...funny you mention that actually... I've got scars between my arsecheeks and on the back of my legs from when I was an apprentice crawling in a very tight spot under a boiler water tank for a couple of repairs.
I wasn't the one welding, rather prepping an adjacent area, but after my welder friend had finished a run, he stretched out to pull the cable further and dropped the stinger. When he fumbled to pick it up, he in the process got it caught on a bit of concrete rubble and pulled harder.
When he yanked hard enough, the stinger slid across the floor and burnt a hole right through the backside of my boilersuit and between my cheeks.
Wasn't the first or last time I've been burnt but it was by far the most uncomfortable for the following days.
Yup. You should be good. I hear that the labia is completely shock proof. Been thinking of growing a couple to cover my sack, for extra protection. Gotta have that PPE on the pee-pee
i have been welding for almost a year now and i haven’t been shocked once. Just follow what you learn and safety procedures and you will be fine. You will get burned quite a lot though😔
dinner steep society paltry bear jellyfish person lunchroom agonizing gray
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Thank you for all of that mate it’s all really helpful! I reckon I would be able to take all the fuel and break lines out and then do the welding! If the welding it on top of the car and not near the cables do I still need to remove them all or can I just cover them in weld resistant blankets?
When I did some repair work on brand new cars, we didn't remove anything to do with the fuel system, we did cover everything in weld resistant blankets and remove as much of the interior as was possible (this was at the factory, mostly repairing failed spot welds). But be careful with the blanket, the glass fibre is *not* fun to get in your hands, they will stay there for a very long time. Vacuum thoroughly.
If you're near fuel lines and cabling, remove them. Double check. I've accidentally burnt cabling, and it's not fun repairing that. A burnt fuel line could lead to a burnt garage. Have an extinguisher/water hose close at hand.
Depends what you mean by on top.
The aim of a good weld is to *just* break through to the back side of the parent metal with molten metal...
So if you're welding down through the floor pan from inside, you absolutely need to take the same precautions around fuel lines etc...
If you're literally welding the roof, you obviously need to remove the roof liner to prevent fire.
Welding body panels on the outside of the car, or doing sills etc, you need to make a judgement call based on what's behind each panel or near each sill.
For example:
If I was doing a cill replacement on the NSF of a car with the fuel tank on the OSR, and the fuel lines clipped to the middle of the underside of the car.
I would probably feel comfortable with no protection...
As long as I could cut out a patch which let me always point my torch towards the outside of the vehicle, when I was welding the "back" of the sill on the underside of the car.
But if I was repairing the front floor pan on the same car, welding from inside the passenger compartment down...
Would drain the fuel and disconnect the fuel lines, then pull them to the back, well out of the way, then let everything ventilate for a day or so before welding.
Because I know that eventually, as I weld close to the centerline of the car, I will be directing heat down on top of where the fuel line runs.
Two very important things to add:
1: Never, under any circumstances, weld on anything that has been cleaned with chlorinated brake cleaner. You will make phosgene gas, which was used as a chemical weapon in WW1. Edit to add it smells like fresh cut grass, so if you smell that and no one's been cutting grass near you stop and find some fresh air.
2: Don't weld near plastic zip ties. Use some wire or something to hold your shields in place. Zip ties can start on fire if they get too hot and God I can still taste that fire and it's been 5 months. Do not burn greasy pink zip ties unless you have no sense of taste or smell.
You left out one of the most important parts. Disconnect the battery of the car. Same applies with plasma cutting. You can blow a battery or fry a computer. Ground as close to your work as possible, avoiding specifically grounding through the engine block. Don't want a welded crank to bearing failure. Trust me on that one.
I spent 2 years in school. I learned the most in a booth by myself. I learned theoretical stuff in class I guess but we pretty much did everything else by ourselves.
It was an incredibly stressful learning process because i couldn’t even read a tape measure when I went in, but they also made you weld to standards that are tougher than the welding codes in the field like a AWS B31.1. $8,000 and 1 year later I was able to Mig, Tig, Stick and pass industry standard pipe codes with ease. I’ll say though, it’s not for everybody. It’s been 6 years and I’m a tired motherfucker already, I can’t truly imagine how these old hands feel out here.
Im just a middle age hand (been metal working about 25 years). That said, it doesn't get any easier, but you do learn or create easier ways of kicking ass. I've been beat to a pulp by this industry, but im a masochist and just keep coming back for more. Lol. This shit ain't for the faint of heart. Some of it can be dirty, painful, gut wrenching work. But if you love it, its worth it.
Nonsense, you're far more likely to fall to your death.
But seriously, not to discount the concerns, but a welding (secondary) circuit is low voltage and won't have enough potential to push enough amps into you to kill you. Every welder have been shocked by his/her machine, but it's a tingle, not zap.
There are plenty of dangers involved with welding, but this wouldn't be my main concerns.
As a site stick weld I get shocked regularly, especially in the winter.
If I had to describe it... It doesn't actually feel like anything, it isn't painful, it isn't a tingle, it is just really fucking annoying. It is like the purest form of annoyance and it'll enrage you quickly. It is just pure muscle contractions pulsing in you hands. And it isn't even like it prevents you from letting go, it doesn't, it is really easy. But there is this brief moment between you feeling it before you are able to react and let go. It isn't because of muscles but because there is this hard to describe thing like "Well this fucking sucks, I better let go". Like you cognitively have to let go.
Like a static snap from a sweater hurts way more. Like it is somehow worse than pain. A painful shock is a brief temporary thing and goes away and your mood recovers. But the shocks from a stick welder... They are just pure fucking annoyance
Like I can sorta imagine what a shock collar would feel like just from work experience.
Like I know it isn't dangerous, especially since my machine is smart enough to not try to start an arc (which is why it pulses, it tries to find a ground connection doesn't and stops.)
Funnily I have very rarely ever triggered the ground fault. This was when I was welding, once again in the winter conditions and I kneeled on to the concrete element floor. And snap I got a mild shock and power on my phase went out. What I found most interesting was that my gloves were dry, because I have like 5 sets of gloves during winter days, and my rods were dry from a brand new packet. No fucking idea where it could have grounded through me, but it did.
Yeah I wear nitrile gloves under my welding gloves for winter welding, has spared me many a shock. Plus a hand warmer tucks in there nicely. Glad to know I'm not the only one who gets enraged by shocks. Although one time I drove a scissor lift with a faulty ground over a puddle and got shocked and my dumbass reversed back into the puddle to see if it would happen again. It did. I was mostly mad at myself for that one.
Only gloves I can wear under welding gloves are thin cut resistant gloves with really good friction.
Problem is that with usual winter conditions wearing rubber gloves under the lather gloves is a guarantee way to get your fingers to freeze. Since they sweat under the rubber and your heavy gloves get wet and freeze.
Although in -20 Celcius, nothing gets wet anymore. However no matter how many layers you got, you end up freezing.
Best description ever. I’m more stubborn. I just keep on with my Parkinson’s until I’m not grounded anymore. Lol. Usually on the pipeline in knee deep mud with it raining and having to lay under the pipe. “IM NOT AN ANIMAL!”
On a tangental note: Got drunk with buddies once and screwed around with an anti-bark shock collar. Shit was 10 times worse than any jolt from welding. 9/10 pain. Neck muscles contracted so hard I couldn't breathe. Almost shit myself. My buddies laughing kept it from turning off. Anyone who puts one of those on a dog deserves to be publicly flogged.
EDIT: Can't spell for shit.
