Angle Grinder Do's and Don'ts Every Operator Should Know

THE REAL WORLD FOR WELDING PROFESSIONALS March/April 2019
Angle grinder
do’s and don’ts
every operator
should know
Welding students tackle
battering ram project
EcoVet repurposes
semitrailers, people
An official publication of the

Fabricators & Manufacturers
Association, International®
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THE
CONTENTS
®
March/April 2019 | Vol. 2 No. 4
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
14 6 48
TECH SPOTLIGHT UNDER THE HOOD CONSUMABLES CORNER
Dual-inverter AC/DC GTAW machine Choosing the correct carbon
welds thin, thick plate 8 equivalency formula
OTC DAIHEN’s WB-A350P GTAW machine CALENDAR The Consumables Corner crew discusses
is built around dual-inverter technology, the various carbon equivalency formulas
allowing for use of the company’s AC+DC for determining preheat temperatures.
Hybrid welding process for aluminum. 9
INDUSTRY NEWS
16 50
PRODUCT NEWS
COVER STORY 40
Respect your angle grinder WELDING HACKS
Terry Tuerk of Metabo Corp. gives a Quickly aligning a shaft before turning 56
synopsis of angle grinding do’s and don’ts
that all who use the tool must know.
Tool provides quick turnaround from CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
aligning parts to machining them.
(Cover photo courtesy of Metabo Corp.,
West Chester, Pa.)
42 57
ADVERTISERS INDEX
22 PLAYING WITH FIRE
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE Why it’s OK to be your own boss
EQUIPMENT and work for “the Man” 58
Welding in color Josh Welton says you don’t have to choose JIM’S COVER PASS
between working for yourself and working
These days welders can peer through Tips to demagnetize pipe to make
for “the Man.” If neither one suits you
welding helmets and see the world in welding possible
exclusively, it’s OK to choose both.
color.
Trying to weld magnetized pipe results in
arc blow. Jim Mosman has some ideas on
28 46 how to demagnetize the pipe yourself.
ALUMINUM WORKSHOP
WELDER PROFILE
A brief overview of the other 4XXX
High school welding
and 5XXX that aren’t 4043 and 5356
students fabricate battering
rams for state police Frank Armao focuses on the seldomly used
fillers in the 4XXX and 5XXX categories.
Four students at Tri-County Regional
Vocational Technical High School
in Franklin, Mass., get real-life work
experience fabricating battering rams for
the Massachusetts State Police.
32
Q&A
From road warriors to art
and furniture
EcoVet relies on two things to fabricate
upscale art and furniture: recycled
material from semitrailers and a workforce
comprising mostly veterans.
36
ARTIST’S GALLERY
The art of sign-making
Custom sign work allows one
Massachusetts fabricator to display his
diverse artistic and metal fabrication skills.
4 The WELDER March/April 2019

One company.
Simple solutions.
Cleaner welds.
For 100 years.
In 1919, DAIHEN Corporation began business as Osaka Transformer

Company (OTC), manufacturing power transformers for the growing
industrial age. In the 100 years since, we have become a leading
producer of manual and robotic welding technology.
For the last 40 years, OTC DAIHEN, Inc. has delivered this exclusive,
advanced welding technology to America.
Join us at our Open House on May 22 to see where

we’ve been and where we’re headed.
• Free food and drinks Wednesday, May 22, 2019

• Time capsule opening 11am - 7pm
• Anniversay ceremony OTC DAIHEN, Inc.

1400 Blauser Dr, Tipp City, OH 45371
• Technical presentations RSVP by contacting
• Product demos sales@daihen-usa.com.

UNDER THE HOOD
Amanda Carlson
Editor, The WELDER®
amandac@thefabricator.com
During National Welding Month,

commit to never stop learning
When I took over as editor of The WELDER That was a pretty bad mistake on my part. I even
(formerly Practical Welding Today), one of my had readers approach me about it in the aisles at
biggest fears was getting something wrong. Well, FABTECH® that year. It’s frustrating to mess up,
fast-forward 11 years and it turns out that I’ve but it’s the uncomfortable yet necessary part of the
messed up plenty of times. learning process.
While the mistakes range in size and scale, the I talked to Terry Tuerk of Metabo, West Chester,
topic I can’t seem to get right no matter how hard I Pa., and asked him to clarify all the questions that
try is grinding, specifically publishing photography I had about angle grinders, and I prefaced it by
that depicts an operator using the tool safely with explaining to him where I had fallen short over
the appropriate PPE. How do I know I messed up? the years. And just as a teacher would, Tuerk laid
Because I get emails. everything out there for me. You can read his
Here’s an email I received when I published a thoughts on the subject in “Respect your angle
photo of a guy using a grinder with one hand: grinder” on p. 16 of this issue.
As a foreman of a large fab shop, I was very One thing Tuerk said during our conversation
disappointed in the photo that showed a that resonated with me, particularly with National
welder grinding with one hand with his auto Welding Month coming up in April, is that welders
shield up. Both of these practices are a safety and metalworkers need to look out for one another
hazard. Safety in the workplace must be the and take care of each other. Sometimes that
No. 1 priority ahead of profits. requires pointing out mistakes or unsafe practices.
Other times it means admitting to your mistakes
And here’s one I received after publishing a photo and then committing to making them right.
of a guy grinding without wearing a face shield: In this issue you’ll see faces and stories of welders
… I was surprised to see the article “Safety who are at different stages in their careers. Some,
never goes out of style” featured not one, but like the students at Tri-County Regional Vocational
two photos of a person wearing no face shield Technical High School in Franklin, Mass. (“High
while grinding! I’ve spent the last 40 years in school welding students fabricate battering rams for
the welding industry working in heavy railcar state police,” p. 28), are just getting started, while
repair and fabrication, and I’ve yet to work others, like columnist Jim Mosman (Jim’s Cover
for any company that didn’t require wearing a Pass, p. 58), have years of experience under their
face shield along with glasses! belts. Side note, Jim was one of the people who
approached me at FABTECH about that cover photo.
And finally, here’s an email I got after I published
The best thing we can do, especially in honor of
a photo of a grinder with the guard removed on
National Welding Month, is to do like Tuerk said—
the cover:
look out for and take care of each other. That may
The first thing I noticed was the unguarded mean dispensing some helpful criticism to someone
grinding/sanding operation pictured on the who needs it, whether you’re a nonwelder like me
front cover. That’s not sending a very good just trying to get it right, a beginning welder, or one
message. Then I open to your editorial and who’s been in the trenches a time or two. It also
read your cautions about “Safety first, safety might mean accepting criticism and learning from it.
always.” Do you see the contradiction?
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
THE
®
Resistance Welding Seminar FabCast: Fabricator’s Digital

10 Chicago
30 Transformation, Part 3
April T.J. Snow 10-11:30 a.m. CT
423-308-3248 | www.tjsnow.com April Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn. Intl.
888-394-4362 | www.fmanet.org
11th Annual Safety Conference FABTECH® Mexico

10-11 Lexington, Ky.
7-9 Monterrey, Mexico
Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn. Intl.
April Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn. Intl.
May 888-394-4362 | www.fmanet.org
https://mexico.fabtechexpo.com
Press Brake Certificate Course

24-26
Machine Safeguarding Seminar
Rockford, Ill.
20-21 Elk Grove Village, Ill.
May Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn. Intl.
April Rockford Systems
800-922-7533 | www.rockfordsystems.com
Safety Fundamentals Certificate Course
21-22 Elgin, Ill.
FabCast: Cybersecurity for Fabricators May Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn. Intl.
25 10-11:30 a.m. CT
April Press Brake Safeguarding Certificate Course

23 Elgin, Ill.
May
THE WELDER STAFF FMA OFFICERS & DIRECTORS Statement of Policy

President & CEO, FMA Edward Youdell Chairman of the Board As a publication of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association
William “Jeff” Jeffery, IRMCO International, The WELDER recognizes the need and importance of
Group Publisher Dave Brambert
First Vice Chairman disseminating information about modern metal welding and joining
Editor-in-Chief Dan Davis techniques, machinery, tooling, and management concepts for the
Gregg Simpson, Ohio Laser LLC
THE WELDER Editor Amanda Carlson metalworking professional. The policy of the publisher and this
Second Vice Chairman
Contributing Editor Amy Nickel journal is to be nonpartisan, favoring no one product or company.
Bill Isaac, MC Machinery Systems/Mitsubishi Laser
The representations of facts and opinions expressed in the articles
Senior Copy Editor Teresa Chartos Secretary/Treasurer are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the
Graphic Designers Jennifer Paulson, Margaret Clark, Carlos Mendizabal-Perez, Industrias Selbor SA de CV publisher and this journal. By including information on new products,
Mary Mincemoyer, Janell Drolsum Immediate Past Chairman of the Board new literature, news of the industry, articles, etc., this impartiality is
Publication Coordinator Holly Lipper Lyle Menke, Peddinghaus Corp. strived for and extends to the mention of trade names. Unless product
identification makes the reference unavoidable, the generic name is
Director of Circulation Kim Bottomley
DIRECTORS used. We acknowledge that on occasion there may be oversights and
Circulation Manager Brenda Wilson errors; the editors regret such oversights and re-emphasize their policy
Data Verification Specialist Rhonda Fletcher John Anton, The Tube Group Inc. to be impartial at all times. The publishers reserve the right to refuse
Senior Fulfillment Specialist Anna Peacock James R. (Rob) Bohn Jr., Nema Enclosures advertising they deem inappropriate for publication in The WELDER,
Manufacturing Corp. including ads for classes of products and services not considered of
Web Content Manager Vicki Bell significant interest to the readership. Standard Rate & Data Service
Mike Cattelino, Fox Valley Technical College
Multimedia Specialist Sherry Young lists our advertising rates in Section 156. Consult SRDS or our current
Stephen Ford, Lapham-Hickey Steel Corp. rate card for full rates and data.
Senior Web Manager Mike Owens
Andy Gross, Alliance Steel LLC Publications of FMA Communications Inc. maintain a policy of
Brian Havlovic, Kawasaki Motors Mfg. Corp. USA keeping editorial and advertising separate to ensure editorial integrity
THE WELDER ADVERTISING SALES that most benefits our readership. Editorial content, including feature
Jason Hillenbrand, Amada America Inc.
Associate Publisher articles and press releases, is determined solely by the publisher.
Phil Kooima, Kooima Co.
Jim Gorzek, jimg@thefabricator.com Editorial content cannot be purchased, nor can it be used as a benefit
Jay Phillips, Valley Iron Inc. of advertising dollars spent. Editorial is free-of-charge, subject to
Senior Account Representatives space availability, and open to all interested parties that submit items
Sarah Richards, Jones Metal Inc.
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James Rogowski, TRUMPF Inc.
AL, CT, DE, FL, KY, MA, ME, NH, Note: Some photographs printed in this publication may be taken
NJ, NY, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WV Lori Tapani, Wyoming Machine Inc.
with safety equipment removed for photographic purposes. However,
Mike Lacny, mikel@thefabricator.com Lisa Wertzbaugher, Superior Tube Products in actual operation, it is recommended that correct safety procedures
GA, MD, OH, and International President & CEO Edward Youdell, and equipment be utilized.
Phil Arndt, phila@thefabricator.com Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl.
FMA’s Certified Education Centers
AR, AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, LA, MO, MS, MT,
ND, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY THE WELDER EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FMA Certified Education Centers (CEC) are community and technical
colleges, trade schools, and universities that specialize in training
Amy Hudson, amyh@thefabricator.com Paul Cameron, Element Materials Technology-St. Paul adults for careers in the metal forming, fabricating, processing, and
IA, IN, MI, MN, NE, WI, and Canada Daniel Galiher, Tower Intl. machining sectors. They offer coursework for local students year-
Michael Scott, michaels@thefabricator.com Warren Long, Briggs & Stratton Corp. round and serve as host locations for many types of FMA professional
IL, NC, SC development programs as requested. A council of representative
James Mosman, Odessa College members convene six times a year to plan and execute special
John Mathews, johnm@thefabricator.com Allen Parsons, Austal programs on worker training for educators and human resource
Classified Advertising (U.S., Canada, and International) managers from companies of all sizes.
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Director of Accounting Bob Young To learn more about FMA’s CEC program and view a list of the current
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certified- education-centers/.
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E-mail: info@thefabricator.com AUDIT OF CIRCULATION

INDUSTRY NEWS
Aerospace Welding marks 25 years of service General Dynamics NASSCO

commissions new panel line
Kevin Graney,
president of General
Dynamics NASSCO,
addresses a crowd
of shipbuilders at the
commissioning of the
new panel line.
Aerospace Welding Inc. company reports it can
(AWI), Minneapolis, has repair or replace the General Dynamics NASSCO of lighter, more energy-
completed 25 years of exhaust systems or engine has commissioned a new efficient ships. The facility
service as a repair station. mounts for almost every panel line that expands uses hybrid laser arc
In connection with sister model of General Aviation steel production capabili- welding and NC robots
company Aerospace Manu- aircraft. Capabilities include ties for the construction of to mill, seam, and weld
facturing Inc. (AMI), AWI engineering, research, and commercial and govern- steel panels in a highly
has earned more than 450 prototype development; ment ships in San Diego. automated production
PMAs and manufactured finishing and coating; The panel line enables line. These features are
and sold more than 72,000 tooling and fixtures; tube distortion-free welding expected to double steel
urse
parts for certified aircraft. bending; precision ma- of plates as thin as 5 processing rates, according
Occupying a 37,000-sq.- chining; and sheet metal mm for the production to the company.
ft. aerospace facility, the fabrication.
March/April 2019 The WELDER 9

