I am starting a Welding class at my local school here and I need some supplies. They are all requirements and some of them I am having some trouble knowing what brand is good and what is not.

Jackets? Who is good who should I stay away from?
Welding hood with Shade 10,11,12 lenses?
Oxyacetylene Googles shade 5 ( the square or the round better?)
Light and heavy welding gloves?

Now I can go to any welding store, or even lowes, home depot and guess my way through but I don't want to buy crap that won't last. I want to buy good stuff that will wear well and keep for sometime. I was always taught to buy good tools so they last forever and I stick to that whenever possible.

Thank you!

I would suggest going to your local welding supply. You are more likely to find lesser quality stuff at the box store compared to a welding store.

For me, I went with the following:

Helmet- Jackson Fixed front 4.5x5 window, gold lens. I added a neck flap for overhead
and air-arcing.

For cutting, I will either use a pair of shade 5 saftey glasses or a Jackson Faceshield. I have also seen some positive reviews of the Uvex Bionic Faceshield. get 2, one in clear for grinding and one in shade 5 for cutting.

For gloves, I use a pair of Tillman XL deerskin for tig work and brazing. I use a pair of generic welder supply/industrial supply house gloves

For safety glasses, I love Jackson Nemesis series. They come with the neck strap included, and come in a variety of stylish frame colors and lens tints.

I know I should have picked out a \ leather/nomex jacket for welding, but I have been using a heavy weight 100% cotton flannel long sleeve shirt.

Definitely go to a welding supply store...

Jackets, I can't help you with since I use an old heavy shirt. Part of that will depend on the enviroment you'll be working in.

Get a welding hood with the large lense. Most will come with a shade 10. This is fine and probably better to learn on. I've stepped up mine to a Gold shade 12 which will protect your eyes better but it will be harder to see.

Oxy/Acet goggles, been there done that. I prefer the glasses. They are lighter and easier to use. I found myself fumbling with goggles.

Gloves, if you're doing TIG then get the lighter ones, full leather. If you're doing anything else the $10-20 store brand heavy leather gloves work great. They'll break in as you wear them. I have pairs in the kitchen, camp box, shop, and are just great heavy gloves.

No boots with laces. Sparks like to go in the holes.
No white T-shirts. The flash will reflect under your helmet.
Good pair of Carhart pants.



Edit, same opinions posted at the same time... :-)

cant tell you what breed my leathers are, but i only use them when i am doing out of position SMAW or lots of spray arc mig. most of the time i wear a carhart longsleeve shirt for welding. for cloves i like tilman tig gloves and for everything else i wear kevlar stiched drivers gloves.

i dont wear face sheilds. i know all the safety nazis will freak but i also rarely wear safety glasses. as for OA cutting, if its quick and light i wear my sun glasses. if i have to do alot of cutting or heating i will wear my hood on shade 9.

as for the hood, i love my speedglas. it is adjustable from 9-13 and is very very clear. downside is the proprietary lenses. i find myself using shade 13 for almost everyting but TIG. never have sore eyes and never get flashed. if you cant see, you will never be any good at welding.

i do have lace up boots, and have never had splatter or slag in the boot. white shirts are a no go for the above stated reason, but also you will get arc burn through them. and it sucks.

I'll second the welding supply store, especially for gloves. I've yet to find anything remotely decent at a box store when it comes to gloves.Personally I really like my Tilton Mig and TIG gloves, which are much lighter and thinner than the standard bulky "welding" gloves. However for your class you might wanna get one pair of the big standard gloves, and one pair of thinner ones.

I dont actually have any leathers, only a flame resistant cloth welding jacket I got at the welding shop. Some classes may not allow that kinda jacket though. I like it cause it's lighter, and cooler, but it's not as protective.

I bought a hobart autodark helmet at sears and have been very happy with it. It's closer to the bottom of the line, but for most welding work it's great. Just make sure you get one with adjustable shade. Also I frequently use one of the base model lids (hobart or lincoln, not sure) and it is annoying as hell in that you have to push the power button on the inside before you start welding if it's been sitting a while. My helmet is always ready to go, I just put it on and weld so this one is constantly pissing me off when I put it on and get flashed. Once turned on it operates just like any other autodark.

