Setting Up A Mig Hobby Shop
This is the introductory article on setting up a hobby workshop using Mig. I'm calling it A Mig Hobby Shop and will write with the beginner in mind. This is my idea of what you would need to do, buy, build, etc. to get you a good work place going for your handiwork. As a union Iron Worker I'm used to working on structural steel, but in my 15 years of teaching High School and College classes I've learned some things myself about hobby welding also.
It might be a surprise to find out you don't have to have a lot of room to set up a Mig hobby shop. Of course, the more room the better, but if you just have a small space in your garage or outdoor shed, that'll work.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS SAFETY!!!
Make sure you have a safe work area to weld and cut in. That means you especially have to consider fire and fume hazards. Your personal Mig hobby shop has to be fire-proof and you have to make sure it has adequate ventilation. You should have a fire extinguisher AND know how to use it. I've seen people panic during a fire and not even be able to get the fire extinguisher to work, much less know where to point it! (Aim at the base where the flames are being fueled.)
Whether it is a huge factory, or your small Mig shop, safety has to be your number one concern. You could catch the place on fire, blow yourself up, asphyxiate yourself, get cut, smash appendages, get light and contact burns on your skin and eyes, and even get crushed if you keep big plates. So just because it's just your little Mig welding hobby shop, it doesn't mean it can't be dangerous. All that aside though, if you use a little common sense and educate yourself you can keep a safe working environment.
In your Mig welding hobby shop the main thing to remember is slag from a cutting torch can bounce 35' across a floor so you gotta' really look around before you start. Remember that a rag or paper can smolder with little smoke and then later catch on fire. With Mig you use a shielding gas that can cause your lungs to collapse if you breathe it so you want ventilation. When Oxygen and Acetylene from a cutting rig escape and accumulate you have a BOMB waiting to go off, so again the ventilation is important.
I try to warn as many people as possible about working on used containers. I don't do it no matter what! They can be flammable (burn you), explosive (concussion blow you up) and toxic (asphyxiate, poison, etc.) Almost every year I hear of someone getting hurt, maimed or killed working on containers.
So here's where I tell you to make sure to study up and LEARN all the safety procedures, safety is up to YOU!
When you feel you understand the safety practices you'll need to follow, the next step will be toolin' up your very own Mig welding hobby shop. (By the way, this could be a Stick or Tig welding shop also. I'm doing this for the hobbyist and Mig is the easiest way to get started into the freakin' awesome world of welding!)
Toolin' up your Mig welding hobby shop is important because it is the foundation you'll be working off of. A good tool can be like a good friend to you. I had a sleever bar (A 30 inch long, 7/8 inch thick pry bar we use to move beams, columns etc. with.) that a buddy gave me a long time ago. I moved a lot of steel with that bar and even bet my life on it using it to stand on way up high a few times. Some stinkin' thief stole it on a job and I felt like I had just lost my best friend!
You want to get the best tools for the job and you want to use the right tool for the right job. (i.e. don't use a cutting torch head for a hammer as I saw a moron once do!) You also want to let the tool do its job. That's what it was designed to do, make your life easier. That means don't push real hard on a grinder, don't pull a chop saw handle down too hard, don't push too hard on a drill bit (actually saw a guy push so hard it BENT a titanium bit. They usually break, but this one bent!) In your Mig welding hobby shop…let the tool do the work that it was designed to do!
Just like following safety practices in welding and cutting for your Mig welding hobby shop, you should also ALWAYS practice correct safety procedures with hand and machine tools. Eye protection, ear protection, gloves, clothing etc. should always be used as necessary. I could write tons of stories about seeing people (including yours truly) getting hurt, maimed and killed in both shops and the field. I'm leaving the safety education up to you and telling you it AIN'T worth cutting corners when it comes to safety!
Now it's time to talk tools for your new Mig welding hobby shop. In life there are needs versus wants…you need air/food/shelter, you want a new Ferrari. There are tools you're gonna' need, and some you're gonna' want. Better to go with those you need, then start with the wants. Research all you can about what you're gonna' buy. Duty cycles for your Mig welding machine or plasma cutter (how long it can weld in a ten minute period without overheating), 110, 220 volt or both, reliability, etc.
Then comes the fun part, going out and getting your new tools, just like a kid in a candy shop!
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