When you have a project that you have or will hit a snag in, custom welding may be the answer. If you are in this situation, you may think that the best way to go is to have someone in your workplace do the welding themselves. This may seem like the faster and cheaper option, and if you have an experienced welder on your staff already, that’s certainly true. However, if the person you’re thinking of has little to no relevant custom welding experience, you could be in for a rude awakening once the work is underway.
Overall, welding requires training and real experience, and this is particularly true if you need custom welding done in connection with a fuel project. While welding may appear deceptively easy on TV or in online videos, it requires skill and knowledge. Without experience, a person who is welding can create a hazard, damage your equipment and cause your project’s price tag and timeline to swell. Before you decide to try a DIY approach to your custom welding job, consider the three benefits that come with using an experienced welder.
Properly prepped surfaces
Any time you try to weld on a painted, dirty or rusty surface, you’re going to run into problems. The experienced welder will make sure the area is properly cleaned before they start working to ensure the job ends with the best results possible. How the welder will clean the surface will depend on the coating or debris in the way and the metal type, but grinding is one common approach. When the area is welded without a proper cleaning, you can end up with a weaker welding job because the rust, paint, dirt or other debris remove heat from the weld-metal surface.
Perfectly controlled heat
Experienced welders will maintain and control heat and penetration at a steady pace while working. For thicker steel, for example, they may add more weld beads to keep the piece being worked on as secure as possible. When a person, who is welding, cannot control penetration or heat properly – they can harm the equipment being worked on, themselves and even people nearby. This is particularly true when someone is welding around fuels such as petroleum, which pose additional hazards of their own.
Expert following of all petroleum safety protocols
A person without much welding experience may find they need to use tools or equipment they have only seen a few times, if ever, in their lives. Of course, this poses an immediate safety issue to the welder and possibly to the people close by when the work is being done. As with other tools, it’s easy for someone unfamiliar with welding equipment to hurt themselves using it.
While the handy person in your business may be up to many tasks, custom welding shouldn’t be one of them if they lack the proper experience. For the safety and well-being of your staff and your petroleum project budget, reach out to an experienced custom welding service for assistance with your upcoming project. Having an experienced welder on the job will ensure it is done correctly and safely the first time.