Welding in the rain is no problem if you have the right tools and know-how. Welding outdoors can be tricky if it’s raining, which is why most welders prefer to work indoors. However, there are instances when you need to weld outside regardless of the weather. Moreover, many people enjoy welding as a hobby or side job and will find themselves doing so outdoors more often than not. If that sounds like you, read on to learn how to successfully weld in the rain with ease.
Can You Weld In The Rain?
Yes, you can weld in the rain. However, it’s not advisable because the rain will cause your welding helmet to steam up and impair your vision, and the water droplets will cause your welding torch to sputter. Additionally, the wet surfaces will be harder to weld because they’ll be more slippery.
Choose The Right Equipment
- The right equipment is essential for welding outside in the rain. The right equipment includes a pair of welding goggles, a hard hat, and some heavy-duty gloves.
- You will also need a good welder, which can be purchased from any local welding supply store or online at Amazon.com or eBay. You should also bring along some protective gear to protect your skin and eyes from the extreme heat and sparks that are emitted by the welders’ torch when it’s turned on.
- Your welding helmet should protect your head from the heat and sparks of the torch.
- The welding gloves should protect your hands from getting burned or from getting caught in the blades of the torch during welding.
- You will also need to bring along some duct tape, which can be used to cover up any exposed skin that you may not want to burn or get cut by the torch’s blades.
- You will also need some rubber gloves for handling the welded metal after it has cooled off a bit. These gloves can be purchased at a hardware store or online at Amazon.com or eBay.com, and are usually made out of rubber, which is more durable than most other materials used in other types of work gloves due to their high resistance to heat and water absorption. They should be worn over your welding gloves when working outdoors with a welder because they will help prevent you from picking up dangerous debris or splinters from the weld spot while you’re working.
- You will also need some welding boots that are waterproof and can resist the elements, such as rain and snow. They should come with steel toe caps to prevent you from getting cut when walking on uneven terrain.
- You will need some protective eyewear because you’ll be looking at the welds when they’re being made, which can be dangerous if you don’t wear them properly. The welding goggles should protect your eyes from the extreme heat of the torch while also providing a clear view of what’s happening during welding, which is essential for making sure that all weld spots are properly positioned and aligned with each other. The welding goggles should also come with a built-in magnifier so that you can see more clearly while welding and working on smaller projects.
Use Contractor’s Grade Foil Tape
1. Choose The Right Welding Tip
Choosing the right welding tips is crucial to a successful weld in the rain. The most important thing to consider is that you need a filler rod that has a melting point high enough to melt the steel, but low enough not to damage your equipment. Foil tape is usually used for this purpose, which has a melting point of around 650°F (343°C). However, you can also use other types of filler rods with lower melting points such as B-Foil.
2. Use A High-Wattage Welder
If you’re using a regular household current or an auto-darkening welder, the chances of damaging your equipment are quite high. A 20 amp 120vac welder can handle anything up to around 100 amps and doesn’t have any issues with overheating at all. It also weighs much less than an AC 220v machine and won’t be as noisy due to its class D inverter.
3. Use A High-Wattage Flux Core Wire
High-wattage flux core wire is extremely important for welding in the rain. It’s capable of melting the steel without damaging your equipment, and also protects your arc from getting wet. If you end up using any other type of wire, make sure you have a good-quality flux core wire on hand to compensate for the lack of shielding in it. If you don’t have any on hand, you can always order some online if you need them urgently!
4. Use An Extension Cord With A Small Gauge
A small gauge extension cord is best suited for this purpose as it will be able to handle the high current required without overheating or tripping over itself. It also acts as an insulator between your welder and the ground, which helps prevent sparks from damaging your equipment when welding in the rain. The smaller the gauge of your extension cord, the more power you can draw from it. You should also avoid using a heavy-duty extension cord as this may cause trouble for your equipment.
5. Use A Welder With An Auto-Darkening Shield
If you’re using a welder that doesn’t have an auto-darkening shield, remember to keep the welding tip covered at all times! This will help prevent lighting up the arc and causing sparks to jump onto the tip and ruin your work. If you’re using a welder that has an automatic darkening feature, make sure you use it! The addition of this feature can be very beneficial when welding in the rain as it prevents any damage to your equipment by preventing overheating or sparking.
Make Sure Your Gear Is Wet, Not You
1. Your Welding Gear
Always wear waterproof gloves when welding outdoors. It goes without saying that you should also be wearing a safety helmet, goggles, and a jacket. But the most important thing is to wear waterproof work boots. If your welders are all covered in perspiration, they will not work well when it starts raining.
2. The Welding Spot
Choose a spot where the ground is relatively dry and where there is enough distance between the welders and the welding spot to prevent them from getting hit by sparks or arcs produced by the arc welder. You can also use a piece of cardboard to protect your hands while welding in case they get burned by sparks. You may want to use a sponge or rag to wipe off excess sweat on your hands before continuing to weld if you find yourself sweating profusely while working outdoors in the rain. Your welding spot should be close enough for you to reach it easily but far enough away from your home so that it won’t be damaged by any sparks.
3. Prepare Your Welding Spot
Before you start welding, make sure you have everything ready. This includes your welding helmet and goggles, your gloves, your water-tight boots, and the protective gear you’ll need to protect yourself from the rain while working. You can also use a piece of cardboard or a sponge to protect your hands from sparks if they get burned by the arc welder.
4. The Right Arc Welder For Rainy Days
If you want to weld in the rain without getting your hands or clothes wet, it’s best to use an electric arc welder instead of a gas-powered welder or mig welder. Electric arc welders are more powerful than gas-powered or mig welders and can deliver a maximum output of about 15 amps for the most part (although some models can deliver up to 30 amps). This means that electric arc welders produce more heat than gas-powered or mig welders.
You should also choose an electric arc welder that has a ground clamp and a positive grounding clamp. You can find these on the main body of the welder, but you may also have to look for them on the backside of the welding gun handle.
5. The Right Welder Settings For Rainy Days
You should use lower settings with an electric arc welder if you want to weld in the rain without getting your hands or clothes wet. It’s best to start off with a set of around 50 amps and gradually increase it as you become accustomed to working with your new arc welder in wet weather. If you’re not sure how much power to use, it’s safe to start off at around 15 amps and slowly increase it as needed until you get used to working with your arc welder in rainy conditions. Remember that when welding outdoors in the rain, it can be difficult to see the weld pool, so you should set your welder’s output at around 15 amps.
Conclusion
While welding in the rain isn’t ideal, it’s still possible to get the job done. To do so, you’ll need to select the right equipment and make a few simple changes to your usual setup. To do so, you can cover your materials and welder, use contractor’s grade foil tape, and make sure your gear is wet, not you. With the right tools and setup, it’s possible to weld in the rain with ease.
