7 Must-Have Welding Accessories

Even if you’re relatively new to welding, you probably already realize that there is some danger involved in it. So, before you pick up a welding torch, there are three items that you should be already wearing: the proper clothing, steel-toed work boots, and some sort of ear protection.

Some of the items on our “must-have” welding tools list are also there because they contribute to your safety. But we believe you should always show up for any welding task already dressed in protective clothing.

A jacket made from a non-synthetic flame-resistant material will prevent burns to your arms and upper body. A hat and bandanna will stop a wayward spark from landing on your scalp or neck. Heavy-duty steel-toed work boots will protect your toes from falling metal, and ear protection can save your hearing from the loud noises that welding can produce.

Once you’re basically protected, here are seven of the best welding tools and accessories that you will appreciate once you begin to weld:

1. Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet

The first essential welding accessory you must acquire is a welding helmet or hood. It will protect your eyes, face, and neck from flash burns, sparks, and ultraviolet and infrared rays.

An auto-darkening helmet will provide the added benefits of saving time and helping you get your weld started correctly.

While all welding helmets might not be created equal, you won’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a good one.

 

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2. Welding Gloves

Welding gloves are not optional, either. You will need these thick gloves made with heat resistant linings to protect your hands from the extreme temperatures that are generated during welding. Some welding gloves are exceptionally thick, and experts recommend these for beginners. You’ll be able to pick up hot pieces of metal with these gloves and hold them for a few seconds without getting burned.

There are also thinner leather gloves that work well for TIG welding when you need a more precise hold on the torch. Unless you’re handling a lot of hot metal, your gloves should last a long time.

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3. Welding Clamps

An assortment of clamps will save you a lot of frustration. You’ll need to secure your workpiece to a table, and C-clamps are perfect for that. Most experienced welders have a dozen or so different-sized C-clamps in their shop. Without clamps to hold down the individual parts of a weldment, the heat from welding will warp the pieces and throw the weldment out of square. 

Here’s the order in which you’ll be using your clamps: 

1. Cut your pieces to length
2. Fit them together tightly 
3. Clamp them in place
4. Tack weld them
5. Remove the clamps
6. Lay the final welds

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4. Angle Grinders

These versatile tools have many uses, and most welders have at least two of them—one for cutting and another for grinding. With the grinding disc, you can prepare surfaces, put chamfers on corners, remove scale, or smooth out welds. And you can use the cutoff wheel like a saw. Having two of them saves you the time of changing discs each time you have a different task. 

It’s hard to imagine a welding workshop without these grinders, so they rate high on the must-have list.

 

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5. Safety Glasses

You’ll probably remove your helmet when you use your angle grinder, so you will need a pair of safety glasses to prevent those sparks of metal from getting into your eyes. Those small, hot grinding particles can stick to your eyeball and cause irritation. They often have to be removed by an eye doctor. Always wear safety glasses or a full-face shield whenever you are grinding, sanding, or cutting.

 

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6. MIG Pliers

MIG welding is generally considered to be the easiest process for beginners to learn. And if you’re going to do MIG welding, you need a pair of MIG pliers. Here are some of the reasons:

• You can remove a hot nozzle safely: the pliers come with a circular clamp to remove the nozzle from your gun.
• You can unscrew the contact tip: at times, you must remove your contact tip and replace it with another one.
• You can use it to clip your wire: the pliers come with a cutoff feature so you can maintain the correct length of wire sticking out.
• The needle nose of the pliers come in handy: you can use them to clean the weld spatter on the inside of your MIG nozzle.

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7. Welding Magnets

Welding magnets are another versatile accessory. They will hold your pieces in place or create 90-degree angles in your welding projects. You can purchase them in a variety of sizes and use them your small projects on up to some of your largest ones.

They are inexpensive and readily available, so you can have plenty on hand without breaking the bank.

 

 

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This list of must-have welding accessories is far from being all-inclusive, and the more experienced you become, the more the list will grow. You can find our high-quality PrimeWeld welding accessories, along with our lineup of welding equipment to get you started on a career, or merely a hobby, as a well-equipped welder.