Welding tan

The thing is that it's extremely intense short wave UV. Much like radiation, it's both how intense it is and for how long. Pull that stunt and there's a good chance of skin cancer, no joke.

XLR99 said:

Stupid hurts!

QFT.  Stupid ain't cheap, either.   

I don't have much to add other than oven mitts are surprisingly flammable.

Oh, and:

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Tell them to go berkeley themselves. Sorry being Irish there. Don't like it berkeley off. Really being Irish now.

In reply to nutherjrfan :

I just laugh at their ignorance.   

patgizz said:

JoeTR6 wrote: I mostly do small welding projects, but when I was welding together an aluminum cold air box got some flash burns. I'll never do more than a few tacks wearing a tee shirt again. I also have gotten into the habit of wearing tight-fitting safety glasses even with the helmet. Sometimes hot beads will end up in unexpected places like down the back of your shirt. I've had one rattle around inside the helmet before.

Or in your ear. Thats the worst

On in your shoe!

I replaced a leaf spring shackle on a trailer today and am happy to report that long sleeves gloves and a mask made it so I have no welding tan and the title of this thread was enough to remind me all over as to how I do not like welding tan. Nope, not one bit. 

My grandfather was a pipe-fitter, and when I was in college I stayed with him and Grandma for a week and he taught me to TIG weld.  On the second or third day I spent the day welding in a t-shirt, and got a fabulous arc-burn on the inside of both arms.  Now I always throw on long sleeves.  I'll pull out Grandpa's old leathers if its cold, but they're not really necessary for TIG.

I bought my cutting torch right after I graduated - had a little money and no sense!  Not long after getting it, I was torching an exhaust bracket on my 9000 turbo.  Hit the oxy lever and a piece of slag shot straight into my ear-drum.  Nothing like flailing around in pain under a Saab while holding a lit cutting torch.

Instant sinus infection, and I could blow a sweet jet of air out my ear.  Went to the ENT (three weeks later) and he pulled a BB of steel out of my ear-drum.  Healed up ok, though it hurts now if you crack a window in a car.

So now I always wear ear-plugs when I'm cutting or grinding.

My grandpa was actually super scared that I bought that cutting torch.  When he was young he'd been on a job site where they lowered an oxy rig into a manhole of some sort.  The guy went down in the hole to do the job and the thing exploded.  Killed the guy right then and there, and my grandpa was forever haunted by that.

daeman said:

Also, thongs, jandals, flipflops, or whatever else you wanna call them are a poor choice of welding footwear... Not only do you get the tops of your feet burnt, but every errant bit of weld spatter is somehow able to find its way under the soles of your rather exposed feet.

Yes, i was stupid.

Waiting for JG to chime in and push for his GRM branded welding Crocs.