You need more than six pieces of equipment to become a welder. However, we all begin somewhere and six is as good a number as any other.
But first, why should you become a welder? First, the future is bright for welders. But more importantly, you love working with your hands, making things from scratch. You love working with your hands and you love to create something out of metal. While woodwork enthusiasts think that metal is cold and lifeless, metalwork enthusiasts think metal is everything and indeed, they use it to create very stylish designs. However, to do that, you need a good set of equipment. Love for metalwork is not all there is to it. The check is good too. Just imagine doing something you love and getting paid for it at the same time!
Here are the six main things that you will need to start your welding career:
Auto-darkening helmet
This is one of the most important things for your welding gig. It is paramount that you protect your eyes and a welding helmet that darkens automatically is just the thing that you need. It is a helmet, which makes it far better than a shield.
You wear it on your head, which leaves your hands completely free. Do not worry, it may look bulky but it is light in weight and it will not fatigue your head in any way. Another thing that you will love about the auto-darkening helmet is that the lens darkens depending on the brightness of the welding spark. If it is white hot, they darken even more. If it is lighter, they darken just a little. The best thing is that the lens can be replaced easily.
Fireproof welding gloves
These are part of the must-have equipment for your welding jobs. Please note that not every kind of work glove will work here. The welding gloves are made of a special fireproof material.
The gloves are soft and flexible, just what you need to do different things with your hands without taking them off. The fire-resist fabric ensures that they stay intact for a long time. They may cost more to buy, but they are a good investment if you would like to protect your hands.
Welders – MIG or TIG
You cannot do any kind of welding job if you do not have the right welder. While many hobbyists prefer to use a stick welder, when you are going professional, that may not work for you because it requires you to stop frequently and change the rods as soon as they are finished.
What you need for professional jobs is either a MIG or a TIG welder. Both of them use gas feeds and wire for welding. The good thing about them is that you don’t have to pause as often as you would with a stick welder.
Before you buy a welder, read user reviews to see what is best for you. If you are going to be employed in a workshop or a company, you do not need to buy your own tools because the employer has all the tools. But it is always a good thing to buy your own tools for your welding gigs at home.
A wire brush
A wire brush is very important. You will use to clean the weld after it cools down, especially in places where you need to add two or more layers of weld. With a wire brush, you can wipe away any deposits so that your weld is not going to be contaminated. When welding, small balls of debris form and if they are not cleaned away, they contaminate the weld.
Grinder and its discs and grinding wheels
You will need a grinder for different things, but most importantly to clean the weld after you are done welding. When welding, there are weld splatters and flux, which needs to be cleaned away. For your grinder, buy cutoff wheels, grinding wheels and even flap discs.
A combination wrench
This is a very important tool for you to use. You will need it for tightening the gas bottle regulators. However, only use the wrench for this when need be because you can use your hands for tightening the regulators and they will be just fine. However, buy two wrenches so that you can use one to tighten a male connector while holding the female connector.