INDUSTRY NEWS
People news
LA-CO Industries, Elk Lincoln Electric corporate controller. as executive vice president,
Grove Village, Ill., a manu- Holdings Inc., Cleveland, He earned a bachelor’s chief human resources
facturer of industrial mark- has announced several staff degree in finance from St. officer, since 2016. He has
ing products, temperature promotions. Bonaventure University an accounting degree from
indicators, and plumbing and a master’s degree in John Carroll University.
and chemical products, has accounting from the State
named Steven R. Smith University of New York at
as president/CEO. He suc- Binghamton.
ceeds John Hardin, who
served as president/CEO
for 17 years.
Smith comes to the
company from JBT Corp.,
where he served as presi- Geoffrey P. Allman has
dent for four years. He has been named senior vice Daniel E. McMillin Jr. has
an MBA in finance from president, strategy and Gabriel Bruno has been been promoted to vice
The Wharton School and business development. appointed as executive president, corporate con-
a bachelor’s degree in en- He joined the company in vice president, finance. He troller. He joined the com-
gineering from Texas A&M 1997, serving most recently has been with the company pany in 2004, most recently
University. as senior vice president, since 1995 and has served serving as vice president,

INDUSTRY NEWS
finance, Americas Welding Division in the Cleveland additive services busi-

segment. He holds a bach- operation. He is a graduate nesses. Whitehead joined
elor’s degree in accounting of Ohio University with a the company in 2005 and
from Ohio University. bachelor’s degree in ac- served most recently as
counting. senior vice president,
strategy and business
development. He holds
a bachelor’s degree in
electrical engineering from Xiris Automation, a
The Ohio State University provider of optical
and earned his juris doctor equipment for process
degree from the University and quality control in
of New Hampshire School Burlington, Ont., has
of Law. appointed David Garrard
Robert A. Nelson has Lincoln Electric manu- as its new sales manager
been appointed as vice Michael J. Whitehead has factures arc welding for Southeast Asia.
president, finance for the been promoted to senior products, robotic arc weld- Based in Kuala Lumpur,
Americas Welding seg- vice president and presi- ing systems, plasma and Malaysia, he is focused
ment. Nelson has worked dent, overseeing the stra- oxyfuel cutting equipment, on developing the APAC
for Lincoln Electric since tegic planning and growth and brazing and soldering market for the company’s
1998, most recently as of the Americas Welding alloys. XVC camera products in
general manager, Machine segment’s automation and the weld industry.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Translas enters Industrial Magnetics years of service to the Enterprise National Council
Canadian market acquires Clamp Mfg. stamping, tool and die, (WBENC).
European company Translas, Industrial Magnetics Inc., welding, and punching
a producer of welding guns Boyne City, Mich., a pro- industries. Nederman marks 75
and fume extraction guns, vider of permanent mag- Deep-freezing metal years in business
has entered the Canadian nets and electromagnets parts makes the internal
Sweden-based environ-
market with Translas Canada for workholding, lifting, structure more uniform,
mental technology provider
Industries Ltd., located in fixturing, conveying, and durable, and stronger, ac- Nederman, with U.S. offices
Woodstock, Ont. Applica- magnetic separation, has cording to the company. in Charlotte, N.C., celebrates
tions for its products include acquired Clamp Mfg. Co., Cryoprocessing increases its 75th anniversary in 2019.
mild steel, stainless steel, South El Monte, Calif. abrasive wear with one The company, founded
and aluminum manual and Clamp Mfg., a family- permanent treatment and as a local workshop, today
robotic GMAW and GTAW. owned business, offers extends the useful life of supplies and develops
Duncan Beaumont clamps and hammers for cutting tools. It creates a products and systems for
serves as executive direc- metalworking, welding, as- denser molecular structure filtering, cleaning, and
tor for the new location. He sembly, and general manu- and closes the grains struc- recycling air in industrial
has more than 15 years of facturing applications. ture, resulting in a larger environments to reduce
project management, sales, contact surface area that environmental impact and
and leadership experience reduces friction, heat, and protect employees from
in the Canadian industrial
CryoPlus marks 25 wear, states the company. harmful dust, smoke, and
sector and more than eight years in business CryoPlus has been fumes. The company has
years in the welding, fabri- CryoPlus Inc., a cryogenic certified as a Woman’s operations in more than 50
cation, and fume extraction service provider in Wooster, Business Enterprise by countries with about 2,200
industry. Ohio, is celebrating 25 the Women’s Business employees.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Clemco Industries,
East Central College
launch welder
apprenticeship program
CALL US TODAY
TO FIND AN AUTHORIZED
CK WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTOR
Kasheea Portell, an
apprentice at Clemco,
works as a cabinet assembler.
In August 2018 Clemco Industries

Corp., Washington, Mo., in
collaboration with East Central
College in neighboring Union, Mo.,
launched a welder apprenticeship
1.800.426.0877
program. Four Clemco employees
currently are enrolled in the three-
year program, which is funded by
www.CKWORLDWIDE.com
a $239,550 Missouri Registered
Apprenticeship Program (MORAP)
grant.
Last fall the four apprentices
What ‘s
spent their Tuesday and Thursday Don’t let poor electrical connections
evenings in four-hour, hands-on
sabotage your safety program.
classes on the East Central campus
that taught GMAW, GTAW, and
SMAW. The grant covered the
students’ tuition and book fees, and
holding Injuries, fines and higher insurance
premiums from electrical accidents
can unravel your profits.
your
they maintained their day jobs at
Clemco.
electric
After completing the fall
a
semester of instruction at East
connect l
Central, the four apprentices began
transitioning into full-time welding
positions at Clemco. The hours they
work count toward their on-the- ions
job training required to earn their
togethe
r?
specialization in welding certificates
from East Central.
Clemco Industries manufactures
air-powered abrasive blast
equipment used for surface
cleaning, deburring, shot peening,
Strengthen your bottom line with
finishing, and coating removal. MELTRIC UL/CSA Switch-Rated
plugs and receptacles.
meltric.com/electricalsafety_tw Plug into BLUE
© 2019 MELTRIC Corporation AD1901 TW

TECH SPOTLIGHT
Dual-inverter
AC/DC GTAW
machine welds
thin, thick plate
Cleaning action,
deep penetration
characteristics
suit aluminum
applications The WB-A350P GTAW machine is
built around dual-inverter technology,
enabling the company’s AC+DC
Hybrid welding process to be used
for aluminum.
Edited by Amanda Carlson WHAT IS AC+DC HYBRID WELDING?

The AC+DC Hybrid welding process, a mode suit-
able for welding aluminum, combines the cleaning
Although it existed in labs and specialty machines, action of electrode-positive (EP) welding with the
dual-inverter technology did not arrive in the com- deep penetration and focus of electrode-negative
mercial welding machine market until 2000. This type (EN) welding, all while maintaining the shape of the
of machine proved to be very capable but required a tungsten electrode (see Figure 2).
substantial learning curve because of the wide range Why is cleaning action important? Aluminum
of waveform adjustments and controls. oxide (Al2O3) forms naturally on the surface of alumi-
Dual inverter, as the name implies, is two invert- num and possesses a few traits that work against the
ers connected in series with each other. The primary welding process. First, Al2O3 is an electrical insulator,
inverter works to refine the input power, rectifying making it very resistant to the conduction of electri-
the AC input to DC and then “chopping” DC back to cal current used in arc welding. Second, it has a
AC while substantially increasing its frequency. This melting point of 3,762 degrees F, making it difficult
is fed into the secondary inverter, which works to set to remove when the aluminum underneath melts at
the output welding waveform, rectifying the high- 1,221 degrees F.
frequency AC to DC and then chopping DC back to The AC+DC Hybrid waveform is equipped to
AC while shaping the waveform (see Figure 1). deal with this Al2O3 coating. The AC portion of its
OTC DAIHEN, Tipp City, Ohio, has added the waveform alternates into EP, creating the desired
WB-A350P, an AC/DC gas tungsten arc welding cleaning action. This “jackhammering” effect breaks
(GTAW) machine, to its WELBEE series of welding that oxide layer. An EP current’s undesirable side
power sources. Its dual-inverter architecture enables effect is that it degrades the shape of the tungsten,
the use of the company’s exclusive GTAW process: rounding the tip if left unchecked. To counteract
AC+DC Hybrid. this, the waveform unbalances the time spent in EP

TECH SPOTLIGHT
with more time spent in EN, reducing wear on the Figure 3. The hybrid
tungsten electrode and maintaining its shape (see waveform unbalances the
Figure 3). time spent in EP with more
time spent in EN, reducing
The DC portion of the waveform uses EN for
wear on the tungsten
deep penetration of the focused current into the electrode and maintaining
base metal. With reduced heat in the tungsten, it’s its shape.
possible to use smaller-diameter electrodes with
sharper points, supporting lower current welding
200 amps for 5 min.
without the “dancing” of an unstable arc.
Overall, electrode tip shape and sharpness are
maintained with no balling at the tip. Combined
with the weld penetration, arc focus, and arc stabil-
ity, the mode can tackle demanding aluminum
GTAW applications, such as thin-wall aerospace
pressure vessels.
WAVEFORMS
This dual-inverter technology supports three types DC AC AC + DC
Hybrid
of AC GTAW waveforms, which can be combined
with the AC+DC Hybrid process for more control
over this advanced capability. The concentrated arc makes this AC waveform effec-
1. Standard square wave has equal and balanced tive for thin-sheet fillet welds, with the byproduct of
periods of EN and EP current. Relevant to a range of the high EN ratio being less electrode consumption
applications from thick plate to thin sheet, it is the leading to a more economical operation.
most general-purpose AC waveform. 3. Soft sine wave has equal and balanced periods
2. Hard square wave has periods of EN current that of EN and EP current. The reduced noise of this AC
are greater and more unbalanced than EP current. waveform makes it the favorite of mass production
users. Its wider arc is most effective for thin-sheet
Primary Secondary
butt welds.
Side Inverter Secondary Side Inverter Arc Stability. This is another byproduct of the
Primary Rectifier
Rectifier Torch dual-inverter architecture. Single-inverter GTAW
machines lose arc stability quickly when increasing
EN offset and/or increasing frequency. The WB-
Base Metal A350P dual-inverter machine responds to the arc
situation every 20 ns and is able to maintain arc
stability through 90 percent EN offset up to its peak
Control Arc Reignition frequency of 500 Hz, from 5 amps of output to its
Circuit Circuit
peak of 350 amps.
Automation-ready. The machine supports field-
Figure 1. Dual inverter, as the name implies,
bus interfaces (Ethernet/IP and PROFIBUS) for con-
is two inverters connected in series with each other.
version from manual welding to semiautomated and
fully automated applications. This includes support
Period
for GTAW fusion as well as wire-feed applications,
including those where the wire feed is synchronized
EN (–) with the welding pulse output. It also includes con-
nection to the manufacturer’s FD-series of welding
robots through its proprietary CANBUS communica-
EP (+) tion network.
THE
Mike Monnin, general manager, and Phil Mosquera,

senior welding engineer at OTC DAIHEN Inc.,
AC GTAW DC GTAW contributed information for this article.
Figure 2. AC+DC Hybrid welding combines the cleaning
action of EP welding with the deep penetration and focus
OTC DAIHEN Inc., 1400 Blauser Drive, Tipp City,
of EN welding. OH 45371, 937-667-0800, www.DAIHEN-usa.com

COVER STORY
Operators should wear

safety glasses, FR clothing,
and gloves while using an
angle grinder. Depending on
the application, an operator
might also require a face
shield and a respirator.

