Blog

We would like to wish all ours customers are very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Please note our opening times over the festive period are as follows:

 

23rd December                  Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

24th December                  Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

25th December                  Closed

26th December                  Closed

27th December                  Closed

30th December                 Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

31st December                  Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

1st January                        Closed

2nd January                     Closed

3rd January                      Closed

6th January                       Normal Hours Resume

Delivery runs will change over this period, so please call us for more info

Christmas Opening times

We would like to wish all ours customers are very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Please note our opening times over the festive period are as follows:

 

23rd December                  Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

24th December                  Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

25th December                  Closed

26th December                  Closed

27th December                  Closed

30th December                 Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

31st December                  Open 8.00am to 5.00pm

1st January                        Closed

2nd January                     Closed

3rd January                      Closed

6th January                       Normal Hours Resume

Delivery runs will change over this period, so please call us for more info

What is Additive Manufacturing?

What is additive manufacturing, and how is it similar to the processes which use MIG welding gas and TIG welding gas for shielding? This article will explain what additive manufacturing is, how it works, and why gas is integral to its functioning.

What is Additive Manufacturing?

The term additive manufacturing is a fancy way of referring to 3D printing, and it is rightly dubbed as the future for manufacturing. 3D printing will be reducing costs and production times for parts in all sorts of industries, from oil to gas – additive manufacturing is the way forward.

Currently, those who are enthusiastic but still a little unsure about the future of additive manufacturing have implemented these printing machines as aids to help with prototyping, but in some industries, 3D printing machines are used for mass production too.

 

How Does Additive Manufacturing Work?

The term ‘additive manufacturing’ came from the process involved. There are two contrasting types of manufacturing; the first and most popular of the two we’re mentioning here is subtractive manufacturing. In subtractive manufacturing, the individual begins with a block of material and chips away at the block until only the final product remains.

Additive manufacturing works by building a product one layer at a time, and it began in the 1980s as a means of creating prototypes extremely quickly. These prototypes were not created to be functional, but to offer crucial insight towards the dimensions of the final product.

In contrast to when additive manufacturing was used exclusively for prototypes, it is also used for high volume production in some modern industries. Some key moments in the history of additive manufacturing include the world’s first 3D printed organ (a bladder in 1999) and a splint that saved a baby’s life in 2013. In recent news, the aeroplane company, Boeing, began using 3D printed titanium parts in some of their planes.

The main advantage of additive manufacturing is the speed at which products can be created. From the conception of an idea, the product only has to be input into a digital design software program before you can test it by printing it. This saves companies a lot of money and time, making it crucial for the future of manufacturing.

 

Industries Benefiting from 3D Printing

The precision afforded by 3D printing has been of great benefit to the medical sector. As previously mentioned, 3D printing has made organs and saved lives, and we can only imagine where the future will take it. It’s also more cost-effective for producing smaller volumes of products. Traditional manufacturing usually requires adding new parts to a machine to get it to make the required product, which is an added expense that needs to be paid off. 3D Printing, on the other hand, doesn’t need special new parts and can get to work straight away.

 

Issues with Additive Manufacturing

Unfortunately, 3D printing machines are very expensive, as is the way with all new technology, but it can also be expected that as more companies and people invest in 3D printing machines, the more available and efficient they will become.

Some people believe that additive manufacture won’t be overtaking traditional large volume production scales anytime soon, but instead, the two methods will work in tandem. For small volumes, additive manufacturing is more cost-effective. If the product reaches higher demands, then it may make sense to switch to traditional manufacturing until demand dries up again.

How Is Gas Used in Additive Manufacturing?

Gas plays an important role in 3D printing metal shapes, too. When 3D printing metal, the printer starts with a metal powder that is fused into the required shape during the printing process, but before the powder even reaches the machine, it is important that it remains in good condition. This is to ensure that no faults enter the final product as a result of mishandling the metal powder. For this reason, the transport of the metal powder used in 3D printing uses gas to maintain the powder metallurgy during transport and storage.

In the printing process itself, it is also important that the metal fusing is carried out in an enclosed space with a constant and measured environment. This will ensure consistency between prints. We offer argon gas bottles that can be used to adjust the environment of 3D printing machines. Argon is used because it is an inert gas that reduces oxidation and renders combustible dust inert.

Additive manufacturing is the future, and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing the creations that are made through this process in the future. How will you use argon gas to achieve greater production?