As for jackets, leather is going to offer better protection and last longer, but be heavier, cost more, and be hotter to wear. I prefer cape sleeves and a bib over a full jacket, leaves your back open. Tillman and BSX both offer cotton jackets and sleeves that are better than the green firestops. If you are going to be sitting while learning to stick, get something to cover your lap with or you'll burn holes in your pants, or simply don't sit while stick welding. If you go leather, wax the snaps before using, otherwise they will eventually pull out of the leather instead of unsnapping. I used stick wax meant as cutting and tapping lube on my current leathers, rubbing a candle on the snaps like a crayon works too, only needs a very light amount.

For a hood, get a fixed shade hood. The Jackson Shadow is a good hood for under $50 that offers good protection in all positions. Some of the lighter weight hoods leave your neck wide open when welding overhead. Most come with a shade 10 lens, which should be fine for school. If you're seeing spots after you finish welding, go darker. I put a clear plastic lens over the back of the filter plate (have to take some bend out of the retainer spring) to keep the filter plate in like new condition. Cheaper to replace the clears. If you're having a hard time seeing, but used to see fine, replace the outer clear plate. Flip fronts have the advantage of being able to be used as a grinding shield too. Even if you end up buying some top of the line autodark down the road, you will have the trusty fixed shade to fall back on if the autodark takes a crap in the middle of a job.

For goggles, I use the shaded safety glass type instead. I find the goggles uncomfortable. Go to your LWS and try them on. I also prefer shade 3 to shade 5 for torch work.


For gloves, there are dozens of choices. Go to your LWS and try them all on. Even two gloves of the same model # may fit different as the leather varies. As said already, the heavy style will break in and become flexible as you use them. For thinner gloves, get something with a cuff to protect your wrists. Deerskin, kidskin, and goatskin all offer good dexterity and feel. Just realize that the thinner the glove, the quicker it will transmit radiant heat to your hand/fingers. There is no law that says you can't wear a thinner glove on one hand, and thicker on the other.

If you plan on doing any significant amount of mig work, welpers are worth the money.

The guys and gals that work all the various LWS's I've been to have been nice people who aren't afraid to answer questions. Just realize they're not the to make a decision for you, or stand around waiting on you to make a decision. Back when I was in school, one of the LWS's in town offered a discount to students.

first thing first, get your student ID. all the welding supply shops give student discount in the 10% range, don't be shy to ask. it works every time.

Jacket: flame resistant cotton with leather sleeves ~$35-40

http://store.weldingdepot.com/html/images/items/30-3060.jpg

Hood: auto-darken all the way. jackson fixed 10 shade as others recommend is a good one. but since you want some thing that you will keep for a long time, go for a variable shade one which can cover mig, tig and arc. i have a speedglas 9000x, love it, it has separate 9-13 shade arc/mig, 10-12 tig settings. some times you can find one on ebay for $125. i love my Miller Elite, too.

lots lots people said the Harbor Freight $50 is good, but i have no first hand info on that, but 90% of my class mate had it, no of them got burned or flashed.

gloves, pliers, brushes, clamps: Harbor Freight

absolutely needed: cotton beanies.
http://store.weldingdepot.com/html/images/items/sk250.jpg

Thing is you must know except for the hood and just because of being able to replace the cover plates. As they need it.

Thing is I think that gloves are a personal thing some you will love others you will never buy again . Bad part is you have to use them to tell

The things you are asking about are for the most are all items that will wear out depending on how hard you use or abuse them . If you decide to purchase a good leather welding Jacket that will last a long time . I find mine to be way to hot to wear except for the coldest days.

A tip to remember is take a pair of channel locks to pick up your hot plates from welding nothing ruins a pair of welding gloves like picking up something real hot!!!

It pays always to get to know your local welding distributor most are pretty decent but there are always the few who are clueless .

Good luck and enjoy.