COVER STORY
Respect your angle grinder

Best practices, PPE, and vigilance
are the keys to injury prevention
By Amanda Carlson
Terry Tuerk, senior product manager—North

America at Metabo, West Chester, Pa., uses two
analogies to describe just how dangerous it can be
to operate an angle grinder. The first compares us-
ing an angle grinder to a machine with a knife (the
wheel) attached that is moving 220 MPH just inches
away from your finger. The second is a person at-
tempting to get out of the way of a Formula 1 car
that is only 5 feet away and traveling 220 MPH.
In both scenarios it is humanly impossible to
remove yourself from danger (i.e., impact) should
something go awry.
Angle grinders are power tools found in just
about every metalworking environment. And just like
other metalworking equipment, they are dangerous
if they are not treated with the care and respect that
they command. Terry Tuerk, senior product manager—North America
Tuerk candidly discusses some of the most com- at Metabo, West Chester, Pa.
mon mistakes angle grinder operators make and

why those mistakes could be detrimental to their
Injuries in the first group are usually the result of
personal safety.
a lack of training, where either they don’t know the
process, they don’t respect the equipment, or they
TW: What makes angle grinders so dangerous? don’t understand the safety features that are on the
An angle grinder is a tool that needs to be respect- grinders. The second group are the people who in-
ed. Whether the accessory on that angle grinder is sist they have been doing it a certain way for years.
a grinding disc, a cutting disc, or a wire wheel, you I can guarantee you, if you are running an angle
have something that is spinning at speeds anywhere grinder for your job without a guard, at some point
from 9,000 to 11,000 RPM, inches from your hands, you are going to be injured by that grinder. That is a
fingers, body, and face. fact, 100 percent.
We’ve studied the statistics put out by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS) on injuries, and it’s interest- TW: Can you describe an unsafe grinding
ing to see that it’s generally two groups of people operation you’ve had to deal with?
who are being injured while using angle grinders. It’s Several years ago we manufactured a 5-in. variable-
either very young people who are just entering the speed grinder, with a range somewhere between
industry or it’s people who have been in the industry 2,000 and 10,000 RPM. Since it’s a 5-in. angle
15 or 20 years. grinder, it leaves our factory with a 5-in. guard.

COVER STORY
All of a sudden we saw a rash of these tools wheel on it. This practice ran up through the ranks of
coming back to us for service—all from one loca- the customer and was approved by their internation-
tion—each with a 9-in. guard welded around our al safety people because it was the only way they
5-in. grinder, and the variable speed locked in at could get their jobs done. We wouldn’t send them
around 6,000 RPM. And we were like, “Eh, this is not back with their guards, but what it led to on our part
safe.” So we removed the 9-in. guard and replaced was the development of the flat-head angle grinder.
it with the standard 5-in. guard. We also fixed the
variable-speed dial so that it worked again up to its
TW: Why is it so dangerous to use a wheel that is
full range, and then sent them back to the customer.
too big for the grinder?
We started getting phone calls from the customer
saying, “No, we’ve done that on purpose, we need You greatly increase the possibility of kickback,
our guards back.” We told them that as the manu- which is when a wheel binds up or gets caught in
facturer we could not do that. the workpiece during operation. The inertia created
We looked further into this and found that they by the spinning wheel and the mass of the armature
were trying to grind a root weld on a 36-in.-dia. pipe inside the motor cause the tool to stop suddenly,
that had a 6-in.-thick wall. They had to get to the creating a situation where the tool wants to kick out
root weld on this pipe and the 5-in. angle grinder of your hands. When this happens, it typically kicks
could not get down to the root unless it had a 9-in. back toward the operator.
Never remove a guard from the

angle grinder. Tuerk said guards are
designed to contain a wheel or disc
in the event that it shatters or breaks.

COVER STORY
TW: Can you explain the primary function And it also allows you to position the side handle
of the guard? at 90 degrees to the tool and back toward you at
Guards are designed to contain a wheel or disc in 45 degrees. We’ve given the operators a reason to
the event that it shatters or breaks. Specific design keep that side handle on the tool to increase safety.
standards for the guard require the guard mate- It takes away the excuse that it’s in the way.
rial to be a certain thickness and steel strength to On many large job sites anymore, not using
contain a broken wheel. It also must have a locking a guard or a side handle is reason enough for
mechanism so that if it were to shatter, that guard termination. You’ll
could not open itself automatically to the operator. be taken off the
job. If it’s a union
Most angle grinders have a burstproof guard. AFTER YOU’VE
In the past you’d have a guard that just clamped job, you’ll be asked
to leave. If you’re
onto the grinder with a steel ring and a screw. That’s INSPECTED AND
no longer acceptable. You now have to have a lock- a hired employee,
you’ll be fired. It’s
ing guard, so we have developed a guard that has MOUNTED THE WHEEL,
seven different locking positions. You can lock it in a that serious in a lot
of cases.
cutting position on the right- or left-hand side of the RUN IT AT NO LOAD
tool, and in many positions in between for grinding I’ve even seen
people using ac-
as well. But it’s locked in that position. If you had an FOR AT LEAST A MINUTE
event where the disc shattered, it could not open up cessories that are
not designed for
toward you. BEFORE YOU DO
an angle grinder,
for example, a
TW: What are some ways operators customize ANYTHING ELSE WITH
toothed saw blade.
their tool that might seem harmless but are Every instruction
actually very unsafe? THAT TOOL. IN THAT
manual in the
The No. 1 thing that we see is taking the guard off industry warns
the tool. The excuse is that the guard is in the way
TIME YOU’LL BE ABLE TO
operators not to
and people can’t see what they’re doing. In the past use a toothed saw
that may have been true, but today any major manu-
DETERMINE IF THAT DISC
blade on an angle
facturer offers positionable guards. You can change grinder, and the
the position of the guard for cutting or grinding to
HAS FULL INTEGRITY.
reason for that
allow you to get into areas that are tight. is obvious. Think
Right behind that is not using the side handle on about it: An abra-
the angle grinder. Many users say the side handle sive cutting disc can injure you fairly significantly,
gets in the way, so the first thing they do when they but a saw blade designed to operate at 3,500 RPM
open the box is leave the side handle in there, which now attached to an angle grinder running at 10,000
is a mistake. RPM? The damage would be a whole lot worse.
You should always have two hands on the tool. We’ve seen it; it’s out there. The chances for kick-
If you have one hand on the handle located on the back on this is multiplied 10 times over.
back of the grinder and one hand on the side han- When there’s a job that needs to be done, some-
dle, it gives you so much more control than if you times people act before they think it through.
were to have two hands on the back of the grinder,
like how you would grip a baseball bat.
We’ve tried to minimize the underuse of the side TW: What PPE must an operator wear at all
handle by developing a multiposition side handle. times, no exceptions?
Our small grinders still come with a side handle that You absolutely need to wear safety glasses that not
can mount either to the left or the right side of the only cover the front of the eye, but also shield the
grinder. Our large grinders typically have a three- side of the eye. You need hearing protection. The
position side handle where you can mount it from angle grinder itself might not be loud, but the sound
the left, right, or on top of the gear housing. the disc makes on the material greatly amplifies
With the multiposition accessory, it’s a steel the sounds that are made. You should wear spark-
bar that connects to the grinder that allows you to resistant gloves at all times, and I would also sug-
position the side handle anywhere across the top of gest wearing a fire-retardant (FR) jacket or clothing.
the grinder on a 180-degree arc from left to right. Those safety items are the baseline.

COVER STORY
The side handle allows the operator to use two hands

during cutting or grinding applications. Placing one hand
on the handle located on the back of the grinder and the
other hand on the side handle gives the operator more
control of the tool. More control equates to more safety.
Depending on your application, you may need to TW: Are there any characteristics operators
wear a full-face shield in addition to safety glasses. should look for in their grinding or cutting wheel
If you are working with your face very close to the before they begin work?
grinder, the sparks could bounce off the workpiece When you remove a disc from the packaging, the
and come at you. first thing you should do is inspect it for any defects.
If you’re working inside or in a confined en- Look for chips, cracks, or anything that looks off. If
vironment like inside of a tank, then you should something looks questionable, dispose of it. Do not
wear a dust respirator of some sort. You need to mount it on your tool.
be aware of the material that you’re working on. If After you’ve inspected and mounted the wheel,
you’re grinding stainless steel or if you’re grinding run it at no load for at least a minute before you
on something that could include a leaded compo- do anything else with that tool. In that time you’ll
nent—a wire brush removing leaded paint—then be able to determine if that disc has full integrity. If
you need to wear a respirator that will protect you you’re working in a shop environment, make sure
from those hazardous dusts. you are pointing it away from anyone else. You

COVER STORY
should run the disc at no load for about a minute accessory. The cost of changing out that cutting or
any time you change accessories to make sure it grinding disc pales in comparison to what a poten-
doesn’t come apart. I don’t think many people do tial injury will cost.
this but it’s definitely a recommendation found in Last, the operator is the biggest component in
angle grinder instruction manuals. It’s also found ensuring a safe operation. Never operate the tool
in ANSI B7.1, the regulations for abrasives. It’s an under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If you see
end-user standard developed by Unified Abrasives something unsafe, bring it up to your supervisor or
Manufacturers Association (UAMA). safety person. Don’t ignore it. We need to take care
of each other.
If you’re not feeling 100 percent, you probably
TW: What are some general best practices users don’t want to have a power tool in your hand that
should adopt to provide an extra level of safety? day. When you get tired—operating these tools is
If your angle grinder goes in and out of a tool crib hard work so it happens—take a break and get away
every day, and if that tool crib issues you a grinder from it for a while. If you find your mind wandering a
with an accessory on it, make sure to let it run no little bit, get it out of your mind and concentrate on
load for a minute. This will allow you an opportunity your job.
to inspect the tool and the accessory. Do the same Remember, an accident with an angle grinder
thing if you go on break—you don’t know if some- happens before you have time to react.
THE
one else has picked up that grinder and dropped it.
If you ever drop your angle grinder with an ac- Editor Amanda Carlson can be reached at
cessory attached, the safest thing to do is assume amandac@thefabricator.com.
you’ve damaged it in some way and change out that Metabo, 610-436-5900, www.metabo.com/us
HeckBM_3.375x4.875_Heck_BM_3.375x4.875 2/15/17 4:01 PM Page 1
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Welding in color
How new welding helmet lenses
let the color through
Photo courtesy of 3M.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
THE SCIENCE BEHIND

AUTODARKENING
FILTERS IS COMPLICATED,
BUT THE GOAL REMAINS
By Tim Heston STRAIGHTFORWARD: polarization orientation.
Put on a pair of polarizing
TO PROVIDE THE
Welding can be a pain in the neck, sunglasses and look at your
literally. The workpiece could have WELDER WITH THE smartphone display (which
perfect fit-up; the welding consum- uses polarized filters). Turn
ables and power source could be in SAFEST, CRISPEST, your head or rotate the
perfect shape; the welder could even phone, and you’ll see the
MOST ACCURATE VIEW
be welding in the flat position. Yet at image on the screen get
the end of a long week the welder’s POSSIBLE. darker, as fewer waves of
neck hurts—and it’s thanks to the light make it through both
head nod. the phone screen’s filter
The welder’s head nod should be and your polarized sun-
familiar to anyone who’s toured a weld shop. The glasses. When the screen goes black, the polariza-
welder fixtures his work, gets his welding gun in tion direction of the phone’s filter is perpendicular to
position, then nods his head to make his welding the filter on your sunglasses.
helmet pivot down into position before he strikes “This is cross polarization,” said Marco Koch,
an arc. CEO and president of Optrel, based in Switzerland.
Some head nodding is probably unavoidable; “You have two polarizers and you cross them at 90
it’s the easiest and quickest way for many weld- degrees, and all the light is blocked.”
ers to start laying down a bead. But sometimes a Welding helmets with ADFs and consumer elec-
welder may stop welding and lift his helmet midway tronics like smartphones, tablets, and flat-screen TVs
through a job, even if his helmet has autodarkening share similar roots in liquid crystal technology. When
technology. Why? voltage is applied to liquid crystals, their molecules
Probably because the world isn’t green. shift and reorient themselves in specific ways. How
Autodarkening welding helmets have been exactly they orient themselves depends on the
around for several decades. Still, when peering strength of the applied electric field.
through a darkened lens, a welder notices some- LCDs in consumer electronics work with a back-
thing funny about the world around him. Colors fade light, a perfectly safe light source. Light from a weld-
away and green dominates. ing arc, of course, isn’t so safe. For this reason, an
Until recently a welder had no choice but to ADF starts with an ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR)
adapt. But today a welding helmet’s autodarkening filter (also called the band pass filter), which removes
filter (ADF) has evolved to enable a welder to see dangerous radiation from the get-go. So even if the
more colors than ever. darkening function fails, a modern ADF helmet that
abides by industry standards should be safe to use.
THE ANATOMY OF A WELDING “This is very important to know from a welder’s
HELMET LENS perspective,” said Bojan Marin, site manager of the
How has this become possible? To understand this Slovenia-based Balder production facility, part of
it helps to know exactly what goes into a lens, or Kimberly-Clark Corp. “The protective level of any
more specifically, the layers of material that make up autodarkening filter in the open state, the UV and
that lens. IR protection should be as good as required for the
Broadly speaking, the polarizers in an ADF act darkest shade. For instance, if the darkest shade is
under the same principle as any polarizing lens— 13, then even if the filter is entirely open, UV and
though the light wave manipulation is of course far infrared protection should be at the same level as
more complicated on a welding helmet than on your shade 13.” If the ADF doesn’t darken once the arc is
typical pair of sunglasses. struck, a welder may see a bright flash of light, but
Polarization blocks light waves in a certain no permanent harm will be done.