Best Beer Festivals and Award-Winning Drinks of 2019

The UK is home to many things, beautiful scenery, stunning wildlife, magnificent castles, and a love of beer that can’t be matched. Beer is one of the oldest drinks in the world and is the third most popular drink after water and tea. Here in the UK, we celebrate our love for this beverage with a host of fantastic beer festivals that take place all across the country all year long.

Here’s a look at some of the best beer festivals the UK has to offer, as well as the winning beers of the 2019 World’s Best Beers award.

Best Beer Festivals

We Are Lager

 

The UK’s biggest lager festival is a four-day event in Manchester’s Deansgate and aims to showcase the best lagers you can get, all to demonstrate the power of this often overlooked style of beer. It all takes place under one roof for a weekend in April and is coming back around once again for 2020 at Upper Campfield Market.

Brighton Craft Beer Festival

 

For fans of craft beer, this Brighton festival brings a line-up of UK and European breweries to the shores of Brighton; 2019 included the likes of Cloudwater, Burning Sky and Unbarred. Next year’s line-up has yet to be announced, but tickets to the festival are all-beers-included and it is expected to take place at the Clarendon Centre in June 2020.

The Great British Beer Festival

 

Under the iconic roof of Olympia, this beer festival is a must-visit for anyone who loves the delights of British cask ale. The event brings together hundreds of breweries from all over the UK, plus a selection of international beers. There’s live music, street food, pub games and you can even learn more about the craft of beer brewing, with the Champion Beer of Britain competition being judged right there. Look out for this one in August 2020.

Indy Man Beer Con

 

In the crumbling network of grade-II listed Turkish Baths in Manchester, you can drink some of the world’s best beer. At Indy Man Beer Con, they celebrate the finest independently brewed beer in the UK and beyond, with more than 50 breweries to choose from. This festival takes place from the 1st to 4th October 2020.

World’s Best Beers 2019 – Taste Category

From the World Drinks Awards, here are all the winners from the World’s Best Beer 2019 in the taste category.

Best Dark Beer

 

Mira, Brune N˚6

From French company, Mira, this drink was given the title of the world’s best dark beer in 2019. It is described as having a rich, dark colour with a pleasing balance of toffee malt and slightly citric bitterness, with well-displayed hop flavours that are not too overpowering.

Best Flavoured Beer

 

Tazman Brewing Company, Maple Vanilla Evasion

Best flavour for 2019 goes to this US company for their Maple Vanilla Evasion. The beer is described as being an appealing colour, with a complex flavour of vanilla and treacle, chocolate and malts. It is a wonderfully balanced beer that is lingering and warming with a sweet finish.

Best IPA

 

Votus, 001

It’s Brazil that takes the crown for best IPA with the 001. Dark copper in colour with a beige, creamy head, this beer has herbal notes with earthy tones and hints of toffee. Its well-balanced, medium bitterness is offset by sweet biscuit notes.

Best Lager

 

Zubr, Gold

For best lager, Czech Republic takes the crown with their Gold by Zubr. This pale golden beer has moderate carbonation, is light in aroma and flavour and makes for very easy drinking.

Best Pale Beer

 

Camba, Pale Ale

You couldn’t have a best beer list without an addition from Germany. German company Camba takes the top spot for best pale ale with their nice hoppy drink infused with red fruit and citrus. It is light with yellow stone fruit flavours, hops and balanced bitterness.

Best Sour

 

Microbrasserie La Souche, Franc-Bois d’hiver

This French beer wins best sour; it is hazy pink in colour with musky honey and a deep raspberry aroma. It is well-balanced with mustard seeds and pepper to create spicy and complex beer that has a carefully balanced acidity in body.

Best Speciality Beer

 

Sharp’s, Camel Valley Pilsner

From our own country, it’s the UK that takes the gold for best speciality beer 2019. Pale yellow with a haze, its yeasty aromas and medium-bodied bready flavours work in tandem with its carbonation to create a subtle, clean and pleasant taste, akin to white wine.

Best Stout & Porter

 

Cassels Brewing Co., Milk Stout

From New Zealand, Milk Stout has a smooth milk chocolate on the nose, a slight pear drop, vanilla aroma and a smooth and rich dark malt body that is firm and well-rounded.

Best Wheat Beer

 

NBeer, Lindongjiangzhi Weizenbock

Finally, the best wheat beer goes to Chinese company NBeer, for their beer with a banana and esters taste, hints of cloves and a smooth, satisfying finish.