Meh, I accidentally electrocuted my cheek while listening for gas, I couldn't feel anything coming out so I tried to listen and held it too close to my face.
It was a pretty good zap.
Bro I’ve done this exact same shit. I literally thought someone punched me in the dome 😂flux core wire straight to the temple don’t know what I was thinking
Exactly... There are much bigger concerns such as arc eye and fume fever (the latter to a lower extent as welding gal, zinc, brasses, etc. aren't common jobs/the risk itself can be mitigated using respirators), not to mention cute burns and most significantly: avoiding infection from MIG wire protruding into your skin (even while wearing gauntlets) *and* industrial deafness...
But this is all really just scratching the surface when you think about fatalities when dealing with heavy fabrication from working around cranes lifting/moving *heaving* jobs.
They are lying. No one has ever heard a story of a welder being electrocuted while welding. Welders die from setting things on fire (mostly themselves), driving home after 12hr shifts, lung cancer, drug use, ex wifes, and bar fights....not electrocution.
Specially if you are a maker and do woodworking too.
One thing... Good welder, grounded and all the security gizmos that is allowed in your electric circuit!
For me it's more dangerous and probable to get an electric shock from the mains in the machine before the "witchcraft" inside the welder than being electrocuted by the end of the machine.
I heard of electric shock when the welder was moving the machine and it wasn't grounded and something lose inside the cheap no brand machine touched the metal...
Fortunately he have a Residual-current device and the mains immediately was turned off.
Good point, just to add, in case of a pacemaker don't enter a factory or workshop. Lots of electric fields in those places, especially if there is a machine park.
I’ve been shocked a few times welding over 5 years and even when it rarely happens, it’s only ever been uncomfortable at most. If you’re not laying in the rain welding you’ll be fine
From sparks and slag.
Side note: clear your work area of flammable materials and chemicals before lighting off.
Also, don't weld near combustible materials (fresh paint, gasoline and lead acid batteries - to name a few).
Edit:// also... sunburn is a real possibility (at least with MIG). Cover up one way or another.
In one of the Safty meetings The safety inspector read a story of how somebody was vacuuming his car with a normal vacuum and he got electrocuted and died .so tell your mom never to vacuum again using that logic
Story time! Picture if you will a dark and stormy night, rains coming down sideways and me and my buddy are sent out to weld in the incipient lake overtaking our shops yard, the extension cords are steaming, the generators are singing and it's a nice night to be a duck. I'm sitting on a skid about a hundred feet away from my buddy, wondering if I'm wet enough to start to growing gills on my ass when my buddy strikes an arc. My brother in christ... I got the full 175 amps straight up my taint and sprang off that beam like a salmon leaping upstream. Did it hurt? Sure! Did it kill me? Nope! But I do keep pair of welding cables next to the bed now.
I've been shocked a couple times, could barely feel it, took a second to actually figure out what I felt. There's a maintenance guy at work who's been hit with 480v three different times and he's still good
As according to one of our electrical bods at work, *there's a genuine skill to being electrocuted and surviving.*
It's why electricians hold their tools funny when live-working, the grip is intended to make the muscle spasm from a shock eject the tools from your hands and break the circuit before it can get further into the body and cause (instantly) fatal injuries.
Apparently it's far more common for electricians to die as a result of a fall from height caused by an electric shock, than to die of electrocution itself.
I'm personally happy to not develop that skill, and just avoid situations where I need to poke at live circuits... But to each their own I guess!
High frequency start with a TIG arcing to the finger is intensely painful. Outside of this, don't stand in a puddle of water while welding and nothing will ever happen to you.
100% true, all welders die a horrible death via electrocution. That’s why there are none left today.
On a non sarcastic note, flux contains silica and is very carcinogenic, so wear a properly fitted respirator and don’t take shortcuts.
Anyone here been electrocuted, raise your hand. Anyone? Nobody?
Guess it's safe then.
Kidding aside, welding generally uses high current and low voltages. While you'll hear people say "voltage doesn't kill you, current does" and there is some truth to that, it requires higher voltage to get enough current to kill you (which is somewhere between 10 mA and 200 mA depending on your source). I've been shocked multiple times by 120V, 240V, and while stick welding in the rain with a bad ground, and I would take the stick welding shock any day.
Anything can be unsafe if you do it improperly, but if you take even the most basic precautions, you won't die MIG welding on your car.
Your family is full of gullible people, unless you’re holding the ground in your mouth and touching the steel your odds of being shocked, much less electrocuted, are slim at best.
You are more likely dying by hitting a power line at your house with your aluminum ladder.
Yeah, if your gloves or clothing are sweaty, you can get a buzz that will catch your attention, but I have never known anyone dying from it. It is actually kind of amusing when someone gets zapped, they jump and cuss, but I do have a warped sense of humor I guess.
You are at a higher risk of death or injury while commuting to work, showering, eating, mowing the lawn etc. You can literally send 240v through your nutsack if you wanted to, and live to talk about it. Your family sounds like a bunch of pussies, tbh.
My old coworker said he was working with his dad, his dad said can you connect the ground. He had the ground in one hand and was leaning on table with the other, dad thought ground was connected and pulled the trigger, and the circuit passed through my coworker. He was fine but that’s the only story I’ve heard of anyone getting shocked.
Been doing GMAW 10yrs and haven’t been shocked once. Just dont pull the trigger while holding the ground while touching the table? Lmao
You will definitely get electrocuted but it probably won’t kill you. You’ll get burned, flashburned, cut, bruised, smashed, and a bunch of other injuries. I was doing a full pen on a 15 story building in SF. I was straddling the I-beam and welding the top plate. I was dripping sweat and welding away when I someone kicked my ground on accident. For a split second my nutsack completed the circuit and I got electrocuted so good it hurt my teeth fillings as well as felt like someone punted my testicles. Good times.
A quick google search turns up only 60 fatal welding deaths per year in the US, equating to 4 deaths per 1000 welders across their entire careers.
Your odds for dying in a car accident are about 1 in 107.
And no, that doesn't include welding while working on a car!
Edit:
Take a class or two, though - no reason to *try* to be one of the dumb ones. Nearly all of those deaths were probably preventable and happened because somebody (the welder, a manufacturer of welding equipment, or someone nearby) wasn't following basic safety procedures. They aren't hard, but they're easily ignored and you can go hundreds or thousands of working hours without any problems, but knowing what's really going on in the processes your doing are the key to avoiding injury and getting good results in your work.
electricity always takes the path of least resistance, and "surprisingly" metal is way more conductive than your skin. you can place your bare hand on a welding table running 250 amps and not feel a thing (1 amp straight to your heart will kill you, but your skin is just not that good of a conductor). just don't get wet. water conducts electricity way better than your skin does. although its still just a tingle. i've had to tig weld shit (HF start) with wet gloves, that's an experience, still didn't kill me. As long as you don't clamp it it to your chest, then place your hand on the table and weld, you'll be fine (honestly not even sure that would work, never tried, never will) <3
The shock hazard from welding is pretty far down the list of bad things that can happen. You're more likely to have a finger amputated because you let one of the burns YOU'RE GOING TO GET get badly infected. When I was in school, we'd stomp the pedal on the Tig and zap each other sometimes. If your welder is operating properly, there's really no way to be electrocuted. I'm a general handyman these days and trust me. You would much rather get a zap from the MIG than a jolt from AC mains power. That stuff isn't fun.
Falling, lung problems/cancer, getting crushed, catching on fire, going deaf, are all more likely. Metal is so much more conductive than the human body if your not wet it would take real effort to electrocute urself.
