothing wrong with having an indoor welding room, as long as you don't have carpet!
 
Welding is a common application utilized by many Industries. Although this is a widely used practice, it can be highly dangerous without the appropriate protections in place, as the process creates UV radiation, gases and fumes that are harmful. So the welding curtains are composed of high-strength materials that can withstand temperatures anywhere from -20 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit for exceptional protection. Its an easy task to hang as you just need to cut the fabric according to your need and size.
 
Tset Tsyung said:
Hmm, just a thought... would Tarpulin across a line work in a pinch? (Talking worst case scenario-type-thing)
Click to expand...

If you have a dark colored canvas tarp, you might use that, but I wouldn't recommend your standard blue plastic tarps. I had a buddy who was welding on a job site all day. It had been raining off and on, so he put up a tarp behind and above him to keep the rain off. He didn't realize it at the time, but the arc flash was reflecting off the tarps behind him, and inside his hood. Told me he woke up the next morning feeling like someone had poured sand in his eyes....
 
The sparks are the most dangerous part so make sure that you deal with that. The arc flash is just UV and if you are reasonable it's not a huge issue. Some of it can come down to how much exposure you get. Are you going to be using large electrode and welding for days? If so you need something pretty substantial. With field welding we look around and imagine how we are creating a hazard. If it's a short job and we are not in a traffic area we don't worry all that much. Well that is so long as you are not in a plant with fire sensors. From 10 feet away a quick exposure is harmless. What gets people is if they start watching the welder. A dark colored tarp will work fine and even a reflective light colored one wont cause problems if you are not taking high exposure do to time and high amperage. 5 lbs of 1/8" or less SMAW electrodes are not causing a huge issue because there is not a lot of amperage and the smoke from the shielding process limits the UV coming off. Once you cross 200 amps the hazard goes up and if you are using a gas shielded process with no smoke it goes up further. Just a side note is that using a bare electrode with a high Si content will change that light and begins to create a lot of ozone. You see this when using 4043 aluminum that a number of welders have real respiratory problems within seconds though a respirator helps since the ozone will bond with the first surface that it touches. Since the hazard is UV anything that blocks UV will protect. This white legs will thank you for some sunscreen though that's not going to help with the burning hair smell from the sparks:eek:. Safety glasses give a huge secondary protection against flash burn. I'm in the northeast part of the USA and most sites are switching to a reinforced fire resistant sheet plastic that I have been told runs about $100 for a 100' role. That is enough protection for a outdoors site 90% of the time. Fire blanket and tinted shields are used in heavy traffic areas. There is what I know. Take it or leave it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top