When I took a class at the community college, they had deal with the local welding supply for % off purchases when you showed your ticket for the class and student ID.

I own Jackson, Fibermetal and another welding helmet I can't remember, and my favorite by far is my Huntsman 490P fiber helmet.
http://store.weldingdepot.com/html/images/items/490p.jpg
It's pretty light, and the shade lens mechanism is all on the inside, so when you're using it to chip or grind you don't have to worry about the shade lens getting damaged.
I use Mooresafe lenses.

Cutting goggles
I use the round type because they work well when yuohave to use them with a hard hat. It's easy to slide them to the back when not in use.

Jackets
Usually I'd just wear a long sleeve cotton shirt, but when welding out of position I generally would wear sleeves with a bib in the summer, and a full jacket in the winter. When carbon arc gouging I'd wear my leather jacket cause stuff can go everywhere, especially when you're doing something like the inside of truck bodies.

Gloves
I have small hands so when I welded for a living I bought women's sizes for SMAW & GMAW which allowed decent dexterity. The were really nice gloves actually, but I can't remember the brand.
For GTAW I use thin deerskin.

Someone mentioned beanies, and I've tried a lot of them. My favorite by far are the Kromer. http://www.kromercap.com/
To get the best welds, you really need a polkadot cap. ;)
http://www.kromercap.com/images/a32a.jpg
Seriously, one thing I really like about them that when you reverse them, they ride low enough to cover your ears. Sparks down your ear canal can really sting.

Jacket: I like the Tillman cloth jackets.....they are cheap, and a lot cooler than leathers when it's hot out. They aren't the best for sparks, but if you are careful, that won't be an issue. Let's get serious, you are going to get burned, but you get used to it.

Hood: Look for large viewing area, replaceable lens, and a name brand that your local welding shop carries for replaceable parts (especially important).

Goggles: I prefer sun glasses, but the goggles have been getting more use lately. Buy a pair that is comfortable and has a strap that feels like it will last.

Gloves: If you are new to welding, get the cheapest ones you can find at the welding shop; you are going to singe the fingers on them until you learn.

Hat: I wear a ball cap or hard hat when Arc welding, otherwise I don't wear one.

Safety Glasses: I wear safety glasses under my hood, and I can vividly remember times where I am glad I did. Buy some comfortable ones that will stay on your head if you shake your head side to side.

Carhart: Not only is it the latest in style, but it's the only shit that holds up in the welding environment. Dickies are awesome, but they burn through with sparks, so save them for wrenching and gang banging.

The most important piece of advice I can give you.................WATCH YOUR ASS, the things other students do will blow your mind.....literally! Be cautious of your environment, especially when you guys are working on cutting.

lots lots people said the Harbor Freight $50 is good, but i have no first hand info on that, but 90% of my class mate had it, no of them got burned or flashed.


I've used the same harbor freight cheapie auto darkening hood for over the last year while I've been at welding school and it works just fine. Its a great buy for the price imo.

As far as the rest goes, everyone above has pretty much summed it up.

I would buy a good ss brush instead of a cheapie .33 HF one, it will last way longer.

I wouldn't jump to buy a jacket either. You can do 99% of the welding with a heavy cotton wrangler/carhartt shirt. I do overhead wearing them all the time. When its cold a welding jacket is really nice though.

And look at my sig.

I'd stick with a carbon steel brush for carbon steel. You'll need to use a SS brush with aluminum or SS, so you might as well get in the habit of never using your SS brush on carbon steel. If you do, then use it on Al or SS, you'll fuck up your welds.

I've taken a few pops of slag to the ears, so don't forget protection there too.

I use the HF autodarkening helmet after doing the flip down/head jerk with the school's 2x4 and wouldn't go back. With eye glasses, have had to try out every helmet to make sure you can get the lens in the right place. One thing I really like is the leather piece for the helmet chin. Cuts down on the reflection inside the helmet.

For torch work I ended up with a #5 safety glasses which fit over my glasses. Think those were from Grainger.