Replaceable inside The liquid crystal layers (usually two or more, to

protection plate reach high levels of shading) are what make an ADF
autodarkening. A struck welding arc is detected by
Autodarkening
sensors on the front of the lens cartridge. These
welding filter
sensors trigger power to be sent from the helmet’s
battery (or other source, like solar panels) to the
liquid crystal layers, which twist the light waves
in a specific manner to darken the window to the
required level.
“Liquid crystals are twisted nematics,” Koch
explained. Known as TN-cells, the liquid crystals
can be realigned precisely by applying very low
voltages. “By applying voltage, we change the
orientation of the crystal, and by that, we control
Replaceable outside how much light goes through.”
protection plate
Over the years the technology has evolved
to incorporate different shading for different
Autodarkening filters incorporate multiple layers
of polarization filters (shown here with vertical applications. “For example, when you weld at
and horizontal lines) and liquid crystal panels. different amperages, you need different shadings,”
Photo courtesy of 3M. Koch said. “So decades ago we started with a
single shade, such as ‘shade 11.’ [The higher the
number, the darker the shade.] Now, with variable
shade options, the technology has evolved to offer
multiple shades with the same cartridge. Today we
can operate from shade 3 to shade 14.”
WELDING IN COLOR
Standing in his FABTECH® show booth in Atlanta
in November, Koch pointed to his laptop screen
showing the visible light spectrum, from ultraviolet
and blue light on the left (short wavelengths) to
infrared light on the right (long wavelengths).
A helmet’s most important function has been to
This image from a laptop screen at Optrel’s FABTECH protect a welder’s eyes from harmful wavelengths
booth shows an example of the range of colors that a within the electromagnetic spectrum. This includes
welder can see with today’s autodarkening filters.
ultraviolet, blue, infrared, and excessive total
amounts of visible light. For decades scientists and
engineers have dealt with a challenge: How do you
block the dangerous wavelengths completely and
yet let as many colors through the lens as you can?
Blocking some light waves but not others is a
tricky business. This relates back to Koch’s laptop
screen at FABTECH, across which ran a curve with
a narrow peak in the middle, right where the green
and yellow wavelengths were—the traditional view
of a weld through a welding helmet ADF. From there
it descends toward zero, going through purple and
blue on the left (toward UV) and orange and red on
the right (toward IR).
The engineering challenge involves transforming
Today’s welding helmet lenses let more light wave-
that narrow mountain peak (think Mount Fuji) to one
lengths through for a more colorful view. Image with a wide, flat top (like Devils Tower in Wyoming).
courtesy of Optrel Inc. This arrangement allows more colors through

The better a welder can see, the better his or her weld
will be. Photo courtesy of Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
the lens while at the same time blocking harmful An ADF’s UV and IR filter, or band pass filters, are
wavelengths and providing appropriate shading. absolutely critical. ADFs aren’t safe without them.
“This now has become possible today,” Koch That’s because the liquid crystal shutters and polar-
said. “The welder can now see the weld like never izers cannot adequately filter all the IR and UV that
before. He can see the details and the colors of the the welding arc generates.
metal, the markings, and what the arc really looks That band pass filter is also the reason that weld-
like.” ers see the world as green. As Marin explained,
A greater range of colors “gives welders a clearer about two decades ago an ADF’s band pass filters
view of the weld pool and surrounding workpiece let in a range of wavelengths of just 50 nanometers,
while welding,” said Karena Dyer, product manager, mainly the green wavelengths—hence, they turned
welding safety and health, head and face protection, the welder’s world green.
Miller Electric Mfg. Co., Appleton, Wis. She added Today some filters can let in wavelengths be-
that certain lenses are also “designed to reduce eye tween 480 nm (blue) all the way up to 720 nm (red).
strain when the operator is not welding, allowing “That’s 150 nm,” Marin said, “which covers all the
the operator to leave his or her helmet down during wavelengths that the human eyes can see.”
preweld setup or finishing work.” For the band pass filter to achieve this, it’s been
How is this made possible? Kenneth Jarefors, all about the layers, including the way each is
a Sweden-based senior specialist in optics for 3M, deposited and constructed, and their consistency.
explained that much of it has to do with the design Eyeglasses with antireflective coatings might have
of the filters, in which certain wavelengths along the two or three layers. The band pass filter in a welding
spectrum are reflected while others pass through. “It helmet ADF can have more than 20, each having a
has to do with the structure inside the filter.” thickness measured in nanometers.

A clear view through the lens gives a welder a view of the path
ahead. Photo courtesy of Kimberly-Clark Professional.
“To get ideal protection against UV, protection “tune” their welding helmets to see certain colors
against infrared, and transmit as much as possible in better than others.
the visible spectrum, we need those layers,” Marin
said, adding that a little blue and red is still cut off REACTION TIME
slightly. Reaction time—that is, the time between striking the
“Making the perfect filter isn’t possible,” Jarefors arc and the lens darkening—has gotten quicker. To-
said. “There has to be some transition between the day the transition time can be measured in fractions
high and low end of the visible light spectrum. But of a millisecond.
we’re getting closer.” Marin added that reaction times have become
“We need some transition for safety,” Marin so fast that the human eye isn’t able to perceive the
added. “The key has been to make the divide differences. “If the reaction time is less than 200
between really good transmission [of color] and no microseconds, your eye won’t be able to tell the
transmission as narrow as possible. We need to do difference between one reaction time and another.
this within 20 nm, and that’s why we need so many But what is important is the ability for the electronic
layers in the band pass filter, to make that transition circuitry to detect the initial welding spark.”
very sharp.” If sensors and electronics don’t work properly,
Jarefors added that manufacturers’ capability to they won’t instruct the ADF to darken, which means
tune optical properties has led to further enhance- a welder will see a very bright flash when he starts to
ments. For instance, soon welders may be able to weld. It’s still safe, thanks to the passive UV/IR filters

in the welding helmet, “but it can be annoying,” and most of it is incredibly complicated. But the
Marin said. goal is simple: to design a safe helmet that, to the
one welding with it, doesn’t feel like he’s welding
NOW I SEE with a helmet at all. Lighter materials, better de-
To be sure, optics technology represents just one signs, and refined approaches to filters are bringing
kind of advancement in welding helmets. The best that reality to light.
THE
lenses in the world aren’t worth much if a welder
finds the helmet heavy or uncomfortable. Helmets Senior Editor Tim Heston can be reached at
timh@thefabricator.com.
made of lightweight materials have helped make
helmets feel more comfortable for more people. 3M, Personal Safety Division, www.3m.com/
Regardless, few would argue that better, more speedglas
accurate viewing is paramount. “The ultimate goal is
to provide a welding helmet that provides comfort Kimberly-Clark Professional, Jackson Safety, Balder,
www.kcprofessional.com
and optimal visibility before, during, and after the
arc,” Dyer said. Optrel Inc., www.optrel.com/en
The science behind welding helmet window
design digs deep into materials science and optics, Miller Electric Mfg. Co., www.millerwelds.com
STANDARDS FOR OPTICAL CLARITY

Read welding helmet product literature closely and 4. Angular dependence measures how consistent
you’ll notice a series of cryptic numbers—often it’s the shade level is when viewed at different angles. As
1/1/1/2, sometimes it’s 1/1/1/1. Those relate to a Marin explained, angular dependence wasn’t an issue
European standard on optical clarity of welding lens with traditional, dark-glass welding helmet filters. If
cartridges called EN 379. The standard spells out a you look at a darkened lens at an angle, the image
test to evaluate welding lenses using four categories. looks darker and the level of shading rises. But look
Each category is rated 1 through 3, with 1 being the at an angle through a liquid crystal panel, and the
highest rating. shade level can go down and the image can become
Bojan Marin is site manager of the Slovenia-based brighter—which, for welding, can be a problem.
Balder production facility, part of Kimberly-Clark Corp. How did manufacturers overcome this issue? “The
As Marin explained, the first three categories in EN challenge was to reshape the liquid crystal structure,”
379 were developed initially for traditional welding hel- Marin said, adding that some ADF technologies use
met filters offering passive protection. The fourth was liquid crystals that aren’t standard twisted nematic,
adopted specifically for autodarkening filters (ADFs). which twists light waves by 90 degrees, but instead
1. Optical quality, which relates to the level of twist them by higher angles, sometimes above 180
distortion a lens creates. Less distortion obviously is degrees.
better. To put this in perspective, Marin said, distor- Still, technical tweaks to the twist of liquid crystals
tion in a welding lens should be below 1⁄8 diopter to is just one tool welding helmet manufacturers use
pass industry requirements; a pair of prescription to achieve low angular dependence. Other tools
eyeglasses are usually defined to between ¼ and ½ include the structure of the liquid crystal filter itself,
diopter, to correct eyesight to an acceptable level. “1⁄8 the precision of the manufacturing process, and the
of a diopter is a level of distortation not noticeable by consistency and quality control when building the
the human eye,” Marin said. intricate layers of a modern ADF.
2. Diffusion of light, or scattering. If a welder Regarding EN 379, there’s one big caveat: Over
smudges the lens, he’ll probably see a halo effect the next few years a new ISO standard will likely be
around the welding arc. Clean the lens and, in a helmet published, giving the welding helmet industry an
rated with low levels of inherent scattering, that halo international standard. The details of the standard will
should go away, and the arc should become clear. be different, but the goal will be the same: to provide
3. Homogeneity, or having a consistent shade— the welder with the safest, crispest, most accurate
that is, the variation between light and dark areas of a view possible.
lens. Less variation is better.

WELDER PROFILE
High school
By Amanda Carlson
It’s not every day high school-aged kids
welding students get to assist law enforcement officers in

their duty to serve and protect, but four
fabricate battering
students at a technical school in Franklin,
Mass., were given that opportunity.
The Massachusetts State Police was look-
rams for state ing for someone to fabricate 13 custom bat-

tering rams—a heavy object that is swung or
rammed against a door or window to break
police it open—for officers to train with and use on

the job. Originally the department contacted
a job shop to build them, but they were very
expensive ($500 apiece) and didn’t turn out
Real-world work experience to be what the officers wanted.
That’s when the department reached out
goes toward a good cause to administrators at Tri-County Regional
(From left) James Corcoran, Bruce Farrand, instructor Robert Pierangeli, Mollie Walsh, and
Trevor Walsh of Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin, Mass., were
instrumental in designing and fabricating 13 battering rams for the Massachusetts State Police.

WELDER PROFILE
Vocational Technical High School to find out if the

students in the metal fabrication career vocation
could handle the request. Administrators forwarded
the request to instructor Robert Pierangeli, who
thought it was a great opportunity.
REAL-WORLD WORK EXPERIENCE

Tri-County’s welding and metal fabrication program
is roughly 60 students strong from grades nine
through 12. Students are separated into two
groups—grades nine and 11 and grades 10 and
12—who then alternate weekly between the shop
and the classroom. While the freshmen and juniors
spend one week taking their academic classes, the
sophomores and seniors are in their vocational
shop welding. The groups flip schedules the
following week.
Generally speaking, the metal fabrication depart-
ment is happy to accept jobs from the community
as long as they don’t turn into repetitive production-
type work.
Pierangeli hands over one of the custom-made
“If it’s just a repetitive job like making 1,000 battering rams to a Massachusetts state trooper.
brackets, they learn something making the first In total, the school was able to deliver the 13
five and then it just turns into mass production,” battering rams at a price of $50 each.
Pierangeli explained.
The low-volume and customized nature of the
battering ram project meant the kids would be able
to stretch their imaginations and use some of the With this feedback in mind, the group designed
newer equipment in the shop like the CNC plasma a battering ram that was a modest 18 in. long. They
table, all for a good cause. used re-rod for the customized rear handle and per-
The police were looking for a specific type formed the bend using an oxyacetylene torch.
of design for their battering ram. Because these “Round rod can be slippery in your hand, so one
tools sometimes are used in confined spaces like of the kids came up with the idea to use 5⁄8-in.-dia.
tight apartment hallways, they needed to be small re-rod. It’s got a little bit of roughness to it, like a
enough to swing back with enough force to break grip. The policemen loved it. You don’t want to
down a door, for example. The police also wanted look like a fool using one of these and throw it right
something that was comfortable to use and would through the door,” Pierangeli said.
protect their hands from injury. On the end of the ram they placed a ½-in. round
Pierangeli chose four students—James Corcoran, plate that was 5 in. in diameter and welded with
Mollie Walsh, Bruce Farrand, and Trevor Walsh— three passes—two using a 7018 SMAW and one
who had the welding, fabricating, and design skills FCAW. All critical welds had triple passes to ensure
necessary to complete the job. the ram wouldn’t break or crack on impact.
“I chose the kids who held AWS certifications in Nothing was outsourced. Everything was fabri-
7018 shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and flux- cated and welded in-house, and the school’s auto
cored arc welding (FCAW) and who were proficient collision vocational program lent their painting
in torches. The young lady I chose is very good at expertise. In all, the students needed roughly 40 to
designing and using the CNC plasma machine,” 50 hours to complete the project at an overall cost
Pierangeli said. of $650, which is $50 per tool.
The group started with a prototype design that Because of the media attention this project
was 3 ft. long, but the police department came back generated, Pierangeli said the school has received
to them and requested that it be smaller. They also a number of calls from other police departments.
stated that they wanted the rear handle tipped back- He added that the state police has indicated that it
ward to give officers more leverage in the backswing, wants every officer in Massachusetts to have one of
which is crucial when using the tool in tight hallways. these battering rams in their cruiser.