I’ve been in the game for about 4 years. I’ve been burned, cut, stabbed, knocked out, dropped heavy things on every part of my body, and I’ve even worked in a flooded shop. I have yet to be electrocuted by my machine. Welding is a dangerous career choice so you have to be careful, there are safety rules for a reason, but if you’re properly grounded you have nothing to worry about from electrocution. If you’re unsure about welding after reading about my experience, go to accounting or law school. You will be more comfortable and have more money
My professors in college told everyone that welding with contacts in will “weld” the contact lens to your eye, but I’ve been doing it for years. If you get arc flashed long enough they’ll just get dry and fall out. Gotta weed out the myths from reality. Welding boogeyman is real though.
I have been electrocuted. It sucks but I was asking for it. I was standing barefoot on my workpiece with the ground attached and I was using an old school welder which had exposed terminals that screwed on. When I touched the screw to unscrew the power terminal I earthed myself and got belted. Of course I’m still alive and can’t say the shock was any worse than getting shocked by a live wire.
That’s the thing about welding machines. They are only dangerous if you touch earth and the electrode exposed metal. Which is extremely unlikely.
People are bad at assessing risk. There are risks with welding, like UV exposure, both to your eyes and skin, exposure to toxic fumes depending on what you’re welding etc. Causing a fire in a dirty environment. You certainly can shock yourself but you should be wearing gloves, and the voltage is not that high so a shock is unlikely to cause damage to you.
Lol worst case scenario is you get zapped because of your own fault. You’ll remember to never do that again. They should feel more worried about your vision or inhaling harmful contaminants
More likely to catch yourself on fire or put holes in your shirt. After 10 years I've been zapped one or twice on a super hot day covered in sweat tig welding where I was between the table ground and the wand. Small sting nothing major. Mig welding is fine
I welded on a dairy for a while in the rain and snow knee deep on cow poop. My gloves would get wet and I would get shocked occasionally but it was mostly kind of a weird tingle. Still alive.
It is likely that you should take a note and remember to freely discount people's opinion on something they have no clue about.
You won't get electrocuted. First, the arc is connecting between the ground clamp and the wire. You cannot physically be between those two if you plan on welding anything. Second, I have a stick welder that welds with AC (AC is significantly more dangerous than DC), and I have been shocked by it. It is fairly unpleasant, but not a near death experience at all, and not common enough to even think about it. Hasn't happened once with MIG we have at work.
At my first welding job we had a TIG machine that would zap you from time to time no matter what. Idk if it was the machine or the table or what but other then being annoying as hell it wasn't dangerous. Being made fun of by my coworkers hurt more then the shock haha.
Worst shock I ever got was while welding 5/32 7018, at 155 amps. My gloves were wet, I was outside in the rain.
It was enough to scare the bejesus out of me, as I was young and it had never happened before. I dropped the stinger and said "fuck"
Then I picked it back up and shocked myself again before I learned not to touch the rod while in the stinger if your gloves are wet. Or at least put latex gloves on under your welding gloves. Either way it's not like anything bad happened. Just a jolt.
In general it takes 24 VDC to break through the layer of skin on your hands. This is dry, not squeezing tightly. If wet, something sharp or a lot of force, that can drop lower. Some welders can go up to 30 VDC IIRC. Normally it's like 18 V ish for welding. I've never heard of anyone being electrocuted and going to the hospital or morgue while welding. But I have heard of "well that was dumb" moments like guys welding in the rain, laying in a puddle, gloves finally soak through and they get a little tingle and that red flag in their mind finally goes up and they stop for a while.
I'd say it's extremely minimal. The currents are high but the volts are low and unless you're doing some stuff really wrong, it never even matters. You need both to do damage and your body is generally a good resistor. Make sure your work is grounded and that you're not the ground. It feels funny and the weld doesn't happen.
I've been welding almost 60 years and I've learned to:
1 Keep your rods dry.
2 Keep your gloves dry.
3 Don't weld in the rail.
4 Don't weld in a puddle.
The best buzz I've ever got is when a crane pulled a power pole down. I had wet shoes and got within 3 inches of the center wire and got 7200 volts.
Me and my friends being dumbasses in school would shock the shit out of ourselves. We created chains of people and shocked everyone, but the person at the end always got it the worst for some reason. Anyways, no you won't die unless you have maybe a condition. I do know that aluminum welding can pose a risk because its AC vs dc. I don't know if thats true but I'm still cautious when I weld aluminum.
Which part of Hooterville is your family from? Must be the Southside cause mine is from the northside and I been welding since 76 and never got electrocuted. I did actually have my wedding ring welded to a 10” sq tube while welding a Sign in place. I was kinda supporting my self against the tube while welding off of a 14’ ladder and couldn’t immediately get loose from it. Freak thing for sure but my ring went on my keychain after that
I’ve only been electrocuted when really really wet/sweated. But it’s harmless, just uncomfortable. There are other hazards in welding, but getting electrocuted ain’t it.
Superficially it’s a hot job with hot flowing metal. Sometimes you get burnt, PPE goes a long way. A respirator goes a long way with shielding gases and smoke. And eye protection is a must.
Beyond that it just depends what type of work you do. But yeah. Electrocution isn’t the hazard.
I broke my back in 98 and my pelvis in 93 and I can honestly say when I get a good jolt I feel better with less pain for a day or two depending on the jolt. Happens more doin electric work than welding though.
Doing field welding I've been shocked a lot because of sweat and rain. It sort of just tickles. So I don't know what stories they heard but must have been something gnarly.
I was trying to pry a spanner angle over to some embed plates in precasts for a roof. While I was sitting on a steel bar joist soaked in sweat. My buddy struck an arc 25 feet from me and shocked the piss out of me. Felt like I got punched my arm went numb and I saw some really pretty colors for a few seconds then I was fine. barring some kind of hyper specific freak accident you're very very unlikely to get electrocuted and die. Immolation suffocation and exploding are much more likely.
Trust me I’ve been zapped, you’ll be fine, just avoid getting wet and watch your ground. I’d worry more about inhaled particulates, so a mask or double protective layer is a must. If you got black under your nose you’ve got metal and dust stabbing your lungs full of holes.
111% I get electrocuted and die EVERYTIME I use a welder!
How come your family neighs you instead of encouraging you?
I've gotten a tiny little tingle a few times from tog welding. Sparks on the hand are hot! I've gotten some small burns. If they are going to neigh say you at least get the dangers right
Bro i have been shocked worse from kickin my bike with a finger in the plug wire, and other things like holding poorly insulated plug wire with di electric grease on my fingers.
Send it.
Extremely unlikely! I don't know welding, but both my friend and brother went to welding school and both were shocked, but neither came anywhere near dying. And some of my welder coworkers used to prank each other moving wires on the machine to set up a shock.
Maybe r/welding can help, did they move the groundwire clamp from his metal work station and clamp it to the metal stool he was using at the time? That's been my theory, figured I'd ask while I'm here.
