Читать книгу Farm and Workshop Welding, Third Revised Edition - Andrew Pearce - Страница 7

Here is the line taken on safety throughout the book. Today’s duty of care requires that businesses and individuals both do, and are seen to do, the right thing regarding safe working practices.

So I don’t intend to ramble on endlessly about staying safe. Adults should have enough common sense not to need that, and ought to pack a sufficiently well-developed sense of responsibility to look after the well-being of themselves, others, children, and livestock.

If a risk or hazard exists that might not be obvious, I’ll try to point it out. Nevertheless, the responsibility to use good, sensible, and legal working practices rests entirely with the reader.

When welding, cutting, or grinding, use protective equipment — eye shields, fireproof clothing, proper footwear, and respiratory protection — as specified by industry guidelines. Advice on safe working is readily available: ask your welding equipment supplier, the equipment’s maker, or contact Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA). Be aware of the presence of children and livestock, and the possible risk to them from hot material, fumes, flying sparks, and ultraviolet radiation. Assess whether your skills are up to the fabrication or repair that you’re about to undertake, and think through the safety implications should it fail in service.

The bottom line is this: if you’re not 100% sure about how to do something and/or not 100% confident about the outcome, don’t do it.

First Things First

Just what is welding?

It’s the process of joining materials using heat. In fusion welding, joint components are heated until they melt together or are positively fused by pressure. Blacksmiths use heat and hammer blows, but here we’re more concerned with getting heat alone to do the work.

This heat will come from either an electric arc, a gas flame, or in the case of plastics, from a hot air gun. Filler is usually added to the joint from an electrode or separate rod. Non-fusion welding techniques like braze (or bronze) welding and soldering use heat too, but not enough to melt the metals that form the joint.