WELDER PROFILE
At only 18 in. long, the tools were designed to operate in

confined spaces, such as tight apartment hallways. Pierangeli
said the state police have indicated that they would like every
cruiser to contain one of these battering rams.
“They’re small enough to fit behind the seats,

so if officers have to get out quickly and bust the
window of a car or something, they could just grab
this thing and go.”
Overall, it was a worthwhile project for all in-
volved.
“It was just great to work on something where
the state police and the kids could trade ideas.
As a teacher it’s nice to see kids get so involved,”
Pierangeli said.
THE
Editor Amanda Carlson can be reached at
amandac@thefabricator.com.
Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High

School, 508-528-5400, www.tri-county.us
Photos courtesy of Tri-County Regional Vocational

Technical High School, Franklin, Mass.
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THE
The Power of Print

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6 months? And it’s not just the “older generation” …this number climbs to 94% of those
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Q&A
From road warriors to

art and furniture
EcoVet repurposes wood and metal from semitrailers
By Sue Roberts
Mike Hagood, president of EcoVet, enhanced a

good idea when he purchased SA Concepts—S for
sustainable, A for aerodynamics. Established by
Don Vanhooser in 2011, the company used recycled
metal from retired semitrailers to produce trailer
skirting to reduce wind resistance and improve
fuel efficiency. That product focus was paired with
a determined effort to provide jobs for returning
veterans as a veteran transition company.
A shift to creating custom-designed furniture
rather than skirting, and a name change to SA
Concepts doing business as EcoVet, came along
with Hagood’s ownership in 2013. Eco stands for the
continued ecological advantage of recycling retired
trailers and Vet for the ongoing dedication to hiring
veterans.
Conference tables, bookcases, wall art, wine
An EcoVet veteran begins the demo process on a retired racks—just about any furnishing or design element
trailer using a Powermax125 plasma unit (not shown) and that can be imagined—are built in the Rogers, Ark.,
a Hypertherm long torch with a skeleton sled attachment. 15,000-sq.-ft. plant.
The WELDER talked with Hagood about the com-
pany and its success.
The WELDER: How did EcoVet evolve

from SA Concepts?
Mike Hagood: I was doing some consulting work for
SA Concepts when they were using the metal from
semitrailers to build trailer skirts. I saw this good-
quality wood from the semi flooring that was being
discarded and asked them to build me a conference
table. It turned out beautiful.
Shortly after that the market for semi skirts
changed and the company was going to close. A
friend of mine who buys businesses and I thought
the company was a good thing that just needed
Every element of a decommissioned trailer is to be tweaked. We bought it and started making
separated and used in an EcoVet product or sold. furniture.

Q&A
A demolition team gathers by a

trailer that will provide materials
for the woodworking, finishing,
and welding shops.
There are two parts to the company today. TW: Do you provide training?
The demolition side has teams that tear down the MH: Absolutely. We have designated trainers. A
trailers, and the building side provides the custom lot of the people we hire have no woodworking,
designs and uses the reclaimed materials to build fabricating, or welding experience. After about 90
furniture and art. days here they can build anything. What is unique
We recycle or sell everything we don’t use. We about the individuals in this type of work is that they
sell axles, landing gear, aluminum, and even some can do anything needed—demo, weld, finish, build.
I-beams and wood. They are very handy with their hands and under-
stand how to fix things.
TW: Do veterans make up the majority
of employees? TW: What makes EcoVet’s furniture unique?
MH: Four or five veterans made up the entire work- MH: Our furniture has an industrial look that custom-
force when we purchased the company. Today our ers get excited about, but each piece is custom. A
count fluctuates, but it is usually about 20 to 25. We designer sits down with each customer and helps
hire veterans whenever we can, and we work with create the design according to their specifications.
the vets to provide a living wage. We provide the As an example, some people want the reclaimed
flexible hours they need if they are going to school wood for their project to be left rough to show the
so they can get a jump on their future. history of the wood—they don’t want it planed or
With the tight workforce, though, there are sanded. Some want it without a blemish so that
times when we have to hire other workers to meet wood goes through finishing.
production. Our goal is to maintain a ratio of at least One thing we don’t do is make lightweight furni-
50 percent of employees being people who have ture. The wood is a mix of 11⁄4-in. oak or maple that
served. weighs about 5 lbs. a foot. Metal from the trailers

Q&A
is incorporated into a lot of our designs, and we in its next life. Some of the wood will split, but a lot
buy bases and other metal structures depending on of customers think this adds to its industrial look.
what the design needs. On the metal side, say when we are building a
frame for a table, the I-beam or sheet metal can
TW: What kind of problems can occur when twist, but our guys have learned about the metal
working with reclaimed materials? properties and figured out how to work with it.
MH: Most of the trailers we use have been on the We’ve learned to overcome the issues involved
road since the 1980s or early 1990s. The wood floor- with working with reclaimed materials. From time to
ing has been glued together. The wood has to be time we need to go out and do repairs, but we don’t
separated, dried, and put together properly to work face those kinds of issues much anymore.
SMOOTHING THE CUT

Creative customers like EcoVet have adopted two long torch works well for these guys while they
Hypertherm products that were originally developed decommission trailers. They can stand on the ground
to ease issues involved with cutting sheet and plate and take the cut high or low without any issues.
skeletons. Combining the two products can help “Switching to plasma was also a big help.
operators complete tasks faster with less fatigue and They are cutting about five times faster with the
strain. One is a Duramax® Hyamp™ long torch that Powermax125 than when they were using oxyfuel.”
is available in 2-, 4-, and 6-ft. lengths. The other is a Even though skeletons aren’t a byproduct of
torch attachment called a skeleton sled. their production, EcoVet was also one of the first
Mark Hartness, Hypertherm district sales companies to use the Hypertherm skeleton sled, also
manager for Arkansas and Louisiana, saw how these called the long torch sled, which was introduced last
two products would fit with EcoVet’s productivity year.
objectives. Jeff Hluchyj, product manager for Hypertherm’s
“EcoVet’s production goals included getting light industrial systems, talked about the development
demolition done 30 percent faster while lowering of the sled. “We saw an opportunity to improve the
costs. Management also wanted a versatile cutting long torch products by making it easier for operators
tool that would reach up high so operators wouldn’t to control the tip of a torch as they were guiding it
need ladders and lifts when cutting and reach down several feet away from them—to find a way to help it
low to reduce bending over or slouching for the lower glide more smoothly over the top of skeletons.
cuts,” Hartness said. “Even though the sled was designed with
“EcoVet was one of the first businesses to use skeletons in mind, it’s been adopted by many
a Duramax Hyamp long torch that was originally different industries and is being used in a variety of
designed for scrapping skeletons. The 4-ft.- applications. It is being used for scrapping, bridge
demolition, and cutting weld test coupons.”
Skeleton sleds attach to the torch ends. A 5- by
7-in. base plate supports the torch, making it easier
for the operator to cut along uneven surfaces. If a
cut is made horizontally, the sled supports the torch
weight. A lightweight combination of a 4-ft.-long
torch at 11.4 lbs. and a sled at just under a pound
helps minimize operator fatigue when cutting vertical
applications.
Hartness said, “During EcoVet trailer demos
the torch is 4 ft. away from the operator. The sled
holds the torch in a straight position so the operator
doesn’t need to deal with surface ups and downs and
end up with deviations in the cut. He positions the
torch and sled, drags them, and the cut is made.”
A skeleton sled fits over the tip of a 45- or 90-
degree Duramax Hyamp long torch to assist Hypertherm Inc., www.hypertherm.com
with cuts on uneven surfaces.

Q&A
TW: What happens when the trailers

hit your yard?
MH: Normally we buy 40 or 50 trailers at a time and
they arrive in bulk. The yard is just under 4 acres
so there is plenty of room. We go through them
quickly. We’ve gone from demolishing 40 trailers
a year to 40 a month. One team demos the metal
and another team handles the wood. Our goal is to
demo two trailers a day so the reclaimed wood and
metal can be cleaned and available in our wood-
working, welding, and finishing shops.
TW: What equipment does the demo team use

to recover the metal?
MH: A lot of plasma cutting is used during demo Repurposed wood and metal from retired trailers are
operations. Guys on the demo teams use Power- used for EcoVet custom-built products, keeping the
max125 systems with 4-ft. Duramax Hyamp long trailers from ending up in landfills.
torches. Hypertherm brought us the lead with the
4-ft. torch when they saw us using forklifts, scissor
lifts, or ladders to cut at the top of the trailers’ walls. vendor community here in northwest Arkansas, and
The long torches really sped up the operation. My we have been fortunate to do a tremendous amount
guys can stand on the ground and do the cutting of work with some of the designers, architects, and
without needing additional equipment, and it’s builders.
much safer. Photos of our work are posted on our Facebook
Recently we’ve started using an add-on to the page and our website. We also get a lot of publicity,
plasma torches, called a skeleton sled, that makes a lot of media exposure, because of our sustainable
the cutting process easier to control. It prevents the practices and our dedication to vets. The Rogers-
tip of the torch from touching the trailer surface. Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce recognized
Again, it was a Hypertherm recommendation. We us as the Small Business of the Year for 2017, and
were one of the first companies to use the sled. we were one of the companies featured in Parade
magazine’s Earth Day issue last April.
TW: How do people find out about

EcoVet furniture? TW: Do you anticipate selling through retail
MH: Almost all of our business comes from word- outlets at any point?
of-mouth and repeat customers. There is a large MH: For now we strictly build for custom. We sold
through a retail website and a catalog company for
a while. Making production pieces needs a different
type of shop, and production management can
present its own set of problems. But we’ve been
approached to renew sales through a retail site.
Maybe in the future.
THE
Freelance writer Sue Roberts can be reached at

sueroberts4545@gmail.com.
EcoVet Furniture Co., 479-319-1907,

www.ecovetfurniture.com
A table is supported by welded I-beams

cut from a retired trailer.

ARTIST’S GALLERY
The art of
sign-making
A Massachusetts fabricator finds his niche,
puts bevy of skills on display

ARTIST’S GALLERY
By Amanda Carlson HE SAW THE SIGN

The time he spent at Salmon Studios taught
The art of sign fabrication is like any form of artistic Whitney many skills in decorative metal fabrication.
expression. It requires a creative mind, a skilled After 10 years being employed in the industry
hand, and a level of self-awareness that allows the while working commercially for himself, Whitney
artist to build to his or her strengths. Sometimes eventually succumbed to the pull he’d been feeling
the artist has complete creative control, while other to work only for himself.
times he or she must design and fabricate according “My company was growing. I had developed
to specifications doled out by design teams. some clientele and it made sense to break away.
Brent Whitney of Adams, Mass., didn’t reach I also was anxious to focus and build on my own
these conclusions by following a straight path. There thing.”
were plenty of twists, turns, struggles, and aha! mo- Whitney saw sign design and fabrication as the
ments along the way. intersection of all of his specialties and experi-
Always known as being the artist, Whitney ences—his background in painting and drawing, his
worked as an intern at the Massachusetts Museum sculpting experience, his early days in fabrication
of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA). He was in at MASS MoCA, and the time he spent working in
school and earned an associate degree in visual arts architectural metals at Salmon Studios.
from Berkshire Community College before focusing “I had a desire for
on sculpture at the University of Massachusetts. the architecture of
“I originally went to UMass for painting and then
“I’VE DEVELOPED THE SAME
sign-making and a
switched to sculpture when I took this metals course. yearning for beautify- PASSION FOR BEING OF
It was basically an introduction to welding—mostly ing my community. A
MIG—and blacksmithing, and I really got into it.
SERVICE TO MY SIGN CLIENTS
lot of signs that I had
I have always been interested in metal. We didn’t seen were print-based AS I DO WITH MY SCULPTURE.
work with a lot of metal at MASS MoCA at the time, and lacked design. I
but I realized that my sculptures would eventually be
I GET TO HAVE A SENSE OF
felt like a lot of small-
made out of metal,” Whitney explained. town companies were PURPOSE TO HELP PEOPLE
After completing college, Whitney attempted being robbed because
to obtain a job as a welder, but found it difficult to
USING THE SKILLS AND
of cheap signage,”
merge into the trade, even at entry level. He applied Whitney explained. MATERIALS THAT I LOVE.”
for a minimum- wage job welding waste containers In a competitive
but didn’t get hired because his resume was all art market, Whitney has carved a niche with his ability
related. It was at that point, he said, where he hit a to work in three dimensions. That, paired with his
wall and felt it necessary to hide his art background knack for functional design—a philosophy he gravi-
just to be given a chance to get a foothold in the tated toward while working on his thesis at UMass—
metal fabrication world. is the foundational element of his work.
And then an internship opportunity came his way “Roman architect Vitruvius once wrote that a
from Sam Ostroff of Salmon Studios, a sculptural lion is beautiful because there’s nothing unneces-
metal and design firm in Northampton, Mass. It was sary about it. It’s strong and functional. If you make
perfect because Whitney got to meld his artistic something purely functional, that’s where you can
abilities with his growing welding and fabrication achieve real beauty.”
skills. The internship went so well that Ostroff even- Make no mistake, communicating and budgeting
tually offered him employment. a functionally based design with clients is a chal-
lenge. For example, consider the sign he designed
and fabricated for Bright Ideas Brewing in Adams,
Mass. It comprises four simple letters made from
aluminum plate that spell out exactly what people
should expect to find at a brewery: BEER. But a lot
Brent Whitney’s sign-work is a culmination
of the painting, drawing, and metalworking of initial design work and correspondence went into
skills he’s developed over a lifetime. this very simple concept.