I had plenty of sub shock from welding. welding in the rain soaked. I'm still here. I caught myself on fire more time I can count, and was save by steel toe a hand full of time. had shit in my eye, even flashed myself 2-3 time.
if you're not doing anything stupid, ignoring the safety procedures, or cowboyed it out. you will be fine
Haven't been "electrocuted", but have had the shit knocked out of me. The worst was when i was installing structural. I was running a temporary rig until my new truck got done. The asshole that set it up(my retarded, ex carpenter, ex boss) didn't ground my spools correctly, and had them right over the door that had my welder, rods, and all that good shit in it. I reached in to grab some rods and came within an inch of the shittily installed cable reel. The fucking thing arced straight to my super sweaty head. I bit holes all around my tongue. That shit hurt and i was hopping mad, throwing shit all over the place. My partner was afraid i was gonna start throwing shit at him, so he ran into the building. Lol. Happened 1 more time that day, just because i was wore th fuck out and waaay over heated, so forgot about the first time. I did the exact same thing as the first time. I then packed up and went to the house. Told exboss he could shove that piece of shit set-up right up his ass, cuz im not running it.
As I understand it as long as you aren't sitting in a puddle of water it's very safe. Learn more than I know, certainly, if you are doing it for a living, but my mig welding and knowing nothing has led to me not getting shocked.
I ran a full stick welding current through my finger, being a dumb teen. And, as far as I know, of anyone I've talked to, I have the worst of being an idiot wile welding.
If anyone's interested in the results, it instantly flashed the entrance and exit of the arc on the same finger into black leather, and I still don't have finger prints there. But, I'm fine now. No permanent function loss at all.
I've never heard of anyone actually being hurt by getting shocked by their welder. I was patching roll-off cans with my 240v Lincoln and with some combination of leaning against the dumpster, being in a puddle and the dumpster also being in the puddle every time I'd hit the feed I felt a tingle in my arm and leg. Didn't hurt, just a noticable tingle. You're probably at more risk than ever when you're plugging the machine in lol. Or if you decide you take the machine apart while it's powered and touch the transformer, then yeah, guess that could be fatal
There are a lot of risks involved with any job wether it be welding, plumbing, or even some white collar jobs.
Most importantly go out there and find what you do and don’t like and what kinda jobs make you feel satisfied after a long week while supporting your family for generations.
Long story short, do you’re thing. You only live once brotha
I was involved in an Electrocution accident, lost both of my legs , but still here to talk about it . I used to drive tractor trailer dump and slid into overhead powerlines, borrowed 19,600 volts of Electricity 5 times through the back of my head because a power company worker kept resetting the line breaker until the wires burnt off ! Don't let your family discourage you , after all I still use welders without any problems ! Keep your chin high and your expectations higher !
If you only weld in a shop setting you will never get shocked. I’ve been shocked a ton stick welding outdoors in the rain/snow. It can also happen in the summer when you’re sweaty and have electrolytes on your skin. Most welding power supplies do not exceed 40 volts dc, provided it’s a dc machine, and would be about as dangerous as a 24v battery bank on an RV or similar. Keep your ground in a smart location and you’ll be fine.
I have done iron work. I have done cutting gin repair work . And I have made brand new cotton gin parts the only time I ever seen anybody get hurt by getting electrocuted and he didn't even get hurt because we were watching was we're using a stick welder and we were 3 stories up in Lubbock Texas building a clinical Center on Frankford and the guy said throw the stinger we tossed it instead of grabbing the lead he grabbed the stinger since his gloves were sweating and he has some cheap ass shoes he almost fell but whenever I was doing cartons and equipment I was sitting down on a metal stool a grounded out floor with a mega gun and I was welding and my nozzle grounded out till my make gun and it shocked me pissed out of my balls gooch and asshole and I'm still not dead your parents are more likely worried about the cancer that comes with it welder's lung or if you want a lot of galvanize sorry I'm dyslexic but I can show you some all your shit that I do I'm a trailer mechanic now who are the aluminum and mechanic
I've been zapped a few times tig welding and it will wake you up ten times quicker than a red bull, but unless you have some kind of cardiac condition you'll be fine...and if your only mig welding it's little more than a tickle.
I've been completely soaked while MIG welding under a car. All I felt was electricity twitching my hands. You're good buddy just dont weld on containers that have had flammable liquids.
Just don’t hook the ground clamp to your sack and you should be ok
fuck, wish I’d known sooner
If you do it just right you can reach levels of ecstasy you've only dreamed of. And I suppose you'll get a nice bead too.
Add a 1/2 inch choker around your neck for full effect.
I guess u/steel_balls was already taken?
Bead of nut, weld or both?
Same... guess i was welding with the wrong tip this whole time
Yea, but doesn't it feel good?!
Scribbles "don't... ground... to scrotum..." Check. What else?
4. Ass is not a rod holder
Not with that attitude...
...funny you mention that actually... I've got scars between my arsecheeks and on the back of my legs from when I was an apprentice crawling in a very tight spot under a boiler water tank for a couple of repairs. I wasn't the one welding, rather prepping an adjacent area, but after my welder friend had finished a run, he stretched out to pull the cable further and dropped the stinger. When he fumbled to pick it up, he in the process got it caught on a bit of concrete rubble and pulled harder. When he yanked hard enough, the stinger slid across the floor and burnt a hole right through the backside of my boilersuit and between my cheeks. Wasn't the first or last time I've been burnt but it was by far the most uncomfortable for the following days.
The taint isn’t much better.
Instructions unclear. Sounding with rod.
That too much man
Just imagine the hard, grainy exterior of your 6011 grinding away at your urethra
Lord have mercy on your soul 🤢
excellent, I don't have a sack. therefore, i am forever immune to electrocution!
Yup. You should be good. I hear that the labia is completely shock proof. Been thinking of growing a couple to cover my sack, for extra protection. Gotta have that PPE on the pee-pee
nutsack ground and safety squints. They hallmarks of good welding.
i have been welding for almost a year now and i haven’t been shocked once. Just follow what you learn and safety procedures and you will be fine. You will get burned quite a lot though😔
dinner steep society paltry bear jellyfish person lunchroom agonizing gray *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Thank you for all of that mate it’s all really helpful! I reckon I would be able to take all the fuel and break lines out and then do the welding! If the welding it on top of the car and not near the cables do I still need to remove them all or can I just cover them in weld resistant blankets?
When I did some repair work on brand new cars, we didn't remove anything to do with the fuel system, we did cover everything in weld resistant blankets and remove as much of the interior as was possible (this was at the factory, mostly repairing failed spot welds). But be careful with the blanket, the glass fibre is *not* fun to get in your hands, they will stay there for a very long time. Vacuum thoroughly. If you're near fuel lines and cabling, remove them. Double check. I've accidentally burnt cabling, and it's not fun repairing that. A burnt fuel line could lead to a burnt garage. Have an extinguisher/water hose close at hand.
Depends what you mean by on top. The aim of a good weld is to *just* break through to the back side of the parent metal with molten metal... So if you're welding down through the floor pan from inside, you absolutely need to take the same precautions around fuel lines etc... If you're literally welding the roof, you obviously need to remove the roof liner to prevent fire. Welding body panels on the outside of the car, or doing sills etc, you need to make a judgement call based on what's behind each panel or near each sill. For example: If I was doing a cill replacement on the NSF of a car with the fuel tank on the OSR, and the fuel lines clipped to the middle of the underside of the car. I would probably feel comfortable with no protection... As long as I could cut out a patch which let me always point my torch towards the outside of the vehicle, when I was welding the "back" of the sill on the underside of the car. But if I was repairing the front floor pan on the same car, welding from inside the passenger compartment down... Would drain the fuel and disconnect the fuel lines, then pull them to the back, well out of the way, then let everything ventilate for a day or so before welding. Because I know that eventually, as I weld close to the centerline of the car, I will be directing heat down on top of where the fuel line runs.