Making such high-quality, exquisite beers takes time and skill, as well as patience. At Adams Gas, we can provide you with beer and cellar gas so you can improve the taste of your beer, improve its presentation or extend the life of your customers’ favourite beverages.

Welding Terminology

 

Jargon Busting Welding Terminology for Beginners

Welding is an incredibly gratifying hobby, but if you’re just starting out then you might have some questions regarding the vocabulary used in welding communities, both hobbyist and professional. We’ve got you covered for arc welding supplies, which you can find in our online store, but you’ll need this blog to best understand all the terminology!

 

 

Cleaning Chemicals

These are for cleaning your workpieces and welding torches.

Back to top.

 

Fume Extraction

Some materials or welding processes create dangerous fumes. An extraction machine keeps the welder safe by pulling the fumes away.

Back to top.

 

Flux

Helps to clean the metals of the workpiece.

Back to top.

 

Gas Regulator

These control the flow of gas through the welding torch.

Back to top.

 

Laser Welding

A type of welding that uses lasers instead of electric arcs and electrodes. This method results in narrow, deep welds.

Back to top.

 

Liquidus

The lowest point at which a metal becomes liquid.

Back to top.

 

 Metal Grinding

A metal grinder may be an important tool if you’re working with rusty metal. It is important to ensure that your workpieces are clean and shiny before you weld, so a grinder may be used to remove areas of rust before you begin.

Back to top.

 

Melting Range

The temperatures between solid and liquid metal.

Back to top.

 

MIG Welding

Sometimes referred to as GMAW – Gas Metal Arc Welding – where an electric arc between the electrode and the workpiece is used to melt the welding rod and fix metal pieces together. In this type of welding, the welding rod is also the electrode, and is consumed into the welding pool during the weld. This means that the welding rods need to be replaced between welds. MIG welding requires specific types of gas and supplies.

Back to top.

 

Power Source

Welding power sources give electricity to the welding gun so that the electric arc can be created. The power source should allow the user to control the voltage, as this will need to be adjusted depending on the workpiece substance.

Back to top.

 

Tempering

When steel is reheated in order to make it stronger.

Back to top.

 

TIG Welding

Tungsten Inert Gas welding functions similarly to MIG welding, however, the electrode is made from tungsten and is therefore non-consumable. This means that the welder feeds separate rods into the electric arc/welding zone to create the seam between two workpieces. TIG welding may also be referred to as GTAW – Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. TIG welding requires specific types of gas and supplies.

Back to top.

 

Plasma Cutters

Equipment that cuts through electrically conductive material using hot plasma to melt space between metal sections. These are used in both industrial applications and hobbyist projects.

Back to top.

 

Shielding Gas

It is important to regulate the immediate atmosphere of your welding zone; a shielding gas is delivered from the end of the welding torch to control the welding process. Shielding gases for welding are often a mixture of pure gases.

Back to top.

 

Torch Cleaner

Used to maintain the torch. A dirty or poorly maintained torch may encourage welding spatter.

Back to top.

 

Welding

The act of welding.

Back to top.

 

Welding Gloves

A protective garment to keep your hands safe from sparks and heat.

Back to top.

 

Welding Helmet

A helmet that protects your face, especially your eyes, from sparks and heat coming from the welding torch. The mask my also filter out dangerous fumes that occur during some welding processes. Some prefer to refer to this piece of equipment as a welding mask.

Back to top.

 

Welding Pool

This is the pool of metal that forms at the base of the welding torch. It is the result of melting the wire and is what will hold your workpiece together.

Back to top.

 

Welding Rods

The metal that is melted to weld a workpiece together.

Back to top.

 

Welding Seam

This is the hardened filler metal between two workpieces after you have finished, sometimes called a welding bead instead of a seam. During the weld, when the metal is still fluid, it is referred to as the ‘weld pool’. A good bead is smooth, and a bad bead is lumpy.

Back to top.

 

Welding Spatter

Spatter means that there are probably air pockets in your weld, which suggests that the integrity of your weld could be compromised.

Back to top.

 

Welding Torch

Part of an automatic welding system. The torch delivers the arc and the shielding gas. The shape of the torch often dictates the type of weld; a torch with a bend is usually used for arc welding. You may find that some people refer to the torch as a welding gun, too.

Back to top.

 

Welding Zone

This is the area where the welding occurs, at the end of the torch.

Back to top.

