Two and a half months of pile welding

I wear a balaclava if it's not just simple bench work. I like my earlobes unsinged, not just my eardrums.

A balaclava (unless its leather or kevlar) may easily catch fire. I do lots of welding underneath vehicles, and find that a proper welders cap, combined with ear defenders (not ear plugs, as they do not protect the outer ear), stops almost all of the spatter.

You got that right! Hell, just doing overheads and vertical-ups I can hear the spatter against the plugs sometimes (a few times a week). If I am working, I always have that little round plastic pill case with my E.A.R.'s in it. So cheap and simple, yet so important.

Here's a question for you guys: After working all day with earplugs in, do you find it difficult to hear voices (wife, girlfriend, buddies) at night)? My wife tells me I'm deaf, but I find I can hear things that she can't hear i.e. train in the distance, low volume music, etc. I just wanted to compare notes with others before I go off to the audiologist...

Ear protection is one of my pet peeves that I harp on here. One dingleberry in your ear can end your welding career. I use spring clips as they are easy to get on and off, and hang there when not welding.

STeve

Try ear defenders rather than ear plugs, dont seem to affect your hearing after work, and also protect your outer ear from spatter.

Is that the earmuff style?

Ear defenders, eh?

Where can I get some of those?

I need something for my ears...most definitely. I had an operation on my right ear (eardrum was rebuilt) and the ear canal is larger than the normal ear (stuff can get in it relatively easy and mess stuff up).

Thanks Ryan

Just past the two year mark. I thought it was strange that I can hear any one else...

Go to your audiologist anyway. I got hearing aids about four months ago, and they really improved my life. You can have bad ranges in your total hearing range that the new ones can compensate for. I wish two things. I wish I had taken better care of my hearing, and I wish that I had gotten hearing aids sooner.

Steve

Wow. I have never heard of such a thing, here, in the states. Sounds like a good idea, though.

Is there anything that works with a face shield? I always wear ear muffs when I'm grinding, but the ear muff clip and the face shield strap are usually in conflict. I'd like to connect the two somehow.

Dave Wilson

Do a google search for: face shield with earmuffs

Kruppt wrote in news:Xns93B9A6810FB06theilluminatirules@64.154.60.178:

I was under the impression that marriage caused that!

Just did a Google Search of PPE (personal protective equipment) suppliers. It returned over 9,300 in .28 seconds. You can go site to site, or maybe enter a facesheild/ear protection keyword to slim down the search a bit. I am sure you will be able to find what you seek at a reasonable price.

Steve

I found these:

, yeah you may have a point.

Kruppt

Wow, what a thread. Something silly I thought I'd mention. I cut my jeans off, and the fringe catches on fire really easy. The gang thought it was funny, but my ankle got burned good, I diddn't say anything on the site, but when I got back to the hotel, man, my leg was burned good, plus it melted my boot laces onto the boot.

Your best bet to shorten your jeans is to cuff them to the inside (as to not catch spatter). I learned that lesson pretty quickly, too. I try to repair the Carhartts as soon as they are torn.

Its a strange feeling to not freak out when you are on fire.

Starts out calm enough, Kinda like ................

That's an odd smell.

I think I smell something burning.

My ankle is hot.

What's on fire around here?

Oh ****! It's me! .............. (hop, hop, stomp, slap, jump ............... )

Raise hood and look around to see if anyone is looking, and toss some water on the smoking leftovers ..................

Walk away, sloooooooooow and cooooool, ostensibly to get a drink of water, but really to find the first aid kit.

Steve