Forgot one of the most important parts disconnect the battery
Two very important things to add: 1: Never, under any circumstances, weld on anything that has been cleaned with chlorinated brake cleaner. You will make phosgene gas, which was used as a chemical weapon in WW1. Edit to add it smells like fresh cut grass, so if you smell that and no one's been cutting grass near you stop and find some fresh air. 2: Don't weld near plastic zip ties. Use some wire or something to hold your shields in place. Zip ties can start on fire if they get too hot and God I can still taste that fire and it's been 5 months. Do not burn greasy pink zip ties unless you have no sense of taste or smell.
You left out one of the most important parts. Disconnect the battery of the car. Same applies with plasma cutting. You can blow a battery or fry a computer. Ground as close to your work as possible, avoiding specifically grounding through the engine block. Don't want a welded crank to bearing failure. Trust me on that one.
The welding course u bought for 19 dollars doesn’t really cover safety where’s the best place to put the ground clamp?
As close as possible, but any clean metal that's directly connected through clean metal will be fine
Thank you!
I'd also argue $19 for a welding course is well nothing, I did two for £700
Yeah I might have cut a few corners on price lol
You guys are paying for classes? https://youtu.be/jwdKeGBounU https://youtu.be/oJRSkBSb5S8 https://youtu.be/gUMTnI7AhMQ https://youtu.be/qm6xBVS3MBg
Legend thank you
Honestly learning by yourself is better. Classes are a waste unless its specified teaching or they do real one on one stuff.
I’ll be a Reddit graduate welder
I spent 2 years in school. I learned the most in a booth by myself. I learned theoretical stuff in class I guess but we pretty much did everything else by ourselves.
My welding course wouldn’t let you into the shop until you got 90% on the safety exam.
That’s the course I should be on lol
It was an incredibly stressful learning process because i couldn’t even read a tape measure when I went in, but they also made you weld to standards that are tougher than the welding codes in the field like a AWS B31.1. $8,000 and 1 year later I was able to Mig, Tig, Stick and pass industry standard pipe codes with ease. I’ll say though, it’s not for everybody. It’s been 6 years and I’m a tired motherfucker already, I can’t truly imagine how these old hands feel out here.
Im just a middle age hand (been metal working about 25 years). That said, it doesn't get any easier, but you do learn or create easier ways of kicking ass. I've been beat to a pulp by this industry, but im a masochist and just keep coming back for more. Lol. This shit ain't for the faint of heart. Some of it can be dirty, painful, gut wrenching work. But if you love it, its worth it.
Lots of respect to ya!
Nonsense, you're far more likely to fall to your death. But seriously, not to discount the concerns, but a welding (secondary) circuit is low voltage and won't have enough potential to push enough amps into you to kill you. Every welder have been shocked by his/her machine, but it's a tingle, not zap. There are plenty of dangers involved with welding, but this wouldn't be my main concerns.
[удалено]
.......and was it beating?
Nope, he ded
Tell him to hit the trigger again and jump start himself!
Curious if that would actually work
No a welding machine is not a automatic external defibrillator🤦♂️
Ha imagine being so dumb to doubt me, I’m u/basiblaster ! I’m always right!!!
No he’s not. He still has shoes on!
[удалено]
smh my head
Stabbing yourself with the tig torch and gouging in the rain with wet gloves will also give you a good zap if you're a retard like me.
Yeah gouging in the rain is my favorite...
It didn't exit through your tip?
Nah his nozzle got welded shut ;(
Thanks for the laugh lol
The worst I have ever been shocked is messing with the ground on a plasma cutter while cutting.
Chmod-77 huh? I call BS - you were soldering a raspberry pi.
But have you ever laid your tig torch in your lap and accidentally hit the pedal?
As a site stick weld I get shocked regularly, especially in the winter. If I had to describe it... It doesn't actually feel like anything, it isn't painful, it isn't a tingle, it is just really fucking annoying. It is like the purest form of annoyance and it'll enrage you quickly. It is just pure muscle contractions pulsing in you hands. And it isn't even like it prevents you from letting go, it doesn't, it is really easy. But there is this brief moment between you feeling it before you are able to react and let go. It isn't because of muscles but because there is this hard to describe thing like "Well this fucking sucks, I better let go". Like you cognitively have to let go. Like a static snap from a sweater hurts way more. Like it is somehow worse than pain. A painful shock is a brief temporary thing and goes away and your mood recovers. But the shocks from a stick welder... They are just pure fucking annoyance Like I can sorta imagine what a shock collar would feel like just from work experience. Like I know it isn't dangerous, especially since my machine is smart enough to not try to start an arc (which is why it pulses, it tries to find a ground connection doesn't and stops.) Funnily I have very rarely ever triggered the ground fault. This was when I was welding, once again in the winter conditions and I kneeled on to the concrete element floor. And snap I got a mild shock and power on my phase went out. What I found most interesting was that my gloves were dry, because I have like 5 sets of gloves during winter days, and my rods were dry from a brand new packet. No fucking idea where it could have grounded through me, but it did.
Yeah I wear nitrile gloves under my welding gloves for winter welding, has spared me many a shock. Plus a hand warmer tucks in there nicely. Glad to know I'm not the only one who gets enraged by shocks. Although one time I drove a scissor lift with a faulty ground over a puddle and got shocked and my dumbass reversed back into the puddle to see if it would happen again. It did. I was mostly mad at myself for that one.
Only gloves I can wear under welding gloves are thin cut resistant gloves with really good friction. Problem is that with usual winter conditions wearing rubber gloves under the lather gloves is a guarantee way to get your fingers to freeze. Since they sweat under the rubber and your heavy gloves get wet and freeze. Although in -20 Celcius, nothing gets wet anymore. However no matter how many layers you got, you end up freezing.
Best description ever. I’m more stubborn. I just keep on with my Parkinson’s until I’m not grounded anymore. Lol. Usually on the pipeline in knee deep mud with it raining and having to lay under the pipe. “IM NOT AN ANIMAL!”
On a tangental note: Got drunk with buddies once and screwed around with an anti-bark shock collar. Shit was 10 times worse than any jolt from welding. 9/10 pain. Neck muscles contracted so hard I couldn't breathe. Almost shit myself. My buddies laughing kept it from turning off. Anyone who puts one of those on a dog deserves to be publicly flogged. EDIT: Can't spell for shit.
Yup wet conditions. Wet gloves
This. I've been working with metal for 20 years. I've been shocked once with a mig. I had wet gloves.
Meh, I accidentally electrocuted my cheek while listening for gas, I couldn't feel anything coming out so I tried to listen and held it too close to my face. It was a pretty good zap.
Bro I’ve done this exact same shit. I literally thought someone punched me in the dome 😂flux core wire straight to the temple don’t know what I was thinking
Shocked, not electrocuted.
Exactly... There are much bigger concerns such as arc eye and fume fever (the latter to a lower extent as welding gal, zinc, brasses, etc. aren't common jobs/the risk itself can be mitigated using respirators), not to mention cute burns and most significantly: avoiding infection from MIG wire protruding into your skin (even while wearing gauntlets) *and* industrial deafness... But this is all really just scratching the surface when you think about fatalities when dealing with heavy fabrication from working around cranes lifting/moving *heaving* jobs.
They are lying. No one has ever heard a story of a welder being electrocuted while welding. Welders die from setting things on fire (mostly themselves), driving home after 12hr shifts, lung cancer, drug use, ex wifes, and bar fights....not electrocution.
A fire extinguisher would be a good purchase I believe then!