ARTIST’S GALLERY
TOP. A lot of intentional

design and correspondence
went into the making of these
four simple letters at Bright
Ideas Brewing—BEER.
BOTTOM. Whitney has

carved a niche with his ability
to work in three dimensions.
That, paired with his knack
for functional design, is the
foundational element of his
work.
Because of the location and flow of patrons,

Whitney suggested that the letters be welded to
have more body. This would have required a lot of
welding and finishing, had the budget allowed for it.
Another challenge is working with a client who
wants to incorporate their pre-existing logo onto a
sign when it was never designed for that particular
use.
“For example, 3D letters or carving the font has
to correlate with the way you would cut a letter.
You can’t use thin serifs or anything like that.”
It’s almost easier to take on a client who has no
logo. Even though building a logo from scratch
requires a little more legwork on his part, it’s easier
in the long run because he can design it to fit his
fabrication needs.
Whitney’s equipment comprises a vertical mill-
ing machine, horizontal band saw, two Miller Elec-
tric GTAW machines—an Aircrafter from the 1980s
and a Lift Arc—blacksmith tools, an oxyacetylene
setup, portable band saw, and soon a large lathe.
He farms out anything that requires CNC plasma
or waterjet cuts.
TAKING THE GOOD WITH THE BAD

Pardon the cliché, but the grass isn’t always
greener when you get to be your own boss.
“When you work for yourself, you want to work
for someone else. When you work for someone
else, you want to work for yourself,” he said.
While he enjoys being his own boss, thus hav-
ing total control and creative freedom, it didn’t
take him long to figure out that along with the pros
are the cons. Whitney now has no days off. He has
to manage the business finances, which he admits
is a challenge. He’s been broke for long stretches
of time and still is uncomfortable juggling the
strain of never feeling like there’s enough money
to go around. And there was the initial realization
that he was no longer part of a team.

ARTIST’S GALLERY
Sign-making has become a passion

for Whitney in the same way metal
sculpture always has been.
“While I do have people that help me now, I went

through a long stretch of being alone, especially in
the winter for like weeks at a time. One of the guys I
worked with at Salmon had his own thing for like five
years and he didn’t go out or anything. He told me
that he got weird because he didn’t get a chance to
talk to anyone. Getting weird; I guess that’s a con,”
Whitney laughed.
But there are pros. And when he’s feeling a little
stressed, all he has to do is remember the work he’s
doing throughout the community.
“I’ve developed the same passion for being of
service to my sign clients as I do with my sculpture. I
get to have a sense of purpose to help people using
the skills and materials that I love.”
THE
Editor Amanda Carlson can be reached at

amandac@thefabricator.com.
WHITCO, 413-652-5939, www.facebook.com/

swietostudios

WELDING HACKS
Simple ideas make life as a welder a lot easier
QUICKLY ALIGNING A SHAFT BEFORE TURNING

Before I start to turn down a shaft, I always align it with this tool. It’s made of a
small bearing fit into a holder, with the holder welded to a square solid that fits into
the average toolholder.
I place the tool in the holder, start the lathe, slowly turn the bearing toward the
shaft being turned, and watch as it automatically aligns itself. It’s a quick turnaround
from aligning parts to the actual machining of the parts.
Jeremy Stahl
Kimball, S.D.

Share with us your advice, idea, welding hack, tip, or trick. If we publish your trick, you’ll win a $100 gift card.
To submit a tip, trick, or hack, please send clear photographs or detailed drawings and a complete explanation of your idea. With each
entry include your name, address, and telephone number. Send your ideas to Amanda Carlson, FMA Communications Inc., 2135 Point
Blvd., Elgin, IL 60123, amandac@thefabricator.com.

PLAYING WITH FIRE
Why it’s OK to be your own boss

and work for “the Man”
By Josh Welton
There is a sense of pride associated with working for yourself.

The idea that you’re self-reliant, self-made, and answer to no one
is enticing. It’s a romantic notion. We’ve all heard and read about
the successes of individuals who make it work, from rock stars to
actors and from artists to, yes, welders. But for every triumphant
headline there are nine failures that are never made public. Or
if they do make it work, the cost is higher than the value of the
reward. I’m not telling you to set
aside your ambitions, just that it
doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
There’s more than one way to follow
your dreams.
People often ask me if running
Brown Dog Welding and being an
artist is a full-time job. I put full-time
hours into BDW, or at least I did
before the arm surgeries, but that’s
not what they’re getting at. What
they’re really asking is if I support
myself and my family on my own,
because the perception of living the
American dream is the ability to call
your own shots.
I also have friends that have
tried to convince me to quit my day
job for other reasons. They argue
that you aren’t at your best or your
most creative as an artist until you’re hungry; that you need
desperation to push you to and maybe through your ceiling.
It’s an idea I’ve seen pedaled by seemingly successful people

through social media as well. As humans we have a
difficult time being objective. We think that if a path
worked for us, it’ll work for anyone. “You just need
to work as hard as I did!” seems to be the notion.
But people are unique, and so are circumstances.
I’m not going to call out any individuals, nor do I
want to make absolute statements. I don’t want
to say one way is wrong and the other right. I will,
however, lay out my position—why it’s worked for
me and why I’m going to continue working for “the
Man” for the foreseeable future.
WORKING FOR THE MAN

I’ve worked for some great employers over the
years, the result of luck mixed with busting my
ass. I’ve been a UAW member since November
2002 while collecting paychecks from Chrysler and
General Dynamics Land Systems. Joint company
and union training has been available to me and I’ve
taken full advantage. This is an education I would
simply not have been afforded working on my own.
From going through an apprenticeship and becom-
ing a millwright at Chrysler to my current job as a
driver/mechanic at GDLS, the man has provided me
with a steady paycheck, continuous training, and
excellent benefits.
While health care has become mandatory over
the last few years, good health care is still simply
out of reach for most of my self-employed friends.
So many of them have taken a huge risk and gone
without health insurance, or they have made huge
sacrifices to cover their spouse or their kids. For me,
that isn’t an option.
Since 2013 the combined cost of my four major
arm surgeries, the recovery time, and the medica-
tion has been well into the six figures, and that’s not
considering the multiple sinus operations and con-
stant thyroid monitoring my wife has endured in the
same time frame. I see GoFundMe® campaigns and
other fundraisers for self-employed artists and small-
business owners that often come across as ironic
when the person in need has been a proponent of
self-reliance and outspoken against the 9-to-5 grind.
While I read a lot about those who never regret put a dent in their ledger, and the resulting late or
going all in and leaving their secure job, I often unpaid bills. Their health insurance, if they have any,
hear a different story when talking to people face has ridiculous deductibles so they end up ignoring
to face. I’ve had a number of conversations with illnesses or injuries until it’s time to go to the emer-
self-employed friends and acquaintances, and in gency room. And if it’s bad, there’s no recourse but
some instances their families, who feel the sacri- to ask for donations.
fices they’ve made have not given them freedom; The hunger and subsequent desperation that fuel
self-employment has just bound them to different output and push creativity for some also may serve
masters. These sacrifices include zero family time, as reasoning and justification to do things you’re
the headaches of unreliable employees, clients that not proud of. I’ve seen artists take on projects that
either don’t pay or need constant hounding to even cheapen their image because they need the money.

PLAYING WITH FIRE
I’ve also seen countless small-business owners screw

over the people closest to them because of financial
miscalculations or other unique money-related cir-
cumstances involved in running a business. I’ve seen
families separate when an individual’s need to make
it takes priority over their family.
Of course I’d love to be my own boss. I’ve had to
pass on many unique opportunities for my personal
work and travel because I’m tied down to a day job.
I spend a lot of creative energy on tasks that aren’t
my own, often toiling under management I don’t
always see eye to eye with, and my life is unpredict-
able with the number of last-minute road trips I have
to make for GDLS. While I mostly enjoy what I do,
the people I work with, and the projects I work on, it
does put a dent in what I’m able to accomplish. It’s
not without its drawbacks.
Hedging your bets, however, isn’t the end of
the world. More often than not, the people I know
who’ve made it did not go all in, at least not from
the jump. Respected artists oftentimes work in
design and marketing for years if not decades until
they have a steady following of collectors. Many
metal fabricators have a day job and a side hustle.
Once they’ve built their brand and client list and
have had substantial experience in the industry, they
can make the leap to full-time business owner and
HEDGING YOUR BETS, operator, if they so choose.
Writers and journalists put in crazy hours on top
HOWEVER, ISN’T THE END OF of their gigs as engineers, teachers, or gas station
clerks to create a body of work attractive enough to
THE WORLD. MORE OFTEN get hired on as a full-time staff writer or a sought-
after freelance author. It is possible to achieve a
THAN NOT, THE PEOPLE I KNOW
dream with a safety net, and in all honesty it often
WHO’VE MADE IT DID NOT GO requires even more work and dedication than trying
the all or nothing bit.
ALL IN, AT LEAST NOT FROM That being said, we’re all different. Maybe you
need the threat of catastrophe to thrive. Just be
THE JUMP. RESPECTED ARTISTS aware that it’s a low-percentage play and can take its
toll. Personally, I’ve never been someone who needs
OFTENTIMES WORK IN DESIGN external forces to put out my best work. My ego
won’t let me grow stale or produce work that I’m not
AND MARKETING FOR YEARS satisfied with. And it doesn’t hurt that I’ve genuinely
enjoyed my work as both a millwright and a driver/
IF NOT DECADES UNTIL THEY
mechanic. I’ve never been afraid to put in whatever
HAVE A STEADY FOLLOWING hours are necessary to make both sides of my work,
work.
OF COLLECTORS. MANY METAL I also have a clear conscious and access to the
best health care I can find. Both can be difficult to
FABRICATORS HAVE A DAY JOB find and even harder to not take for granted. I don’t
want to tell you to stop chasing a dream. Just don’t
AND A SIDE HUSTLE. ignore reality to do it.
THE

THE
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ALUMINUM WORKSHOP
Frank G. Armao is president of Aluminum

Consulting Inc., 440-479-0239, frankarmao2@
gmail.com. He is a member of the AWS D1
Committee, chairman of the AWS D1 Aluminum
Subcommittee, and member of the Aluminum
Association Committee on Welding and Joining.
A brief overview of the other 4XXX and

5XXX that aren’t 4043 and 5356
In the last issue we discussed 4043 and 5356 4008, 4009, 4010, 4943, and 4643 are alloys
filler metals. It is a fact that these two filler that are designed to be heat-treatable. They
alloys represent 80 percent of the worldwide produce stronger welds in thicker applications
consumption of aluminum filler metals. So it where the weldment will be completely heat-
stands to reason that you should be using one treated after welding (that is, solution heat-
of these filler alloys for roughly 80 percent of treated, quenched, and aged). They display
your applications. little to no advantage in applications where the
But what about the other two dozen or so weldment is used as-welded or even as-aged.
aluminum filler alloys? Let’s discuss some of
them and where you should use them. 5XXX FILLER ALLOYS
5556, 5183, and 5087 were designed as
4XXX FILLERS higher-strength versions of 5356. It certainly
4047 contains 12 percent silicon (Si). It has a isn’t wrong to use them to weld alloys such as
narrower melting range than 4043, making 6061-T6, but they have no real benefit over
it somewhat more crack-resistant, especially using 5356. However, you should use them
regarding crater cracking. It is significantly more when welding high-strength 5XXX alloys such
expensive than 4043, and it doesn’t provide an as 5083, 5059, and 5456, where most fabrica-
advantage in most applications. However, the tion codes specify a minimum weld strength of
application where it has found its niche is heat 40 KSI. Why? Because 5356 simply does not
exchanger fabrication, where the small melting contain enough alloy to meet this value consis-
range can result in lower leak rates in welding tently, usually producing a strength of 38 or 39
thin-wall tubing. KSI. It should be noted that 5087 is a matching
4145 contains 5 percent Si and 4 percent filler to 5087 base material, which is a European
copper (Cu). It is designed to weld Cu-contain- alloy that is rarely seen in North America.
ing alloys such as 2219 and 6013. You should 5554 was designed as a matching filler alloy
not use it to weld aluminum alloys that do not for 5454, which is relatively low in magnesium
contain Cu, since the weld dilution can produce (Mg). Any Al-Mg alloy with more than 3½ per-
a weld chemistry containing about 2 percent cent Mg is susceptible to stress corrosion crack-
Cu, which can be crack-sensitive. ing at long-term exposures of more than 150
356 and 357 alloys are designed to be degrees F. 5454, which has a lower amount of
matching filler alloys to the corresponding base Mg, was designed for such applications along
material casting alloys. They are designed to with some specific corrosive applications. Using
repair aluminum castings before heat treatment. filler with more Mg, such as 5356, can result in
Subsequent heat treatment produces compa- failure under these conditions.
THE
rable properties in the repaired casting. They

really have no other applications.

