What Are Your Must-Have Welding Tools?

[Gary Fowler]

Gary Fowler,
I love your saying you use a drill motor. The younger guys chuckle when I as for my drill motor.

For sure, lots of folks call them drills but technically a drill is the bit so you need something to turn it with, a drill motor or if you are into period stuff a brace so you can turn the bit by hand. I sure wouldn't want to drill thru even 1/4" steel with a hand powered drill. Everyone back in olden times had a forge also and lots of folks are getting back to forging metal for knives and small tools.

 

[streem26]

Screwdriver an absolute must! A good hammer. A impact wrench
Pry bars of various sizes. My 'Larry Light "10 white leds. Magnetic pocket clip.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I wouldn't want to be without my "chop saw". I would like to convert it to a carbide blade cut off wheel rather than the abrasive. I have a port-a-band but some things just lend themselves to using the chop saw

 

[Gary Fowler]

Seems as I'm getting lazy and grabbing the plasma cutter, nuttin' fancy but dang it's handy.

I love my 50 amp plasma cutter, but there are some things that just require an oxy-acetylene torch so I will keep it around also. Also some things cut better with a port-a- band saw like cutting square corners off small square tubing, so lets keep one of those handy also. Sometimes it is just easier to grab a 4.5" grinder with a cut-off wheel(also one with a brush, one with a sanding disc, one with a hard disc) for those little cuts, so I keep one of those handy also. A chop saw is most useful when needing to make a square cut on any material, so better keep that tool also.

I am just saying that a good welding shop needs a plasma cutter, an oxy-acetylene rig, a chop saw , a port-a-band and 4.5" grinders to be really prepared for any situation.