HF has a cheap, leather set but too hot here for leather jacket/arms. I did have one pair of their cheap gloves let go at the thumb seam. Extra $10 would have prevented that burn.

Someone mentioned other students. I was in a woodworking night course and another adult turned to talk to me with the router in his hand still running. Can't believe how close a call that was.

Jacket: I like the Tillman cloth jackets.....they are cheap, and a lot cooler than leathers when it's hot out. They aren't the best for sparks, but if you are careful, that won't be an issue. Let's get serious, you are going to get burned, but you get used to it.

Hood: Look for large viewing area, replaceable lens, and a name brand that your local welding shop carries for replaceable parts (especially important).

Goggles: I prefer sun glasses, but the goggles have been getting more use lately. Buy a pair that is comfortable and has a strap that feels like it will last.

Gloves: If you are new to welding, get the cheapest ones you can find at the welding shop; you are going to singe the fingers on them until you learn.

Hat: I wear a ball cap or hard hat when Arc welding, otherwise I don't wear one.

Safety Glasses: I wear safety glasses under my hood, and I can vividly remember times where I am glad I did. Buy some comfortable ones that will stay on your head if you shake your head side to side.

Carhart: Not only is it the latest in style, but it's the only shit that holds up in the welding environment. Dickies are awesome, but they burn through with sparks, so save them for wrenching and gang banging.

The most important piece of advice I can give you.................WATCH YOUR ASS, the things other students do will blow your mind.....literally! Be cautious of your environment, especially when you guys are working on cutting.

Good advice.

My tillman jacket is lasting a long time, and to this day I still use cheap / HF like MIG gloves... $5 for 3 pair or whatever they are is awesome and I Don't midn touching the hot metal.

For TIG I use the nice $$ gloves with padding and extra heat protection.

I have an auto darkening mask that's generic and works great for TIG or MIG... you can spend big $ for a better mask but $110 instead of $400 you decide ;)

what class you're taking? you can get away with regular jacket for oxy/act or tig.

i had a Tillman all cotton jacket when i took my mig class, it worked fine at the begining, but once went got into the good stuff, vertical and overhead welding multi-pass V-grooved 3/8" plates, with the machine cranked up to 23volt and up the sparks rained down with force, i got couple hundred holes in the sleeves within the first hour. i had to switch to leather sleeve jacket and long cuff gloves. that'd be even worse if you do flux core.

the difference between $100 and $400 helmets are the size of the lens and number of sensors. when i weld out of position, i use the miller elite, it has 4 sensors, as long as any one of them is not blocked off, it's dark. if you are planning on welding cages and complicated pieces in the future, you'd better invest in the good stuff.

wear leather work boots preferably steel toe, 'cause you are gonna do some cutting and everything you cut falls downwards, they will be heavy, they will be hot. ask me how i learned. ouch.

also the difference between a cheap AD hood and a more expensive one is the clarity. i dont have alot of basis for comparison because i went with speedglas right away. i have run the miller hoods, a lincoln hood, and the cheap charlie HF ones. my speedglas is the most clear of any when the lenses are fresh. not to mention it is lighter than most and still protects my neck. my only complaint is the cheese dick headgear
Ryan

I didn't mention, but it's probably obvious that my favorite welding helmet isn't AD.
I'm in the minority these days, but I've rarely felt the need to spend several hundred dollars on one when my $45 helmet (actually about $25 years ago when I bought it) does the job just fine. There were in fact a few times when one would have been nice, when I had my head stuck in to a mass of boiler tubes, but it was rare, and I got good welds even without one.
With a properly adjust helmet and my arms braced properly, a slight flick of my head and I'm good to go without electrode movement.

This is all great info! Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction.

All of the stuff that I asked about is required including the jacket otherwise I am not allowed to start class. One of those liability things I guess.