 

Wire Feeder

Automatic welding guns feed the metal wire into the welding zone, so that you don’t have to feed it manually. This has both advantages and disadvantages.

Back to top.

 

Workpiece

A piece of metal which you are going to weld.

Back to top.

Welding is such an exciting skill to have and there is so much more to learn about how to achieve the best weld for different materials. We will keep you updated with the latest welding tricks and tips in our blog, so stay posted.

Car Chassis Welding Tips

Welding a car is the ultimate welding experience. The ability to modify or create a working product with style, skill, and efficiency has provided many welders – hobbyists and professionals alike – with a great sense of achievement. If you’re looking to start your own car welding project, then you should read our tips in order to excel in your welding.

Welding Tips for Beginners

The most important tips for beginning welders are always all about exercising safety and caution, and with good reason – welding accidents can have very nasty consequences. If you are starting out as a welder, then you may not want to choose something as complicated or important as a car for your first weld. You should definitely try some practice runs on some basic workpieces first so that you can be sure that when you are finally ready to weld a chassis, your work will hold securely.

If you’re a beginner reading this, we recommend that you start by reading our blog, Stay Safe When You Weld, to ensure that you begin with your best foot forward. There are also a few myths about welding that you should get debunked before you start welding a car chassis, which you can also read about here: Top 4 Welding Myths Busted.

Chassis Welding Tips

When welding a car chassis that you are planning on driving at some point, you need to exercise extreme caution and skill. In the majority of cases, you should call an expert to do it for you if your chassis is in need of repair. At the very least, you should get your car tested and checked by a certified expert before you take your product on the road. Failing to do this could result in breaking safety laws.

Once you understand how important it is to be careful about welding a vehicle, your next mission will be to choose your materials and equipment. To do this, you need to understand what material your car chassis is made from.

Typically, a car chassis will be constructed from carbon steel, but more expensive models may be made with aluminium alloys to achieve a lighter build. Lighter builds consume less fuel on the roads, but aluminium alloys are also more expensive to create, hence many chassis are carbon steel instead. For those who are eco-conscious, you may benefit from knowing that steels are far easier to recycle than aluminium, which you may want to consider before you begin your project.

As you may already know, you cannot weld dissimilar metals, so it is vital for any project that you understand which metals you are working with in the first place. You also need to know how to remove any rust currently existing on the chassis as rust can damage the integrity of your weld, which is dangerous on the road.

For chassis welding, you should be confident in your ability to seam weld. If you’re worried about sections moving around while you weld, despite clamping or tacking, then you can always pre-heat the area that you will be welding with your torch to ensure a consistent environment for your weld. If the chassis is still attached to the vehicle during your weld, keep the doors of your vehicle shut to keep the chassis as straight as possible.

Chassis Welding Supplies

First and foremost, you will need either TIG welding supplies or MIG welding supplies, depending on your set-up, but you will also need to consider a metal grinder to cut away any rust, clamps to keep your weld in place, and materials to craft a pattern for your part from (such as cardboard).

When welding such an important piece, you want to be sure you do it right. We recommend that you use our quality gas welding supplies to help you attain those top-quality welds that you’re looking for. We’re experienced in selling gas supplies, so trust us to help guide you in the right direction. We have plenty more advice to offer on our blog, or you can contact us if you have a more specific question regarding any of our products.

Ways to Stay Safe with Gases in a Commercial Setting

When it comes to commercial vocations, there are a lot of things to think about to ensure the safety of you, your colleagues, and the clients that you interact with. If you work with bottled gas in a commercial setting, safety precautions should be at the top of your priorities.

This blog should serve as an accompaniment to official guidelines regarding safe practices issued by your company and the gas distributors you buy with, not as a replacement. Use this article to help remind you of your responsibilities regarding gas safety in a working environment.

If You Are a Food Vendor…

As a food vendor, you are undoubtedly operating in very public places where negligence with gas safety has the potential to be catastrophic. Many food vendors work with flammable gases, such as camping gas or butane. It is your responsibility to your customers and the public to ensure that your portable gas bottles are kept in a safe and secure place.

You need to protect your gas supply from the stove that you will be working on, especially when working in a confined space. Make sure that the connection between the gas tap and the pipe that connects to the stove is secure, as you don’t want any gas to leak from the bottle.

If You Use Heating…

It is unlikely that your office is using a portable gas heater to keep the staff warm in the winter, but it is possible, especially in the event that the main heating supply fails. Whenever you are using gas heating in a confined space, your bottles need to be stored with care, away from any volatile stimuli.

