62 SIFTIPS
WHAT WELDING
TOOLS DO YOU
ACTUALLY NEED?
The market today is saturated with
tools claiming to be essential for your
practice. The difficulty comes with sorting
through the sales pitches to find those
that will genuinely make your job that
much easier. A quick search will throw up
results such as welding machine, angle
grinders, pliers, a welding square, clamps,
a chipping hammer, a wire brush, metal
file, tape measure and a soap stone, along
with a welding helmet, a welding jacket,
trousers, welding gloves, safety goggles
and a fire extinguisher. That might seem
like a lot to some, or perhaps you can
think of something that you use every
day that’s missing. Read on to discover
what we think every welder needs.
WELDING WORLD MAGAZINE | ISSUE 05 | OCTOBER 2018
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ELECTRIC POWER TOOLS
Of course the two big ones would be a
welding machine and an angle grinder.
You need to find a welding machine that
suits your job, you can choose between
MIG, TIG, Stick and Oxygen-Acetylene
welding. Obviously welders can be
purchased but they can also be leased
which is a great way for you to get the
equipment you need when you’re just
starting out.
Angle grinders are essential for
preparing and finishing off your work.
You’ll be able to find different
attachments and discs which will
make your grinder the perfect tool to cut,
clean and finish your work piece.
HAND TOOLS
A decent pair of welding pliers is a
necessity. They can be used to remove
weld spatter inside your nozzle and
in a pinch can even be used as a slag
hammer. They make it easy to draw out
wire or cut the wire when MIG welding
and you can even install your welding
nozzle with them!
We’d also highly recommend getting a
slag or chipping hammer for arc welding
which can be used to remove welding
slag from the weld seam. Vice grips and C
clamps and a magnetic square are a god-
Technical advice in the original SifTips style was started in 1932. ‘Sifbronzing’ is an almost
universally recognised way of describing the low temperature bronze welding of sheet steel,
cast iron and other metals. This explains why Sifbronze, the company which first developed and
promoted the technique, is generally considered to be a supplier of high quality welding rods,
wires, fluxes and equipment.
‘Will the Welder’ was a SifTips magazine that was produced in the early 1930s. The aim
was to provide users with ideas and tips on how to get the most out of their
welding equipment.
Sif is renowned for its UK manufacturing heritage
as well as its complete range of quality welding
consumables used globally for almost a century.
09/10/2018 14:40

send because they help to hold your work
piece in place while you weld and a good
metal file is a must for deburring or edging
metal pieces. A quality metal file will make
all the difference to your finished piece
and is a sound investment when kept clean
and dry (and rust-free)!
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND
EQUIPMENT
Starting at the very top, a welding helmet
is absolutely essential for protecting
your face and eyes during welding. High
intense UV rays can cause arc eye and
cataracts and can even lead to blindness
meaning you should never weld without
a darkened lens. We recommend auto-
darkening welding helmets that react
instantly to protect you from the blinding
light but are also light enough when you
aren’t welding to be able to see through.
Welding trousers and jackets are also
invaluable. Jeans or jumpers won’t protect
you from molten metal. Welding
clothing is often leather or fire-
retardant cotton or nylon.
Welding gloves will protect your
hands from the extreme heat,
electric shockand even radiation.
The right gloves will have a good
balance of protection and
flexibility. Gloves that
are too cumbersome will
affect your ability to weld.
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SIFTIPS 63
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While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy
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any statement or error, or for any claims made
by the advertisers, contained herein ©Welding
World 2018. They cannot be held responsible for
the failure to use, or for the poor depiction of use
of environmental, personal or other equipment,
such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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