Have fun in class, and remember, weldors do it with hotter rods. ;)

Im currently at a welding school (hobart)

jacket- No doubt get leather sleaves/bib, mine have sleeves, then you can button on the bib part... about 50 bucks, DO NO GET ANY COAT WITH ANY FORM OF CLOTH< ALL LEATHER!

for an oxy mask, get one with a flip up front, square, that way you can see what your doing then when you want to weld just flip down the front. Get the goggles, they help when doing overhead oxy

for a mask, If you can afford it get an autodarkening, it helps when your learning, and being able to darken the shade by half a shade on the fly helps more than you can imagine,

get a good stainless steel brush



Get a pair of CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR saftey glasses, i prefer the big dorkey ones that are adjustable rather than the kind that fits the contour of your eye (had to get slag drilled from my eye due to it comming up under my glasses and in )

I own Jackson, Fibermetal and another welding helmet I can't remember, and my favorite by far is my Huntsman 490P fiber helmet.
http://store.weldingdepot.com/html/images/items/490p.jpg
It's pretty light, and the shade lens mechanism is all on the inside, so when you're using it to chip or grind you don't have to worry about the shade lens getting damaged.



I have that and I put an Arc One Super Single 240 autodark lense in it. Old skool with new tech.

Be careful using those for a grinding shield. The fiber helmet provides no impact protection. We had a welder at work using a 9in cutting wheel and using that helmet, the wheel shattered and went right through the cardboard fiber helmet. I have a picture somewhere, its pretty nasty.

This is great info. I love it, I know its all going to help.

I am currently a carpenter just looking to expand the knowledge base as to what I know. I know a decent amount about carpentry (No one know everything right?) and the tools for that trade, but this is all new to me. It appears to be a great program, if I get my work done quick and pass the sections I can use their fab shop during class time.

It's pretty crazy going back to a school too once your not a "kid" anymore. You appreciate what your paying for. :D

The one thing I forgot to add, I do wear glasses so if that changes any answers let me know. I think the Goggles might have to be the square ones because of that.

Plan on going to the welding store this weekend and picking up stuff. :D Wife says go ahead buy the tools!!! :D

The fact you wear glasses could be a problem depending on how the school policy is written.

You might need to (A) have new glasses with side shields that are not removable . (B) you will need to wear the safety glasses over your glasses which could be a problem getting all that under a welding hood. Not to mention just a pain period.

I have enough of a problem with condensation just with safety glasses on from breathing when the humidity is high.

I always wear ear plugs that welding lab will be real loud.

You will also learn all about arc blow and how to deal with it as with most welding courses you will start with the basics in SMAW .

Have fun

Glasses:
Rx safety glasses with side shields. I usually go through two or three sets of lenses per pair of frames, so it's a smart idea to order at least one spare set of lenses at the time you order the glasses (frames may be discontinued next year and can be difficult to get repacement lenses for after mfg. changes frame style). WalMart gets $20 for safety lenses and is the best deal I've found. Decent safety frames usually start around $50. ALWAYS wear them because even clear safety lenses give some protection against UV (flash) burn. In welding, it's not just flying debris you need to worry about damaging your eyes. Most workplaces outlaw any type of tinted or mirrored lenses, so as previously mentioned, just get the regular clear *safety* lenses.

Every school I know requires a *full face shield* in conjunction with glasses worn underneath for grinding and cutting (double eye protection). OSHA requires a full face shield for grinding, and schools are supposed to comply with OSHA workplace safety standards. Shields should be school supplied. Face shields for flame cutting are usually 5 shade tint, so no special tinted Rx glasses required. If your school does not provide tinted face shields, visit your local welding supply and pick up a shade 5 shield just for cutting. Goggles are not comfortable to wear for long - not recommended.

Hood & lens:
Fibremetal and Huntsman are my two preferred brands. Jackson is OK, but the headgear on Jackson's I have used was low quality. Also be aware that Fibremetal's old design hoods are pretty heavy compared to most hoods on the market right now(neck fatigue can be an issue). For a lens, #10 ought to be sufficient for most indoor/booth welding at typical amperage ranges. 11's nice if you're burning over ~150 amps, less distractions outdoors in bright sun, or if you just have sensitive eyes. 12+ is generally reserved for air arc gouging. Lincoln "Super Visibility" lenses are the best out there IMO and can still be had at a reasonable price (about $3 apiece). They have a very neutral color tint, not green or brownish like most other lenses. Remember to also purchase a bulk package of clear cover lenses in the appropriate size and don't forget to change out to a fresh one when your old cover lens starts looking rough. I also swap to a clean new lens whenever I have to take an employment welding test (It's a little "good luck" thing for me).