If you are in an office setting where gas bottles are frequently relied on for energy, you must remember to never keep the bottles in the basement or the lowest level of your offices. A gas leak in an open space is relatively harmless, as the gas will quickly dissipate, but in a confined space such as a basement the gas may have no means escape. This could lead to an explosion if the leaked gas catches a spark, or the gas could poison your staff.

If You Work in a Shop…

One of the most important parts of any shop is the gas and electric – these play a key part on customer and colleague satisfaction, especially in the colder months. As such, it is important to protect these assets at all costs.

If your gas and electric units are in a separate room from the shop, it’s essential that you waterproof the space. Failing to waterproof your energy supply leaves you at risk of losing sales during periods of torrential rain because your energy units have flooded. To be sure that your business is safe, we also recommend making regular checks to your energy supplies to prevent disastrous gas leaks or power outages.

If You Work in Welding…

Professional welders require an adequate supply of TIG welding gas or MIG welding gas to carry out their work, but the same as any other employer welders need to diligently exercise gas safety precautions if they want to maintain their business without unnecessary risk.

You need to avoid storing your bottles underground, keep them away from intense heat sources and keep them separate from your tools – or anything that could spark an explosion in the event of a leak. If you need a more detailed explanation of gas safety in the welding world, you can read our blog: Stay Safe When You Weld.

If You Work in a University…

Many universities require a supply of gas bottles for their science and tech departments, so it is important that universities are also aware of contemporary gas safety requirements. Failing to do so could put staff and students at risk.

In one Australian university, a rotting durian fruit led to a full evacuation of students and staff who suspected a gas leak. Firefighters later tracked the smell down to the rotten fruit, but the safety precautions taken by the university are commendable – gas should always be taken very seriously.

In a commercial setting, keeping safe is as much of a priority as keeping your customers and clients happy. At Adams Gas, we ensure that all our products are tested rigorously to ensure that they are as safe as possible. If you would like to know more about any of our products or delivery services, contact us today.

Upskilling and Skills Gaps in Welding

In a 2019 study of skills shortages and demands by region, it was found that there is an excess of welders in Scotland, but a shortage in England and Wales. Here, we’re looking at the stats across the Kingdom and what we can do as both a community and industry to improve and grow.

Welding Can Be Lucrative

In the UK, work in welding can be quite lucrative with annual salaries starting around £22k, averaging around £25k, and rocketing up to over £30k for the best of the best. This makes welding quite a profitable career path, but there are gaps in the market across the UK, which could eventually be filled by promising teenagers considering vocational careers. We need to consider why welding isn’t seen as an attractive career prospect by the younger generations – despite the high wages – and how we can encourage today’s youth to take up the torch.

The Welding Skills Shortage

There are job vacancies and restrictions across all sectors in our Kingdom, with London and the North West reporting the highest percentage of vacancies, but Northern Ireland and Scotland falling fairly below average., as shown in this infographic study.

When it comes to welding vacancies specifically, the stats remain largely the same with the North West experiencing a severe lack of welding professionals, meaning that there are more opportunities for welders looking for work in the North West than anywhere else in the UK.

In contrast to the North West, welders in Scotland face much higher competition with vacancies falling 40% below the national average. Welders in London will also struggle, with vacancies here also falling under 20% below average.

This means that welders may need to move to a more profitable region if they want to find better work. Top areas for welding in 2019 include the North West, Wales, and the West Midlands – all areas with over 80% national average vacancies, and areas that could benefit from improving vocational routes for young people in education.

Teaching Students Vocational Pathways

In the UK, many children feel that there is a stigma against vocational learning and that they should aim for university and academic pursuits, however, this isn’t always the best path for individuals – or the local area – as more skills shortages appear in certain sectors.

In America, a school in the Arizona desert demonstrates how capturing students’ passions for welding can overcome many barriers. Despite the desert location, this school specialises in thoroughly training students with the skills they need to weld underwater. This is achieved from the middle of the desert by utilising deep tanks with gallons of water – but none of this would be possible without the dedication of its students and teachers.

The success of this school is at least partially dependent on the opinion of its students and teachers on the importance of welding as a career choice – specifically underwater. Without being taught that this career is fulfilling and worthy from a young age, this school might struggle to gain interest from prospective pupils – an issue that manufacturing in the UK currently faces, along with many other practical skills-based careers.

