Lincoln Electric Welding Tips
The Lincoln Electric Co. is a global leader of welding equipment and products. Founded in 1895, this Cleveland, Ohio, manufacturer built its reputation on rigorous employee performance standards, reports the Wall Street Journal. As an industry icon, Lincoln Electric furnishes a multitude of welding tips at no cost to consumers to ensure safety and quality work throughout the welding profession.
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Clothing
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Protective gear protects welders from sparks that damage eyes and exposed skin. Special wool garments offer greater durability and defiance against fire than synthetic items that are prone to melting, Lincoln Electric reports in its online "Arc Welding Safety: Guide for Safe Arc Welding." Fire-resistant gloves safeguard hands from burns and cuts, and welders strive to keep gloves dry to prevent electrical shocks. Recommended outerwear includes flame-resistant suits, leggings and aprons. Helmets block infrared radiation that results in retinal burns and cataracts.
Fumes
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Long-term exposure to welding fumes causes pulmonary impairment, Lincoln Electric warns in its online "Guide For Safe Arc Welding." Some consumables, base metals and coatings release toxins such as barium, cadmium and chromium. The easiest way for a welder to avoid hazardous exposure is to keep his head out of the "fume plume" where welding fumes cluster. Protecting this breathing zone includes using fixed or movable exhaust hoods, ensuring mechanical or natural ventilation, or strapping on a respirator.
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Positions
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Welding out-of-position typically means reaching into vertical or overhead positions that allow hot metals to spill from joints and onto a worker. This requires deposits that are quick freezing, Lincoln Electric advises in its online "Stick Electrode Welding Guide." Out-of-position welding requires high levels of operator skill to perform downhand techniques using high-deposition electrodes. For example, Lincoln's guidelines describe the low hydrogen electrodes required for overhead, vertical and horizontal welding that is performed on plates with half-inch thickness.
Automotive
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Summit Racing Equipment, which specializes in automotive performance equipment, also directs consumers to Lincoln Electric welding tips. Whether a welder wants to connect body panels or mend parts, Summit's website advises novice and veteran laborers to follow Lincoln's instructions. For instance, body panels contain thin metals and warrant a slow wire-feed speed and reduced voltage. Otherwise, a welder will burn straight through the metal. Likewise, using a metal inert gas (MIG) welder on thicker metals precludes the welding techniques from penetrating the materials.
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References
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