Dressing properly for welding is as important as the equipment you use

What you wear is just as important as the equipment you use

Toby Chess ABRN collision repair auto body repair welding clothin welding equiment

Collision repair technicians typically aren't known for having a lot of style sense when it comes to dressing for work—and for good reason. Repairing vehicles is a demanding, difficult and often dirty chore. Utility trumps style.

That doesn't mean shops or technicians should skimp or cut corners when picking out welding clothes and personal equipment. What a tech wears when welding is as important as the welding tools he or she uses. The steps a tech or shop takes to pick out the right clothing for a welding job are part of the steps necessary to get the job done right and ensure the best quality of work.

Use these steps when picking out your welding garb. (Note: I came to my conclusions on clothing and personal equipment after conducting nearly 3,000 I-CAR welding tests. I purchase my own equipment and receive no compensation from any manufacturer.)

Step 1: Invest in the best available welding helmet you can find

In the trailer I bring to every one of my welding tests, I have eight high-quality, high performance welding helmets. At nearly every welding test I conduct, the students use these helmets instead of the ones they typically use at work. Why? Using helmets like these is part of the lesson I want my students to learn.

Before conducting a test I'll ask a class, "Would you go to a swap meet and buy the cheapest set of sockets for work?" They respond, "No." Then I ask, "Why would you buy the cheapest welding helmet when you have only two eyes?" Picking out the right helmet means finding one that offers optimum protection and viewing of a repair.

There are two types of welding helmets: passive and auto darkening. The passive type requires you to snap your neck down so that the helmet comes down before the arc is struck (it usually comes with a shade 10 lens.) The auto darkening helmet automatically darkens when the helmet sensors detect the arc is struck. This type of helmet is recommended for collision repairs. Consider some of the features when purchasing an auto darkening helmet.

First consider the number of helmet sensors, which goes from two to four. As the number of sensors increases, so does the amount of area covered by sensors. That means more protection. Having more sensors is particularly important when you conduct out-of-position welds (for example, welding a rail while lying on your back). In these positions, with fewer sensors, the available sensors could be blocked, preventing the helmet from offering optimum protection.

Also consider the work view the helmet provides. The helmets I use have either a large seven or nine square-inch screen. I also recommend using a helmet that can hold a magnifying lens. I've found that most of the techs in our industry need additional help seeing welds. Experience has shown that using a magnifying lens is easier than wearing eyeglasses during a weld.

A couple other features to consider are adjustable sensitivity control, which adjusts viewing for different lighting conditions, and adjustable delay control. The latter is important since it keeps the lens dark after the welding has stopped since harmful rays continue being emitted by a repair until the weld has cooled.

Step 2: Use the correct type of welding glove

MIG welding requires a tech to use a specific type of welding glove. Unfortunately, nearly every tech that I have ever encountered uses the wrong type of glove for MIG welding – specifically, thick, heavy gloves that provide heat protection for other types of welding. MIG welding requires gloves that are flexible and that provide a "feel" for the work.

Step 3: Find a welding jacket that offers the most in comfort and protection

Welding jackets are available in four different forms: Full leather, half leather, cotton and hybrid. Full leather provides great protection but can be uncomfortable and difficult to work in since it can restrict your movement.

Look at other options such as jackets that cover only your arms and include add-on features such as a front chest protector. These options offer protection and freedom of movement.

If you're looking for extra comfort, consider a cotton jacket. They have the benefit of being lightweight and cooler than leather. Cotton jackets are fire resistant, but hot molten metal will penetrate the material (something I personally can attest to).

I recommend investing in a hybrid jacket. These jackets feature leather sleeves with cotton construction, so they provide adequate protection and lots of movement.

With the proper helmet, gloves and jacket, you're ready to suit up and move on to the next steps in your welding/repair processes.