[Noisebridge-discuss] let's get a TIG welder

[Jake]

yeah while we're at it, let's put down a metal plate under all the 
soldering irons, because they get hot too.

TIG welding does not throw off hot bits of red-hot metal like MIG or stick 
welding.

OMG!  this guy is going to catch his shirt on fire!  just kidding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC2DG8jVp_M&feature=player_detailpage#t=106s

by the way, the smoke coming off of his work is the thin layer of wax that 
comes with brand-new metal, to keep it from rusting on the shelf. 
Obviously we will have ventilation but the smoke doesn't seem to be any 
worse than the fumes from SOLDERING which we do all the time.

yes, it's true that people should not weld galvanized metal or chrome. 
People should also not hold their soldering iron by the wrong end (if it 
smells like chicken, you're holding it wrong) or aim one of our many 
propane torches at the piles of wood we have stacked up, while they're 
using it for soldering.

please people, this is TIG welding not some crazy firethrowing machine.

The following is MIG welding, which I am NOT suggesting for noisebridge 
(although apparently it works fine at AMT, which is also made of and full 
of wood)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMdQT-eswYY&feature=player_detailpage#t=775s

-jake


Ever Falling wrote:
Matt has a point. At the very least you'd need to put down a metal plate 
or something to cover the wood (maybe we could coat the floor in the shop 
with an epoxy?) because with almost all welding you're gonna get sparks 
and slag coming off your piece. Also fumes, not from the shielding gas, 
but from the metal being worked on is a legitimate concern. You just might 
wanna look up which metals we should disallow from welding like galvanized 
metal or chromed steel. I don't think we gotta be OSHA compliant or 
anything but safety is something we should take seriously with a piece of 
equipment like this.