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CONSUMABLES CORNER
Nino Mascalco is application Rob Koltz is application Steve Sigler is application

engineering manager, ESAB engineer, ESAB Welding & engineer, ESAB Welding &
Welding & Cutting Products, Cutting Products, Cutting Products,
636-485-2253, www.esabna.com 636-485-2253, www.esabna.com 636-485-2253, www.esabna.com
Choosing the correct carbon

equivalency formula
We’re a midsize fabrication shop that builds and welds machines and structural components
from varying types of carbon steel. Some of the material is mild carbon steel, while some
is high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) or stronger grades of structural steel. If we’re welding on
thicker sections of material, we typically determine preheat temperatures based on just the
carbon content.
Someone mentioned that we should be using a carbon equivalency formula to determine
preheat temperatures. Can we use the one provided by AWS D1.1 or do we need to
consider others?
This question comes up rather frequently, so weight percentages. This formula is suitable for
let’s take a look at some background information carbon and carbon-manganese type steels:
on carbon equivalency (CE) formulas.
The first CE formula developed by Dearden (%Mn) %Cr+%Mo+%V %Ni+%Cu
CE(IIW)=%C + + +
and O’Neill dates back several decades and was 6 5 15
initially used to give a numerical value that related
to the hardenability of carbon steel. In the mid- The American Welding Society (AWS D1.1
1960s the International Institute of Welding (IIW) code) adopted this formula with an additional
derived a simplified formula for determining this term to include silicon (Si); it is mostly used in
property. applications involving various structural steel
Various other formulas have been released grades. The next formula is used mostly for steel
over the years; some are for low-carbon steel, with moderate levels of carbon to determine
while others take into consideration grades that minimum preheat temperatures:
have small amounts of alloying elements. The
reason is small amounts of alloying elements such (%Mn) %Cr+%Mo+%V %Ni+%Cu %Si
CE(AWS)=%C + + + +
as chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), 6 5 15 6
and manganese (Mn) increase the potential for
martensite formation in the heat-affected zone Neither of these formulas should be used with
(HAZ), which is the area of base material adjacent HSLA or low-alloy CrMo steels.
to a weld or high-temp cutting process. The next two formulas are better suited for
From a welding standpoint, a couple of com- low-carbon grades of steel and place an emphasis
mon formulas based on the parent material chem- on carbon being the primary element that
istry serve as a guideline for welding consider- produces the greatest potential for microstructural
ations such as hardenability, weldability, and HAZ changes. The first one is called the critical metal
hydrogen-induced cracking potential. parameter equation or Pcm.
The equation that follows is the early version
%Si %Mn+%Cu+%Cr %Ni %Mo %V
from IIW that is commonly found today in various Pcm=%C + + + + + + 5%B
30 20 60 15 10
publications, and the elements are calculated by

60 YEARS DEDICATED TO
CONSUMABLES CORNER
The last equation was derived by Düren and is QUALITY & SERVICE
similar to Pcm: Sixty years ago Hougen
invented the annular
CEq=%C +
%Si
+
%Mn+%Cu
+
%Ni %Cr %Mo %V
+ + +
cutter and not long after
m
25 16 40 10 15 10 that the small light-
weight magnetic drill.
These two formulas are more applicable to a
From day one we worked
hard to ensure every
wide array of modern-day alloyed steels in which cutter and mag drill we
carbon content typically is less than 0.11 percent produced was worthy of
by weight. our customers time and
Depending on which formula you use and the money. While technology has
chemistry of the base material, the calculated
changed, some things stay tried
and true, and our commitment to
result will typically fall between 0.30 and 0.70. our customers is number one. We
The lower value corresponds with material that is still build our mag drills one at a time
readily weldable with a low tendency for increased and quality check every cutter that
hardness or potential for hydrogen-induced we make. We have stood behind our
cracking. The middle to high range corresponds
products for sixty years and always will.
to poor weldability or high potential for increased
hardness and cracking. MAGNETIC DRILLS
The best practice is to follow the code you are ANNULAR CUTTERS
working to, keep customer requirements (if any)
in mind, and consult the steel manufacturer for
welding guidelines.
THE
800-426-7818 SERVICE • INTEGRITY • RELIABILITY HOUGEN.COM
Hou-746-WELDER.indd 1 2/21/19 9:53 AM
“V-WAC” GAGE PIPE PIT GAGE
Metric
or
English
Si
The G.A.L. PIPE PIT GAGE will
give long life in the field or factory.
• Range is 0 to 1/2” in 1/64 & .020
increments.
• Arm can be locked in place at any
dimension.
• All Stainless Steel
• Gage will fit in shirt pocket
and comes in a pocket protector.
• Has handy formulas on front and
decimal equivalents on back
• Available in Metric or English
P.O. BOX 218 • STEVENSVILLE, MICHIGAN 49127

PHONE: 269/465-5750 • FAX: 269/465-6385
Email: info@galgage.com • Web: www.galgage.com

PRODUCT NEWS
METAL-CORED WIRE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE

THROUGHPUT
FabCOR® Edge™ metal-cored wire from Hobart is designed to
improve deposition rates and travel speeds while offering low
spatter levels, the company states. It is suitable for applications in
robotic and mechanized welding, heavy equipment manufacturing,
agriculture, transportation, and mining, and for welding nonalloyed
and fine-grain steels.
The wire has virtually no silicon deposits at weld bead toe lines,
which helps reduce the time spent on cleanup and minimizes the
risk of inclusions, according to the manufacturer. Its gap-bridging
capabilities and wetting characteristics also help minimize burn-
through, reduce part rejection, and help produce smooth weld
beads with uniform fusion.
Hobart Brothers LLC, www.hobartbrothers.com
LOW-MANGANESE STICK
ELECTRODES INTRODUCED THIN CUTOFF WHEELS LEAVE
Weldcote Metals Inc., a division of Zika Group, CLEAN CUTS WITH MINIMAL
has introduced WCM low-manganese SMAW BURR FORMATION
electrodes. The patented line has a flux Thin cutoff wheels from Pferd cut quickly,
composition that supplies weld metal with lower leaving a clean cut with minimal burr formation.
manganese content, decreasing manganese They are suitable for use on thin-gauge sheet
vapor emissions by as much as 60 percent metal, thin-walled tubing, and small-diameter
in comparison to standard electrodes, the cross sections. These cool-cutting wheels are
company says. designed to minimize vibration, noise, and dust.
The electrodes are available in three AWS Several product types are available with
classifications. E-6011 is an all-position, AC/ different performance characteristics to match
DC electrode for deep weld penetration for a variety of materials, power tool types, and
root passes for welding pipes and general cutting application needs. The SG Steel cutoff
structural welding. E-6013 is an all-position, AC/ wheel, designed to cut steel and cast iron,
DC electrode typically used for welding cleaner is made from a high-performance aluminum
steel. E-7018 H4R is a low-hydrogen, humidity- oxide grain. The SG Steelox wheel is made
resistant, usually DC, all-position electrode used for general-purpose cutting of steel and
for many metals, including structural. All offer a stainless steel, while the SG Alu is designed for
stable and smooth arc, easy slag detachability, nonloading cutoff use on aluminum and soft,
and excellent weld bead appearance, the nonferrous sheet metal, sections, and solid
manufacturer reports. material.
Weldcote Metals, www.weldcotemetals.com Pferd Inc., www.pferd.com

PRODUCT NEWS
SMALL-DIAMETER CUTTING WHEEL

OFFERING EXPANDED
Weiler Abrasives has expanded its line of small-
AC/DC WELDING SYSTEM
diameter cutting and snagging wheels for high-
OFFERED
speed die grinders to include Tiger® AO, Tiger Zirc, ESAB Welding & Cutting Products offers
and Tiger Ceramic. They are available in 2- to 4-in.- the Rebel™ EMP 205ic AC/DC all-process,
dia. wheels with ¼- and 3⁄8-in. arbor hole sizes. portable, inverter-based welding system. It
The AO cutting wheels feature an aluminum- enables users to perform GTAW with AC and
oxide grain and provide even, sharp, clean cuts DC outputs, GMAW with solid wires (steel,
along with a hard bond to extend wheel life when stainless, or aluminum), FCAW with gas-
cutting steel, says the company. The Zirc wheels, shielded and self-shielded wires, and SMAW.
offered in 0.035-in. thickness, feature sharp, Through the system’s color TFT LCD
aggressive zirconia-alumina grains, suitable for interface, operators can adjust AC wave
cutting steels, including structural and cast iron. balance control from 60 to 90 percent EN, AC
The Ceramic wheels with self-sharpening grains are frequency control from 25 to 400 Hz, pulsed
designed to cut at low temperatures for processing DC GTAW with outputs between 1 and 500
stainless steel and hard-to-grind metals. pulses per second, and EN or EP amperage.
Weiler Abrasives Group, ESAB Welding & Cutting Products,
www.weilerabrasives.com www.esab.com
DRY POLISHERS OFFER WIDE

VARIABLE-SPEED RANGE
Metabo Corp. has introduced two variable-speed, high-torque
dry polishers for use on a variety of materials of different
hardnesses.
The PE 15-20 RT extra-high-torque dry polisher with rattail
is designed for the automotive/paint finishing market. It has
a no-load speed of 300 to 1,900 RPM, 133 in.-lbs. of torque,
and 13 amps.
The PE 15-30 high-torque dry polisher is suitable for heavy-
duty applications and for stainless steel polishing.
Metabo, www.metabo.com/us

PRODUCT NEWS
CORED WIRES ARE WEATHER-RESISTANT

Böhler Welding offers weather-resistant diamondspark
seamless cored wires, which provide extreme toughness
and total resistance against moisture absorption.
The company offers three seamless FCAW wires and
one SAW-FCW in combination with two different fluxes for
weather-resistant steel in this line.
voestalpine Böhler Welding, www.voestalpine.com
Experienced Engineers | Customized Solutions | Unmatched Innovation
WHEN
PRECISION
MATTERS
SENSOR PERFORMS
LONG-DISTANCE WELD
PURGE MONITORING
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques
HFT® has developed the PurgEye®
1000 sensor. Using a long-distance
cable, the localized sensor displays
the oxygen level in the welding
zone on a Weld Purge Monitor®
screen that can be up to 1,000 m
away from the weld.
The sensor comprises a
stainless steel housing with a
sensing head that can be fitted
Every 3D Precision Welding Table
we deliver is manufactured to onto any pipe weld purging
the highest quality standards in system or left in the welding zone.
the industry and backed by a Oxygen levels can be transmitted
Lifetime Warranty. electronically to a monitor up to 1
km away.
Bluco Welding Table
Unlimited configurations Measuring oxygen levels from
400+ tooling components 1 to 1,000 PPM, the sensor is
suitable for use when welding
stainless steels, duplex steels,
titanium, and zirconium.
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT,
Modular Fixturing Visit BLUCO.com | Call 800-535-0135 www.huntingdonfusion.com

PRODUCT NEWS
Corey,
Class of 2018
PLASMA CUTTING TRAY

ATTACHES TO MOBILE
LEADING A
FIXTURING STATION
Strong Hand Tools® has released a plasma
WARRIORS
cutting tray attachment for the Rhino Cart®
mobile fixturing station. The tray supports
100 lbs. on an 18- by 28-in. cutting surface
CHARGE
with 14 reversible and replaceable steel
slats. The 1.8-in. width between cutting slats
provides space for hold-down clamping.
The tray folds down flat against the cart
when not in use.
Strong Hand Tools,
www.stronghandtools.com
Rebuilding American Manufacturing

One Veteran At A Time.™
Weiler Abrasives is proud to support Workshops for Warriors®, an organization that
provides veterans and transitioning services members with training and certification for
SUPPLIED AIR RESPIRATOR careers in welding, machining and fabrication at no cost to the veteran.
COOLS AIR ENTERING WELDING
HELMETS With the support of Weiler Abrasives and others, Workshops for Warriors will be able to
increase its impact by expanding the current facility to accommodate an additional 450
Miller Electric Mfg. LLC has introduced a students per year. The new facility will be a center for advanced manufacturing training
supplied air respirator (SAR) system. When and a place where veterans like Corey can successfully transition into civilian life.
paired with a T94i-R™ helmet, the SAR
system provides the same benefits as the
company’s powered air purifying respirator
SUPPORT THE CAUSE: weilerabrasives.com
helmet accessory, with the added ability to
cool the air entering the helmet.
The accessory is suitable for welding in
TH
tight spaces. Celebrating 75 years of growth,
Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, www.millerwelds.com a n n iv er s a r innovation, and partnership with our
y
customers, co-workers, and community.
1944 – 2019