One of the greatest draws for this career is the astronomical wages, reaching between $50,000 and $120,000 for first jobs, offering students a very promising future in exchange for the years they spend in training and hard, dangerous work.

In the UK, we need to inspire our young to pursue careers in STEM, as well as teaching them practical skills in lessons and clubs. The youth today may achieve some experience of welding in science, or design and technology, or even very rarely in an art class. They are more likely to learn about welding from dedicated BTECs, but many in the career would argue that this is too late to try to inspire a love of welding in the individual.

We are welding gas suppliers for many businesses and hobbyists, but we could also supply for schools, colleges and youth groups looking to provide the youth of Britain with applicable skills. With so many vacancies around the country, perhaps there is room in education for more people to learn about the power of welding.

How Much Gas Would You Use to Travel the World in a Hot Air Balloon?

Have you ever wondered how much gas you would need to accomplish your greatest dreams? (more…)

Different Types of Welding Rods

Welding is a multi-faceted career; there are a lot of things to remember and experiment with on the path to finding your favourite welding technique. (more…)

Welding in TV and Cinema

There are so many serious papers and blogs out there about welding tips and tricks to help you improve your skills and outwit the competition, but sometimes you need a few moments to embrace what you really love about welding in your downtime. In this article, we look at the representation of welding across TV and cinema to see how this occupation is perceived by the general public. (more…)

Stay Safe When You Weld

It is important to exercise safe practices in all aspects of life, but there are few activities where safety is more important than in welding. One Scottish welder recently lost his livelihood after a fire swept through his workshop in June 2019, destroying over £40,000 in tools. Ensuring that you take the time to properly prepare before beginning any welding job can help to guarantee the safety of you and those around you is absolutely vital.

In this article, we explain why your cautionary procedures should start before you pick up the welding gun, and beyond the finished weld.

Safe Fuel and Gas Storage

Once you’ve put down the gun and finished your latest project, the next item on your agenda is to clean and put away your tools. While doing this, you should ask yourself how you are currently storing your equipment.

Firstly, your tools should be kept in an organised and sensible fashion. You should do this so that you can quickly know which tools are being used by co-workers at any point, or, in the event of a theft, be able to manage your inventory and recount any losses quickly. Some organisation will also accelerate your projects to stop you from wasting time searching for misplaced items.

Next, consider where you keep the fuel for your equipment. Welding supplies use a lot of gas, which is combustible and therefore a threat to your workshop if improperly stored. If you haven’t yet read up on our Safety & Storage documents for the relevant gases that you are purchasing and using in your workplace, then you should check the protocol against your workshop and ensure that no changes need to be made for your safety.

Whilst you should thoroughly check the safety documents, there are some quick tips that you can check for now in your workshop

• Ensure that wherever the gas is kept, it is in a well-ventilated space.

This is to ensure that if there is a leak, your MIG welding gas won’t stick around in your storage room and risk an explosion. If you work from a storage container, it is especially important that it is ventilated as a gas explosion within one of these structures can cause a lot of damage to the surroundings if either of the doors or roof is blown off.

• Don’t store your gas bottles underground.

In some cases, gas can be heavier than air. This is true for Propane and Butane, so you should never store them in your basement, even if you think it is well ventilated. A high collection of leaked propane or butane in your basement could lead to suffocation.

• Keep gas away from heat.

Gas expands when it is heated up, and many of the gases we sell are highly combustible; meaning that they could cause an explosion if heated too much. As well as keeping the gas in a ventilated space you should also make sure that it stays cool, this means keeping your gas supply away from your workshop.

• Keep your fuel separate from your tools.

It might be easier to refuel your tools if the gas is right next to them, but anything that could trigger a spark should be kept well away from your flammable fuels.

• Keep your expensive equipment under lock and key.

Make it difficult for any would-be thieves to access your equipment by adding extra security features to your workspace. Consider CCTV if you can afford it, or threaten CCTV with signs if not. Floodlights can also discourage thieves from attempting to steal your gear, as they will not want to risk being caught in the act.

Welding is a highly valuable skill, but the difference between a good welder and a great one is someone can be down to how cautiously they take care of their hardware and co-workers. Don’t risk your safety; read up on our safety documents now for a better workshop.

MIG, TIG and Laser Welding

You might be a pro at MIG and TIG welding, but have you ever wondered about laser welding and how it can benefit your welds? (more…)