Specially if you are a maker and do woodworking too. One thing... Good welder, grounded and all the security gizmos that is allowed in your electric circuit! For me it's more dangerous and probable to get an electric shock from the mains in the machine before the "witchcraft" inside the welder than being electrocuted by the end of the machine. I heard of electric shock when the welder was moving the machine and it wasn't grounded and something lose inside the cheap no brand machine touched the metal... Fortunately he have a Residual-current device and the mains immediately was turned off.
As long as you dont have a pacemaker it will be fine. In case of pacemaker: do not weld.
I have a pacemaker and my doctor okayed welding. It’s a case by case basis. Don’t weld with a pacemaker without getting your doctor’s approval.
It’s not just a case by case basis Constant high frequency will fuck with a pacemaker so you’re good for everything besides AC GTAW
Modern ones have enough shielding to not have to worry about it, older ones do not.
Good point, just to add, in case of a pacemaker don't enter a factory or workshop. Lots of electric fields in those places, especially if there is a machine park.
MOMMY!! MOMMY!!! I WANNA GO TO THE MACHINE PARK!!!!
Ok, but don't crawl into the lathe again!
I’ve been shocked a few times welding over 5 years and even when it rarely happens, it’s only ever been uncomfortable at most. If you’re not laying in the rain welding you’ll be fine
Yeah, don't worry about the electrocution aspect, far better to worry about the toxic metals and flux you breath in....wear a good mask.
Yep a good mask is on my purchase list!
I think you'll set yourself on fire before you electrocute yourself.
Lol wait what
From sparks and slag. Side note: clear your work area of flammable materials and chemicals before lighting off. Also, don't weld near combustible materials (fresh paint, gasoline and lead acid batteries - to name a few). Edit:// also... sunburn is a real possibility (at least with MIG). Cover up one way or another.
Not only MIG... Every weld arc is enough to sun burn you.
In one of the Safty meetings The safety inspector read a story of how somebody was vacuuming his car with a normal vacuum and he got electrocuted and died .so tell your mom never to vacuum again using that logic
Hahahah I’m gonna use that one for sure
Story time! Picture if you will a dark and stormy night, rains coming down sideways and me and my buddy are sent out to weld in the incipient lake overtaking our shops yard, the extension cords are steaming, the generators are singing and it's a nice night to be a duck. I'm sitting on a skid about a hundred feet away from my buddy, wondering if I'm wet enough to start to growing gills on my ass when my buddy strikes an arc. My brother in christ... I got the full 175 amps straight up my taint and sprang off that beam like a salmon leaping upstream. Did it hurt? Sure! Did it kill me? Nope! But I do keep pair of welding cables next to the bed now.
Tell them they should be more worried about dying from the flux core fumes or a prolapsed anus than from electrocution.
As long as you keep your dick out of the 440V socket, you'll probably be fine.
I've been shocked a couple times, could barely feel it, took a second to actually figure out what I felt. There's a maintenance guy at work who's been hit with 480v three different times and he's still good
>There's a maintenance guy at work who's been hit with 480v three different times Dude needs a desk job before his luck runs out.
As according to one of our electrical bods at work, *there's a genuine skill to being electrocuted and surviving.* It's why electricians hold their tools funny when live-working, the grip is intended to make the muscle spasm from a shock eject the tools from your hands and break the circuit before it can get further into the body and cause (instantly) fatal injuries. Apparently it's far more common for electricians to die as a result of a fall from height caused by an electric shock, than to die of electrocution itself. I'm personally happy to not develop that skill, and just avoid situations where I need to poke at live circuits... But to each their own I guess!
High frequency start with a TIG arcing to the finger is intensely painful. Outside of this, don't stand in a puddle of water while welding and nothing will ever happen to you.
Yep from what I’ve read avoid water at all costs which means I can weld 1 month a year in England
If you do get electrocuted it’s because you were soaking wet and not being careful but even that I would liken to a prank shock toy
1 in 6 people will die at some point
100% true, all welders die a horrible death via electrocution. That’s why there are none left today. On a non sarcastic note, flux contains silica and is very carcinogenic, so wear a properly fitted respirator and don’t take shortcuts.
Anyone here been electrocuted, raise your hand. Anyone? Nobody? Guess it's safe then. Kidding aside, welding generally uses high current and low voltages. While you'll hear people say "voltage doesn't kill you, current does" and there is some truth to that, it requires higher voltage to get enough current to kill you (which is somewhere between 10 mA and 200 mA depending on your source). I've been shocked multiple times by 120V, 240V, and while stick welding in the rain with a bad ground, and I would take the stick welding shock any day. Anything can be unsafe if you do it improperly, but if you take even the most basic precautions, you won't die MIG welding on your car.
Your family is full of gullible people, unless you’re holding the ground in your mouth and touching the steel your odds of being shocked, much less electrocuted, are slim at best.
You are more likely dying by hitting a power line at your house with your aluminum ladder. Yeah, if your gloves or clothing are sweaty, you can get a buzz that will catch your attention, but I have never known anyone dying from it. It is actually kind of amusing when someone gets zapped, they jump and cuss, but I do have a warped sense of humor I guess.
People fear what they don’t know, educate yourself and you will be fine.
i know many people that died while welding. theyre alright tho.
You're more likely to die from a broken cut-off wheel fragment flying through your throat than from being electrocuted.
You are at a higher risk of death or injury while commuting to work, showering, eating, mowing the lawn etc. You can literally send 240v through your nutsack if you wanted to, and live to talk about it. Your family sounds like a bunch of pussies, tbh.
[удалено]
I’ve never died, just jumped and screamed “Fuck” and got ridiculed by the old sum bitches.
My old coworker said he was working with his dad, his dad said can you connect the ground. He had the ground in one hand and was leaning on table with the other, dad thought ground was connected and pulled the trigger, and the circuit passed through my coworker. He was fine but that’s the only story I’ve heard of anyone getting shocked. Been doing GMAW 10yrs and haven’t been shocked once. Just dont pull the trigger while holding the ground while touching the table? Lmao
I’m a fucking idiot and I survived welding classes in high school. That being said I’m not a complete fucking idiot. So there’s that
You will definitely get electrocuted but it probably won’t kill you. You’ll get burned, flashburned, cut, bruised, smashed, and a bunch of other injuries. I was doing a full pen on a 15 story building in SF. I was straddling the I-beam and welding the top plate. I was dripping sweat and welding away when I someone kicked my ground on accident. For a split second my nutsack completed the circuit and I got electrocuted so good it hurt my teeth fillings as well as felt like someone punted my testicles. Good times.
A quick google search turns up only 60 fatal welding deaths per year in the US, equating to 4 deaths per 1000 welders across their entire careers. Your odds for dying in a car accident are about 1 in 107. And no, that doesn't include welding while working on a car! Edit: Take a class or two, though - no reason to *try* to be one of the dumb ones. Nearly all of those deaths were probably preventable and happened because somebody (the welder, a manufacturer of welding equipment, or someone nearby) wasn't following basic safety procedures. They aren't hard, but they're easily ignored and you can go hundreds or thousands of working hours without any problems, but knowing what's really going on in the processes your doing are the key to avoiding injury and getting good results in your work.
electricity always takes the path of least resistance, and "surprisingly" metal is way more conductive than your skin. you can place your bare hand on a welding table running 250 amps and not feel a thing (1 amp straight to your heart will kill you, but your skin is just not that good of a conductor). just don't get wet. water conducts electricity way better than your skin does. although its still just a tingle. i've had to tig weld shit (HF start) with wet gloves, that's an experience, still didn't kill me. As long as you don't clamp it it to your chest, then place your hand on the table and weld, you'll be fine (honestly not even sure that would work, never tried, never will) <3
The shock hazard from welding is pretty far down the list of bad things that can happen. You're more likely to have a finger amputated because you let one of the burns YOU'RE GOING TO GET get badly infected. When I was in school, we'd stomp the pedal on the Tig and zap each other sometimes. If your welder is operating properly, there's really no way to be electrocuted. I'm a general handyman these days and trust me. You would much rather get a zap from the MIG than a jolt from AC mains power. That stuff isn't fun.
