Safety gear for doing your own metal fabrication

Metal fabrication is not really a project people generally tend to try and perform at home. However, with some experience and the proper tools, it's not at all impossible. When performing metal fabrication on your own, the most important thing to remember is to keep safe. When welding or dealing with heavy metal pieces, the risk of being hurt is rather large. Making sure you have the right gear to protect yourself from injury is therefore the most important thing when thinking about doing your own metal fabrication.

Gloves

Gloves are important for every step of the fabrication process. You'll need sturdy gloves to carry pieces of scrap metal around. Avoid leather gloves, as you'll need flexible gloves that can also stand to get wet without stiffening. You'll also need a pair of proper welding gloves. These should, however, be made out of leather, as they then are thick enough for you to touch pieces of burning hot metal with and you don't have the same need for flexibility as when you're just handling material. Make sure the gloves are long and go up a bit on your arm, as their main purpose is to protect you from hot sparks when welding and your arms are just as prone to be affected as your hands.

Face protection

You will need to have a welding helmet when performing any type of welding. This is essential to protect your face and your eyes from the light and the sparks produced in the welding process. Underneath you helmet, and when you're working on sanding and trimming the metal, you also need to wear a dust mask. This is to protect your lungs from the harmful influence of all types of particles created in the fabrication process. You should also wear a beanie underneath your helmet, to make sure your hair is also protected from catching on fire.

Ear plugs

Environments where you are performing metal fabrication can get rather noisy; sometimes so noisy that it can actually cause you to suffer from loss of hearing. This is why you should always make sure to have some form of hearing protection near you in the shop. Disposable earplugs are available to buy in bulk so that you can use new pairs every time you need it. If you're an experienced fabricator that is also working on other projects, you can opt for getting custom made ear plugs. These are made from casting your ear and therefore have a perfect fit. They cost a bit more, but are a permanent hearing protection solution.