What Are Your Must-Have Welding Tools?

[MC]

In addition to the obvious welder, what are your must-have welding tools that you can't live without?

Feel free to include photos.

 

[welding seabee]

Built this year, just some minor simple things, nothing much. Made some short axles for HF vibratory compactor, added HF pneumatic wheels and tires, beats carrying the heavy beast from spot to spot. Also extended some fence post concrete anchors to give some more ground clearance. No more posts in the ground.

Ron

 

[dragoneggs]

I don't know that I can say these are must haves... but Magswitch magnets are sure handy when welding up various frame structures.

 

[kevinj]

In addition to the obvious welder, what are your must-have welding tools that you can't live without?

Feel free to include photos.

Miller Digital Elite hood.

 

[Rancher Ed]

To me an angle grinder is the most versital and relatively inexpensive tool you can have to complement your welder. It can be used for everything from material prep like removing surface rust with a wire or flapper wheel to grinding bevels on thicker material to handling most cutting needs with a cutoff wheel.

 

[welding seabee]

Ed you are right on. I have 4 HF 4.5" set up as: 1/4" grinder; cutoff, heavy wire brush, flap wheel. I also have a batt powered Ryobi for portable use when an extension cord is cumbersome. My light use lets the HF ones be throwaways.

Ron

 

[Biggermore]

My Victor torch set, I've had it for over thirty years it has never failed to perform Also my optical center punch. When you need to lay out hole location this is the way to do it.

 

[Buster Weld]

A chipping hammer, a wire brush and a flashlight.

 

[stech64]

A grinder,cut off wheels, magnets,gloves will get you started regardless of your skill set these are helpful

 

[sea2summit]

I've only had one about eight months now but a pneumatic die grinder has been awesome for cleaning up small parts and getting in tight spots.

 

[Chase]

Quality helmet, a good assortment of welding vice grips and c-clamps, drill, body grinder, soap stone, welding table with a vise. Oxy-Acet torches, assortment of magnetic squares.

 

[StuckRod]

The stuff the others have said too, but I would include a half-round file.

I like to use them to knock the slag off my welds because using a chipping hammer can put a mark on the weld that some inspectors will give a second look at. With a half round file, I can cut the edge of the weld and thus cut the slag off.

If I twitched making my weld, I can cut that little bit out and make my weld really uniform. It can also take out a little undercut without cutting too deep into the base metal like a grinder sometimes can.

It is not mass metal removal, but a lot of times it does not need to be. On pipe, I do not even pull the slag hammer out of the toolbox for the day. The half round file is more than enough.

 

[bigb]

A heavy welding table! And a lot of clamps, and last but not least my Jackson Truesight hood.

 

[SPYDERLK]

A needle scaler for post weld cleaning and peening for stress relief.

 

[dave_dj1]

I have so many, lots of 6" welding clamps, five corded 4" grinders, a 7" and a 4" cordless (and I would like one or two more of them) I have a press brake that I built that is handy as anything, my plasma cutter (Hypertherm Powermax 900) I put my welder on a rolling tool cabinet and made a holder for the bottle on the end. I have welding supplies, plasma consumables and grinding discs of every shape and size in there along with a couple of tools to change them. The rolling tool box has been invaluable for me as my shop is small and I need to roll things out of the way. I also have 10' ceilings and an overhead electric hoist that gets used a lot.

 

[Old Irish]

I guess I would base this on what I use the most. Speed squares, framing square, scribe, tape or rule, straight edge/level, hammer and punch, wrap around or plastic or metal banding for marking round stuff or laying out curves. there is no such thing as to many clamps or vise grips. magnets, enough grinders to not have to change wheels at every change in operation, a good vice, not expensive good, mine is a cheap 6 inch and has been beat on for 25 years and wont die. as Chase said, a good hood that I can see clearly through and good quality consumables, they pay for themselves in the long run, a table big enough for the task at hand or enough stands to compensate. a drill of some kind and a good supply of bits, preferably champions.

 

[allan101]

A good square and tape measure

 

[Beerslayer]

Great posts! As my father in law is famous for saying "you can't have too many clamps". Which fortunately my wife often quotes him and consequently I have very many clamps. As Rancher Ed said, Angle Grinders. I'd expand on that to say that it's best to have an angle grinder for every application. Flapper wheel, cutting wheel, general grinding, cutting wheel, and cup brush for cleaning up. That's 5 grinders and some of them can be HF for the light stuff. The Dewalt grinders were on sale a while back for $80 and I bought several. but not enough! Should have bought more. Being able to just pick up a grinder that is ready to go for the purpose is an amazing time saver. Having to find a wrench and change wheels is super buzz kill when you are on a roll. And who wants that???

 

[bumper]

A cold cut chop saw. Okay, you can live without it, but after a big vertical metal cutting bandsaw, it sure is nice to have.

 

[Beerslayer]

Good point Bumper. I've seen a chop saw blade that does good clean cuts fast. Trying to remember the name of it. Anyone seen that woman April who has a build channel on Youtube? She started with wood and is now working with steel too? Great channel, her enthusiasm and creativity are fun to watch.