# Where's my sign---- sunburn---????



## Gary Max (Feb 4, 2013)

Not to long ago I bought a my first Mig welder. Last weekend I made the time to rebuild the ramps on my 18ft trailer. By far the biggest project I have taken on but my welds are looking better. I spent the better part of a day cutting the old ramps up and building new ones. By the time I was done I had a severe red neck sunburn.  I now have a hood/neck drape on the way-----I would of never thought about getting sunburned welding.:whiteflag:


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## pineyfolks (Feb 4, 2013)

Gary , you might want to get one of the light weight welding jackets as the light can penetrate thin clothing. The light weight jackets beat heavy leather in the summer too.


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## churchjw (Feb 4, 2013)

One of the worst welding burns I ever got was right at the base of my throat.  Where my hood stopped and my jacket was supposed to be.  I had unbuttoned the top button on a break because it was hot and forgot to button it back.  Welded for about 3 hours. I had about a 1 inch triangle blister.  Hurt for weeks.  But I never did that again.

Jeff


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## Gary Max (Feb 4, 2013)

See HoMer----- I told you I wasn't the first person to do this-----------:rofl:


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## Ray C (Feb 4, 2013)

Ditto!  I did the same exact thing....  Very common welding error.

And if you use sleeve-type arm covers, make sure your biceps stay covered.  -Got me a nasty burn there too so I don't use them now and just stick with a dedicated welding jacket.  This is a good one for summer:  http://www.bakersgas.com/REVBX9C.html  And in the winter when I want to protect my winter work coats, I have the same style a couple sizes bigger to fit over other clothes.


And my dogs freak-out when I wear this:  http://store.cyberweld.com/tilewehe...6c6577656865&gclid=CNqP7f2jnbUCFcyf4Aod9ikAHQ



Ray






churchjw said:


> One of the worst welding burns I ever got was right at the base of my throat. Where my hood stopped and my jacket was supposed to be. I had unbuttoned the top button on a break because it was hot and forgot to button it back. Welded for about 3 hours. I had about a 1 inch triangle blister. Hurt for weeks. But I never did that again.
> 
> Jeff


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## Grumpy Gator (Feb 4, 2013)

Mig is bad but not as bad as TIG. I was welding a tuna tower on a hot summer day {100° +} in flip flops and cooked the top of my feet from the flash. Won't do that again. :rofl:
***********Just Saying*************Gator***************


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## lindse34 (Feb 4, 2013)

I second TIG welding aluminum as about the worst for UV burns. First time I did it in a short sleeve shirt since TIG hardly ever splatters. Never again. It seems the reflectivity (if that's a real word) of new aluminum really causes problems.


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## Gary Max (Feb 4, 2013)

Guess I better order a jacket also---- the mailman just delivered my first two 1lb rolls of Alum wire.


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## Ray C (Feb 4, 2013)

You'll go through that like a roll of candy shoestrings.




Gary Max said:


> Guess I better order a jacket also---- the mailman just delivered my first two 1lb rolls of Alum wire.


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## bcall2043 (Feb 4, 2013)

Gary Max said:


> -----I would of never thought about getting sunburned welding.:whiteflag:



I guest my sign should be in "*BOLD and ALL CAPS*". I took welding classes and we were taught about the burns. 

Back in the summer I was building a small project that had more cutting, fitting, drilling, and tapping than welding and it was hot. I normally wear heavy cotton long sleave shirts for welding. Did I mention it was hot. It was hot so I had on a short sleave shirt and just put the welding hood on for the quick welds. I got heavy sunburns on the neck, hands and arms. :nono: I finally learned and I won't do that again!

Benny
The Orphanage Never Closes


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## Rbeckett (Feb 4, 2013)

Gary,
I feel your pain.... I too once made the mistake of not wearing ALL of my PPE andmy chest,belly and arms blistered ohh so vividly.  After that I never forgot again.  When I am welding a big project I even use sunblock on the back of my hands and neck below my helment to avoid the return of the burn.  It's one of those things though, some dark skinned folks never have a problem, fair skinned folks get burned up so even though I am fairly dark I take steps to prevent a re-occurence because my Dr says that the kind of burns it produces are also more likely to become a cancer or melanoma.  God knows I have enough health issues now, so I am very very carefull to avoid adding something new to the already too big pile of stuff I have to deal with.  Good luck and don't forget to post up pics of your new welder and your projects too.
Bob


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## Randy_m (Feb 4, 2013)

One thing I feel I need to add here is this, Never weld aluminum or stainless at 90-100 amp mig or tig without a #12 shade lens! There is so much reflective UV light coming back at you you can sunburn your retinas with a #10 or less. Check your adjustable auto darkening hood to make sure it didn't get bumped to a lower shade. I once was welding SS at 55 amps with a #8 lens (I needed a .060 bead) well the next time I had to weld SS I grabbed my Tig hood and off I went, well long story short after a few welds I ran into the house and my wife laughed at my "square sun burn around my eye's". Now I have had arc flash, it ain't no fun. Boy did I panic!


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## Grumpy Gator (Feb 6, 2013)

Welders flash no fun. Think you are over it go to bed later and Wake Up becuse somebody is sandpappering your eyes.
  Not good the boss got it so bad he don't weld no more.
 Best advice I can give drop your lid  befor you start to weld.
Just Saying****************Gator***********


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## 69thumper (Feb 6, 2013)

:nono:i do a lot of mig welding, have had lots of sun burn on my arms.  my wife really gets ******, maybe i'll learn one of these days!


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## Metalmann (Feb 6, 2013)

The worst burns I ever got, was mig welding, in shorts. Hasn't been that many years ago, either.



Burnt the insides of my thighs, shins, not to mention my valuables.:whistle:


Hurt like hell for weeks.


Talk about "ChestNuts roasting on an open fire".


It was one of those jobs where you think it will only take two minutes. Then, you start looking at the project from different angles.....then decide it needs just a little more.......and you forget about the shorts.....................


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## jpfabricator (Feb 6, 2013)

I used to be a pipefitter for a pipeline company, and flsh burns were just a normal occurance. if you ever get that sandpaperd eye feeling smear a light thin layer of VICKS vapo rub under your eyes before bed. It will pull the burn and the red out of them.


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