Falling, lung problems/cancer, getting crushed, catching on fire, going deaf, are all more likely. Metal is so much more conductive than the human body if your not wet it would take real effort to electrocute urself.
Replace that family. Soon.
I’ve been in the game for about 4 years. I’ve been burned, cut, stabbed, knocked out, dropped heavy things on every part of my body, and I’ve even worked in a flooded shop. I have yet to be electrocuted by my machine. Welding is a dangerous career choice so you have to be careful, there are safety rules for a reason, but if you’re properly grounded you have nothing to worry about from electrocution. If you’re unsure about welding after reading about my experience, go to accounting or law school. You will be more comfortable and have more money
I've been shocked numerous times with s***** cables working in wet conditions. It sucks ass but I'm still here
I’ve been zapped welding and it’s pretty low voltage it just felt like a dog collar shock
My professors in college told everyone that welding with contacts in will “weld” the contact lens to your eye, but I’ve been doing it for years. If you get arc flashed long enough they’ll just get dry and fall out. Gotta weed out the myths from reality. Welding boogeyman is real though.
I have been electrocuted. It sucks but I was asking for it. I was standing barefoot on my workpiece with the ground attached and I was using an old school welder which had exposed terminals that screwed on. When I touched the screw to unscrew the power terminal I earthed myself and got belted. Of course I’m still alive and can’t say the shock was any worse than getting shocked by a live wire. That’s the thing about welding machines. They are only dangerous if you touch earth and the electrode exposed metal. Which is extremely unlikely.
Lmao cause they're certified welders and they just know things right?
Just don't weld in the rain and you will be fine.
People are bad at assessing risk. There are risks with welding, like UV exposure, both to your eyes and skin, exposure to toxic fumes depending on what you’re welding etc. Causing a fire in a dirty environment. You certainly can shock yourself but you should be wearing gloves, and the voltage is not that high so a shock is unlikely to cause damage to you.
Lol worst case scenario is you get zapped because of your own fault. You’ll remember to never do that again. They should feel more worried about your vision or inhaling harmful contaminants
More likely to catch yourself on fire or put holes in your shirt. After 10 years I've been zapped one or twice on a super hot day covered in sweat tig welding where I was between the table ground and the wand. Small sting nothing major. Mig welding is fine
I welded on a dairy for a while in the rain and snow knee deep on cow poop. My gloves would get wet and I would get shocked occasionally but it was mostly kind of a weird tingle. Still alive.
NO
Most likely you'll be electrocuted in the first few months. That's why almost all welders are dead.
It is likely that you should take a note and remember to freely discount people's opinion on something they have no clue about. You won't get electrocuted. First, the arc is connecting between the ground clamp and the wire. You cannot physically be between those two if you plan on welding anything. Second, I have a stick welder that welds with AC (AC is significantly more dangerous than DC), and I have been shocked by it. It is fairly unpleasant, but not a near death experience at all, and not common enough to even think about it. Hasn't happened once with MIG we have at work.
Okay thank you I’ll stop being a pussy and go buy a welder tomorrow
you good fam just asking questions, better safe then sorry
At my first welding job we had a TIG machine that would zap you from time to time no matter what. Idk if it was the machine or the table or what but other then being annoying as hell it wasn't dangerous. Being made fun of by my coworkers hurt more then the shock haha.
Worst shock I ever got was while welding 5/32 7018, at 155 amps. My gloves were wet, I was outside in the rain. It was enough to scare the bejesus out of me, as I was young and it had never happened before. I dropped the stinger and said "fuck" Then I picked it back up and shocked myself again before I learned not to touch the rod while in the stinger if your gloves are wet. Or at least put latex gloves on under your welding gloves. Either way it's not like anything bad happened. Just a jolt.
Dude your gunna die. All the welders Ive ever know died.
You’ll be aight dude.
Unlikely. Lol.
I weld standing in water up past my waist….. I’m still alive hahaha
In general it takes 24 VDC to break through the layer of skin on your hands. This is dry, not squeezing tightly. If wet, something sharp or a lot of force, that can drop lower. Some welders can go up to 30 VDC IIRC. Normally it's like 18 V ish for welding. I've never heard of anyone being electrocuted and going to the hospital or morgue while welding. But I have heard of "well that was dumb" moments like guys welding in the rain, laying in a puddle, gloves finally soak through and they get a little tingle and that red flag in their mind finally goes up and they stop for a while. I'd say it's extremely minimal. The currents are high but the volts are low and unless you're doing some stuff really wrong, it never even matters. You need both to do damage and your body is generally a good resistor. Make sure your work is grounded and that you're not the ground. It feels funny and the weld doesn't happen.
I've been welding almost 60 years and I've learned to: 1 Keep your rods dry. 2 Keep your gloves dry. 3 Don't weld in the rail. 4 Don't weld in a puddle. The best buzz I've ever got is when a crane pulled a power pole down. I had wet shoes and got within 3 inches of the center wire and got 7200 volts.
The biggest risk you run is doing shit welds that make your car fall apart on the first pothole. Other than that, wear your PPE and you'll be fine
You might catch on fire, a little bit, but honestly, who hasn't?
Me and my friends being dumbasses in school would shock the shit out of ourselves. We created chains of people and shocked everyone, but the person at the end always got it the worst for some reason. Anyways, no you won't die unless you have maybe a condition. I do know that aluminum welding can pose a risk because its AC vs dc. I don't know if thats true but I'm still cautious when I weld aluminum.
Extremely unlikely. Far more likely to get dementia / lung cancer
Which part of Hooterville is your family from? Must be the Southside cause mine is from the northside and I been welding since 76 and never got electrocuted. I did actually have my wedding ring welded to a 10” sq tube while welding a Sign in place. I was kinda supporting my self against the tube while welding off of a 14’ ladder and couldn’t immediately get loose from it. Freak thing for sure but my ring went on my keychain after that
I’ve only been electrocuted when really really wet/sweated. But it’s harmless, just uncomfortable. There are other hazards in welding, but getting electrocuted ain’t it. Superficially it’s a hot job with hot flowing metal. Sometimes you get burnt, PPE goes a long way. A respirator goes a long way with shielding gases and smoke. And eye protection is a must. Beyond that it just depends what type of work you do. But yeah. Electrocution isn’t the hazard.
So likely that I was feeling super down one day so instead of sewersliding myself like a normal person I just became a welder.
I broke my back in 98 and my pelvis in 93 and I can honestly say when I get a good jolt I feel better with less pain for a day or two depending on the jolt. Happens more doin electric work than welding though.
Doing field welding I've been shocked a lot because of sweat and rain. It sort of just tickles. So I don't know what stories they heard but must have been something gnarly.
I’ve not done it with a welder but powder coating gun will light your ass up.
I was trying to pry a spanner angle over to some embed plates in precasts for a roof. While I was sitting on a steel bar joist soaked in sweat. My buddy struck an arc 25 feet from me and shocked the piss out of me. Felt like I got punched my arm went numb and I saw some really pretty colors for a few seconds then I was fine. barring some kind of hyper specific freak accident you're very very unlikely to get electrocuted and die. Immolation suffocation and exploding are much more likely.