Bigger isn't always better on size- Standard size 2 x 4 1/2" lenses are less prone to breakage, cheaper to replace, weigh less than big lenses, are available in more shades and tints, and perhaps most importantly they have half the area available to reflect stray light back into your eyes. 4 1/2" x 5-something "big" lenses obviously give a bigger view of the puddle, but that can become a liability vs. an advantage sometimes. If the inside of your hood has any gloss on it whatsoever (besides the lens obviously) cover it with flat black paint or use black gaffer's tape to help stop any arc reflections. If you are over 40 or have to wear reading glasses, you may want to pick up a "cheater lens" while you're at the LWS.

If you plan to weld professionally, I would recommend learning using a traditional fixed shade hood. A trad hood welder can transition to using an AD hood no problem, but an AD hood welder will have to "relearn" some basic welding skills just to be able strike an arc using a trad hood. The overwhelming majority of Ironworkers that I work with use fixed shade hoods because 1) it's what they learned with 2) For most applications they work just as well, or better, than an AD hood, 3) they are cheap (Fixed hoods are MUCH less prone to getting stolen from a jobsite). You also probably do not want to destroy a $300 hood while your face is being showered with slag from 6" away, so sometimes in the field you will want to use your trad hood for confined quarters/overhead even if you own an AD hood. At least one fixed shade hood is considered mandatory equipment when you show up to work at at a welding job, an AD hood is considered a luxury. I own a Speedglas 9002x and though it's really nice, I will say that it's view comes nowhere near the clarity you can get with some of the better glass lenses still available. The only way to know for sure what lens and hood combo works best for you is to actually try that combo out, so be friendly to your fellow classmates and don't hesitate to swap hoods for a few minutes if they offer.

Gloves:
Start with an inexpensive pair, because you're almost sure to destroy them in the first few days learning. On the 1st day of class, make it a point to observe if any of the students in the class are left handed. You will burn through gloves on your non-dominant hand much faster than your dominant (stinger holding) hand. There's a 10% chance you or someone else in the class is a lefty and this can be beneficial to both parties. If you have a buddy who's a lefty, you can save a few dollars by "splitting" a good pair of gloves after you both wear your own offhand glove out. I always wear a standard MIG or TIG glove on my right hand, so I almost always have a small collection of nearly new right handed (orphan) gloves. The protection of an arc welding glove isn't necessary for my dominant hand and wearing a thinner glove on that hand makes it easier to change electrodes and use tools that are not particularly hot. Most of the more expensive (wool/nomex lined, elkskin) arc welding gloves are available "left only" by special order for the above reasons.

Heads-up for later on - Once you get the hang of dominant hand welding, try your best to get some practice with your non dominant hand so you can use it later on. Some welding tests, pipe especially, "force" you to weld with your non-dominant hand for at least a portion of the test because of the awkward position you will be in while making the weld. (Ask a boilermaker to demonstrate, if you want a really good example)

Leathers/Jacket:
I usually wear the blue cloth Tillman Jacket w/ leather sleeves pictured earlier. I think I paid 30 bucks for it. The green cloth jackets are usually under $15 and you may want one of those until you become accustomed to sweating your ass off wearing leather sleeves. Different jobs require different levels of protection. When you weld in confined quarters, you may want to wear *full coverage* leathers, for stuff like decking work you may need better leg protectio, on really hot days you may want just wear just a cheap pair of cloth sleeves (most of these scenarios don't apply to student welders). If your leathers start to get really nasty, dollar store shampoo works pretty well to wash them up with. With the sole exception of Nomex, avoid wearing anything synthetic (anything that can melt and stick to your skin). For pants, your best bet is probably to buy some cheap heavy cotton pants or jeans from Goodwill. It's a shame to burn up a brand new pair of expensive Carhartts in a few hours; I can almost guarantee you will destroy them learning to weld. I'm a paid professional, and I still buy a lot of my work clothes from Goodwill. At $5 a pair, I can afford to throw them out when they get ruined. The general public never sees me work, so fashionable appearance is a non-issue.