PRODUCT NEWS
WELD CELL SERVES AS ENTRY POINT INTO

AUTOMATED WELDING WELDING HELMET OFFERS
Acieta has introduced FastARC standard weld cells. They are FLIP-UP GRIND SHIELD
pre-engineered with integrated utilities and a one-piece platform Lincoln Electric® has introduced the VIKING™ 3250D
for fast delivery and startup, says the company. FGS™ welding helmet. It features a Flip-Up Grind
The ready-to-use package is designed to meet the industry’s Shield™ to increase the operator’s field of view in both
most common robotic welding needs. Four standard cells are open and closed positions through the integration of
available with attachments and upgrade options. They come a clear face shield and side windows.
standard with Lincoln Electric or Miller weld equipment. The 4C® lens technology helps eliminate blur,
The Single Zone Cell offers a large work zone and automated distortion, and eye strain by reducing color saturation
steel pop-up door for flash protection and operator safety. The in the LCD while also providing a consistent shade at
Dual Zone Cell allows for load/unload while the robot is welding, any angle. This technology scores a 1/1/1/1 rating on
as well as the ability to produce different parts simultaneously. the EN 379 autodarkening lens quality standard.
Acieta, www.acieta.com/robotics-products/fastarc-weld-cells/ Lincoln Electric, www.lincolnelectric.com
What's wrong with this Mask ...
NOTHING!!!
You can change the cartridge position
without changing the cartridge
Simply adjust the cartridge to one of three positions
and then you have a half mask and cartridge that will
fit under a face shield or welding helmet!
Easy, convenient, efficient and safe.
Click here to see the details
or call us to see if you qualify for a FREE sample!
www.dentecsafety.com
®
DENTEC - Ad - 3.375_ x 4.875_ What's Wrong with this Mask.indd 1 12/12/2018 3:51:00 PM

PRODUCT NEWS
The Total Welding Rod

Protection System:
Airtight storage and inventory
control for welding electrodes
and filler metals with genuine Rod
Guard® welding accessories.
ng
brati
Cele ver
GRINDING WHEEL PREVENTS o rs!
a
CLOGGING, LOADING 35 ye
Rex-Cut Abrasives has introduced the Aluminator for aluminum 14" & 18" Cannisters
grinding without clogging and loading. The T27 cotton-fiber

grinding wheel breaks down as heat is generated, resulting in • Airtight - Threaded cap with long-lasting
constant sharp grit being exposed to the aluminum workpiece. This neoprene seal.
eliminates loading, downtime, and the need for wax or grinding aids. • Reusable - Constructed of high-impact
polyethylene.
According to the manufacturer, the wheel offers increased grinding
action, improved surface finishing, smooth operator control, long life, • Additional colors available
Call for details.
low noise, and low vibration. It is available in 4.5, 5, and 7 in. dia. in
• Storage Racks - Also now available for
36 grit. 36" & 1 meter cannisters.
Rex-Cut Abrasives, www.rexcut.com • Hi-Temp Models - Steel-lined, heat
resistant to 450°.
• Quality Guaranteed
• Chloride-Free
• Quality & Excellence since 1981
Storage Racks
EXTRACTION SYSTEM FEATURES 36" & 1 meter

Cannisters
INTERNET-COMPATIBLE CONTROL MODULE
Beware of cheap imitations –
Kemper offers the WeldFil series extraction and filtration system.
The internet-compatible systems are available in full size for large
installations and a smaller plug-and-play version, WeldFil Compact.
With new sensor technology and a cloud-based, internet-
compatible control module, information such as differential pressure, …and ask for it by name!!
temperature, and residual dust monitoring is retrievable over the
Available through your welding supply distributor
internet. or contact us for more information:
Access to components such as the fan, filter cartridges, and
compressed-air maintenance unit has been simplified.
K.I.W.O.T.O., Inc.
P.O. Box 1526 - PWT
Kemper, www.kemper.eu Benton Harbor, MI 49023-1526
Phone: 269-944-1552
Fax: 269-944-1536
www.rodguard.net

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
USED EQUIPMENT NEW WELDING Classified Advertising

FOR SALE EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
Integrate your efforts to maximize
your effectiveness by combining print
VERSA-TIG™ ads with online classifieds for added
visibility and reduced costs. Reach
MULTIPLE TIG TORCH thousands of fabricating professionals
with the strongest print and online
SELECTORS publications in the market.
versa-tig.com Use classified ads in the industry’s
leading magazines to build exposure
for your: Used equipment or rebuilt
machinery, financing services and
business opportunities, auctions,
SERVICES open positions, machine time, and
more
STANDARD CLASSIFIED RATE:
$120 per column inch
8 lines of copy at approximately 30
characters per line, including spacing.
One inch minimum. No border,
background and limited bold faced
NEW EQUIPMENT type.
FOR SALE PREMIUM CLASSIFIED RATE:
$140 per column inch.
May include border, background,
Safety Mat Systems shading, reverse type and/or company
logo. No photographs, drawings, or
for Machine Guarding clip-art will be allowed.
(NSD) COLOR LOGO:
• Extremely Durable Safety Mat For an additional $25 you can add your
• Large single mat sizes up to 6’x 12’ color logo to your premium ad.
• Any mat shape or contour available (color will be converted to cmyk).
• Complex safety mat layouts with COLUMN WIDTH:
multiple zones around machinery is The FABRICATOR: 1.73",
our specialty The WELDER: 2.16",
• Provides visual recognition of the April is The Tube & Pipe Journal: 2.30"
STAMPING Journal: 2.14".
guarded zone which enhances
safety National BOX NUMBERS:
“c/o FMA Communications Inc.” may be
• No programming required
• High Temperature Mats available for Welding Month! used in place of your company name
and address. Add $15 to cover the cost
Robotic, Welding and of handling and postage.
Hot applications
Discover new opportunities FREQUENCY DISCOUNT:
• Made in USA The same copy used in 3 or more
in our industry of
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skilled workers. year earns a 10% discount per ad.
All such ads payable in advance.
(412) 262-3950
Classified advertising is not subject to
www.pinnaclesystems.com
sales@pinnaclesystems.com
jobs.fmanet.org commission. Payment must accompany
order. Major credit cards accepted.
The WELDER (ISSN 2576-0939) is published bimonthly by FMA Communications Inc., 2135 Point Blvd., Elgin, Illinois 60123. The
WELDER is circulated free upon request to those who qualify and who are involved in welding and joining; subscription to all others is
$45.00 per year. International subscription is $75.00 per year. Periodical postage paid at Elgin, Illinois, and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send change of address to The WELDER, 2135 Point Blvd., Elgin, Illinois 60123. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2019 by
FMA Communications Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The WELDER is a
trademark of FMA Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
Welder_MA19.indd 56 3/6/19 11:14 AM

ADVERTISERS INDEX
Abicor Binzel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
www.abicorusa.com
Arcos Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
www.arcos.us
Bluco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
www.bluco.com
C K Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
www.ckworldwide.com
CS Unitec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
www.csunitec.com
CERBACO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
keithmcclean@cerbaco.com
Dentec Safety Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

www.dentecsafety.com
Diamond Ground Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,11

www.diamondground.com
Electron Beam Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

www.electronbeam.com
ESAB Welding & Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

www.esab.com
Fabricators & Manufacturers Assn., Intl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

www.fmanet.org
FABTECH® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
www.fabtechexpo.com
Foster Printing Service at Mossberg & Company Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

www.fosterprinting.com
G A L Gage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
www.galgage.com
Heck Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
www.heckind.net
Hougen Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
www.hougen.com
K.I.W.O.T.O., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
269-944-1552
Laser Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
www.lasermech.com
Meltric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
www.meltric.com
OTC Daihen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
www.daihen-usa.com
PFERD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
800-342-9015
RPB Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
www.rpbsafety.com
Select - Arc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1-800-341-5215
Weiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
www.weilercorp.com

JIM’S COVER PASS
Jim Mosman, AWS CWI/CWE, is chair of the

industrial technology department at Odessa
College, Odessa, Texas, and member of The
WELDER Editorial Advisory Committee.
jimscoverpass.thewelder@gmail.com
Tips to demagnetize pipe to make

welding possible
We discovered that some pipe that arrived on the construction site would
not take a weld because it was magnetized. What is a good method to
demagnetize the pipe so we can weld it?
David Andrews
Roanoke, Va.
This is a fairly common problem that occurs when lengths of pipe get banged together
during the shipping process. Magnetism results in magnetic arc blow, a phenomenon
that occurs during direct current (DC) welding, where the arc pulls to one side of the weld
joint during the root pass. This deviation of the arc often can be severe and cause weld
defects that will need to be repaired.
You have a few options if you suspect your material is magnetized. You could remove
the magnetism completely, but that would require expensive equipment. You could also
determine the extent of the magnetic pull with a gauss gauge before you place a demag-
netizer coil around the pipe, but this type of equipment may not always be available.
One common method that I have used on pipelines in the oil and gas industry is to
create a magnetic coil with the work lead. I wrap the lead around the pipe three to six
times, about half the pipe diameter away from
MAGNETISM RESULTS IN MAGNETIC ARC the weld groove on the opposite side from the
direction of the arc blow pull. Then I deposit
BLOW, A PHENOMENON THAT OCCURS several ¾- to 1-in. tack welds around the weld
DURING DIRECT CURRENT (DC) WELDING, joint. Using a current in the lower range of what
is suggested, I deposit a root pass with a short
WHERE THE ARC PULLS TO ONE SIDE OF arc length based on the size and type of my
electrode. If I’m still experiencing arc blow, I
THE WELD JOINT DURING THE ROOT PASS.
then try to wrap the work lead in the opposite
THIS DEVIATION OF THE ARC OFTEN CAN direction.
Finally, since arc blow occurs during DC
BE SEVERE AND CAUSE WELD DEFECTS welding, try switching to alternating current (AC)
THAT WILL NEED TO BE REPAIRED. to deposit the initial weld bead. Then switch
back to DC for the remainder of the weld joint.
Whatever method you use, be sure to pay close attention to the weld puddle, main-
tain a short arc length, and remove all slag deposits after each bead. You are the first line
of inspection and should be aware of the quality of your work.
THE

100
Years of Service
Providing commercial industry and the armed forces with
high alloy welding consumables since 1919.
394 Arcos Drive, Mount Carmel, PA 17851 | 800-233-8460 | www.arcos.us
Welder_MA19.indd 59 3/6/19 8:03:56

1:01 PM
Arcos Jan 2019.indd 1 12/6/2018 AM
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Angle Grinder Do's and Don'ts Every Operator Should Know

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THE REAL WORLD FOR WELDING PROFESSIONALS March/April 2019

An official publication of the

Welder_MA19.indd 1 3/6/19 12:40 PM

SelectAlloy 308L – Horizontal

SelectAlloy 308L-AP – Vertical Up

Ask your local distributor for

Supporting the American pioneering spirit,

Protecting you for life’s best moments®

* from locally and globally sourced components.

Welder_MA19.indd 3 3/6/19 12:41 PM

March/April 2019 | Vol. 2 No. 4

4 The WELDER March/April 2019

Welder_MA19.indd 4 3/6/19 2:29 PM

In 1919, DAIHEN Corporation began business as Osaka Transformer

Join us at our Open House on May 22 to see where

• Free food and drinks Wednesday, May 22, 2019

• Anniversay ceremony OTC DAIHEN, Inc.

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During National Welding Month,

6 The WELDER March/April 2019

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CC-GRIND® -SOLID SG HHH

Excellent stock removal with

PFERD INC. PFERD CANADA INC.

PFERD quality certified according to ISO 9001.

PFERD_theWelder_MarApr_Fullpage.indd 1 2/25/2019 10:48:00 AM

Resistance Welding Seminar FabCast: Fabricator’s Digital

11th Annual Safety Conference FABTECH® Mexico

Press Brake Certificate Course

April Press Brake Safeguarding Certificate Course

THE WELDER STAFF FMA OFFICERS & DIRECTORS Statement of Policy

8 The WELDER March/April 2019

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Aerospace Welding marks 25 years of service General Dynamics NASSCO

March/April 2019 The WELDER 9

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10 The WELDER March/April 2019

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finance, Americas Welding Division in the Cleveland additive services busi-

March/April 2019 The WELDER 11

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12 The WELDER March/April 2019

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In August 2018 Clemco Industries

meltric.com/electricalsafety_tw Plug into BLUE

© 2019 MELTRIC Corporation AD1901 TW

March/April 2019 The WELDER 13

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Edited by Amanda Carlson WHAT IS AC+DC HYBRID WELDING?

14 The WELDER March/April 2019

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Mike Monnin, general manager, and Phil Mosquera,

March/April 2019 The WELDER 15

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Operators should wear

16 The WELDER March/April 2019

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Respect your angle grinder

Terry Tuerk, senior product manager—North

mon mistakes angle grinder operators make and

March/April 2019 The WELDER 17

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Never remove a guard from the