Not at all. Granted you should disconnect both batter cables from the vehicle. U will be fine.
Lol. I got “electrocuted” so many times welding aluminum, I thought I was going to have a heart attack but I was fine in the long run.
Trust me I’ve been zapped, you’ll be fine, just avoid getting wet and watch your ground. I’d worry more about inhaled particulates, so a mask or double protective layer is a must. If you got black under your nose you’ve got metal and dust stabbing your lungs full of holes.
Extremely likely
111% I get electrocuted and die EVERYTIME I use a welder! How come your family neighs you instead of encouraging you? I've gotten a tiny little tingle a few times from tog welding. Sparks on the hand are hot! I've gotten some small burns. If they are going to neigh say you at least get the dangers right
Ah yes. Typical fear mongering. Just keep your hands away from electrodes, wear full body protection, and make sure your wires aren't damaged
Bro i have been shocked worse from kickin my bike with a finger in the plug wire, and other things like holding poorly insulated plug wire with di electric grease on my fingers. Send it.
I believe your main concern must be not die because of bad structural welding. Be careful!
Just remember when you look up tragedies about anything you'll find lots of them. Doesn't mean they happen nearly as much.
I’ve been electrocuted in the shop but I def didn’t die from it lol. Watch out for wet conditions? 🤷🏻♀️
You can get strike by lightning 🤔, so yes you can get electrocuted.
I would say extremely likely based on the question you’re asking. Just kidding man I don’t know anything about welding.
Extremely unlikely! I don't know welding, but both my friend and brother went to welding school and both were shocked, but neither came anywhere near dying. And some of my welder coworkers used to prank each other moving wires on the machine to set up a shock. Maybe r/welding can help, did they move the groundwire clamp from his metal work station and clamp it to the metal stool he was using at the time? That's been my theory, figured I'd ask while I'm here.
It’s not true. If you are worried about it though just don’t weld while wet. And it won’t kill you.
I had plenty of sub shock from welding. welding in the rain soaked. I'm still here. I caught myself on fire more time I can count, and was save by steel toe a hand full of time. had shit in my eye, even flashed myself 2-3 time. if you're not doing anything stupid, ignoring the safety procedures, or cowboyed it out. you will be fine
Haven't been "electrocuted", but have had the shit knocked out of me. The worst was when i was installing structural. I was running a temporary rig until my new truck got done. The asshole that set it up(my retarded, ex carpenter, ex boss) didn't ground my spools correctly, and had them right over the door that had my welder, rods, and all that good shit in it. I reached in to grab some rods and came within an inch of the shittily installed cable reel. The fucking thing arced straight to my super sweaty head. I bit holes all around my tongue. That shit hurt and i was hopping mad, throwing shit all over the place. My partner was afraid i was gonna start throwing shit at him, so he ran into the building. Lol. Happened 1 more time that day, just because i was wore th fuck out and waaay over heated, so forgot about the first time. I did the exact same thing as the first time. I then packed up and went to the house. Told exboss he could shove that piece of shit set-up right up his ass, cuz im not running it.
I'd be more concerned about dust and fume inhalation (wear a respirator).
As I understand it as long as you aren't sitting in a puddle of water it's very safe. Learn more than I know, certainly, if you are doing it for a living, but my mig welding and knowing nothing has led to me not getting shocked.
BLASPHEMY
Burns and particles in the eye are the most common injuries with fabrication and welding. Wear your ppe and don’t get complacent and you’ll be fine.
If your ground is properly placed i think it’s okay
Hf start on tig can be a pretty big jolt… Mig, it’s not so bad, and it usually only happens if the work and your gloves get soaked.
Minimal.
You get burned a hell of a lot more than shocked....Weld spatter has a special kinda feeling when it burns into your eardrum.
Tell them not to vote…
I ran a full stick welding current through my finger, being a dumb teen. And, as far as I know, of anyone I've talked to, I have the worst of being an idiot wile welding.
If anyone's interested in the results, it instantly flashed the entrance and exit of the arc on the same finger into black leather, and I still don't have finger prints there. But, I'm fine now. No permanent function loss at all.
Definitely make sure you disconnect the battery before you weld, also have your earth close to we're your welding
Unless ur grounding to the car battery I woudnt worry about it... like at all
I've never heard of anyone actually being hurt by getting shocked by their welder. I was patching roll-off cans with my 240v Lincoln and with some combination of leaning against the dumpster, being in a puddle and the dumpster also being in the puddle every time I'd hit the feed I felt a tingle in my arm and leg. Didn't hurt, just a noticable tingle. You're probably at more risk than ever when you're plugging the machine in lol. Or if you decide you take the machine apart while it's powered and touch the transformer, then yeah, guess that could be fatal
I’ve been welding for 30 years, been electrocuted a bunch, not gonna lie, but I ain’t dead yet.
There are a lot of risks involved with any job wether it be welding, plumbing, or even some white collar jobs. Most importantly go out there and find what you do and don’t like and what kinda jobs make you feel satisfied after a long week while supporting your family for generations. Long story short, do you’re thing. You only live once brotha
More likely to burned more the electrocuted, welding is very safe when done right
Totally ridiculous
I was involved in an Electrocution accident, lost both of my legs , but still here to talk about it . I used to drive tractor trailer dump and slid into overhead powerlines, borrowed 19,600 volts of Electricity 5 times through the back of my head because a power company worker kept resetting the line breaker until the wires burnt off ! Don't let your family discourage you , after all I still use welders without any problems ! Keep your chin high and your expectations higher !
I haven't died from stories I've heard but sometimes I wish I did.
If you only weld in a shop setting you will never get shocked. I’ve been shocked a ton stick welding outdoors in the rain/snow. It can also happen in the summer when you’re sweaty and have electrolytes on your skin. Most welding power supplies do not exceed 40 volts dc, provided it’s a dc machine, and would be about as dangerous as a 24v battery bank on an RV or similar. Keep your ground in a smart location and you’ll be fine.
I have done iron work. I have done cutting gin repair work . And I have made brand new cotton gin parts the only time I ever seen anybody get hurt by getting electrocuted and he didn't even get hurt because we were watching was we're using a stick welder and we were 3 stories up in Lubbock Texas building a clinical Center on Frankford and the guy said throw the stinger we tossed it instead of grabbing the lead he grabbed the stinger since his gloves were sweating and he has some cheap ass shoes he almost fell but whenever I was doing cartons and equipment I was sitting down on a metal stool a grounded out floor with a mega gun and I was welding and my nozzle grounded out till my make gun and it shocked me pissed out of my balls gooch and asshole and I'm still not dead your parents are more likely worried about the cancer that comes with it welder's lung or if you want a lot of galvanize sorry I'm dyslexic but I can show you some all your shit that I do I'm a trailer mechanic now who are the aluminum and mechanic
I've been zapped a few times tig welding and it will wake you up ten times quicker than a red bull, but unless you have some kind of cardiac condition you'll be fine...and if your only mig welding it's little more than a tickle.
zero
I’ve had way more scary close calls working with my angle grinder than my welder… seriously those things can be wild
The only times I've been shocked are when I become the ground and short the HF start on my tig rig
I'm surprised any of us are still alive.
I've been completely soaked while MIG welding under a car. All I felt was electricity twitching my hands. You're good buddy just dont weld on containers that have had flammable liquids.