Misc welder's tools/supplies you may want to get in the near future:
A steel pail or bucket (welder's toolbox, lunchbox, foot stool, and firefighting device all in one!)
Chipping hammer ("Atlas Tomahawk" is my favorite, better than a regular chipping hammer for knocking off cutting dross)
Small sledge/large hammer for breaking off tacked fixtures.
An assortment of steel wedges for alignment and positioning
A 3' sleever or prybar
At least one pair Welder's Vise Grips (non swivel pad variety)
Your own (i.e. not bent and abused) 8"+ forged C-clamp
A big mill file for when you just need to knock a small edge off (saves hassle of finding a faceshield and outlet to use grinder)
A silver pencil, & carbide scribe (soapstone isn't always accurate enough)
An unusual color sharpie or paint pen for marking weld coupons (odd/unique color discourages anyone else from trying to pass off your welds as their own).
"Lightnin' Bug" torch striker (mfg by Pearson)
A heat shield pad for the back of your offhand glove (mfg by Tillman)
Baby or Bullfrog sunscreen for your neck (anything ridiculously high SPF & waterproof)
Burn Jel and/or a good Burn ointment (Silvadene is great, but it's Rx only. Ask your doctor for a recommendation on next regular visit)
Ear plugs (to keep slag/sparks out of your ear canal during overhead)

Shameless plug:
Ironworkergear.com is a good place to order welding related gear your LWS may not carry such as MSA hardhats, Kromer caps, and misc. hood mounting hardware.

Lots of good information already given.

For O/A welding goggles, look at the ones sold by Tin Man. There is a head band, then the goggles that are spring loaded. I went for the $$$$ lense, which makes a huge difference when brazing or welding aluminum.

https://www.tinmantech.com/html/head-gear.php
$38, comes with a #5 shade lense. Nice part is you can also get 'reading glasses' to help magnify what you are working on. I'm near sighted, usually don't need glasses for up close.... had a hard time oa welding, only to learn I couldn't see the puddle! :flipoff2:

https://www.tinmantech.com/html/tm2000.php
The small 2" x 4.5" lens is $145. Yes, expensive but so nice to see what you are doing.

These days most of my welding is 4130 done with oa. Yes, still working on my aluminum welding (Ya, mind blower is a bunch of women with no experience welded up all those WWII planes. Aluminum welding with oxy acetlyene.... it is a lost art!)

Have fun with the class!

Tom

Welding hood, a nice pipe-liner 2 1/2x4 gold ''GLASS'' leans shade 11-12 is a good all purpose Len's.:smokin:

Leathers,nomex its personal preference if you decide to use leather i would start with sleevs, average is bout 50 bucks,good set of FR, ''Fire Retardant'' not proof... about 12-15 bucks,

Gloves once again personal preference, probably a good heavy set for flux cor, and stick, a thin pair of deer skin gloves for tig and har wire MIG will be sufficient.

and cutting goggles, well if its required get what ever is comfortable you may also look into a tinted face shield or ful wrap dark safety glasses leave that up to the instructor.

don't forget the steel toed boots..

i was in your shoes about 6 years ago, at barley 17 years old i now carry a steam card for smaw 6g 6010/7018-6010 70's cap
70's all the way out and 70's 7018, as well as a few certs in stainless

keep your head up pay attention and ASK QUESTIONS, you never quit learning.welding is an art. and an art that pays well. first year out as a sub contractor cleared almost 90k after taxes ..:grinpimp:

AND REMEMBER WELDERS DO IT IN ALL POSITIONS :flipoff2:

Ask your instructor if they have good used stuff you can buy for cheap. I took a welding class for 3 years and every semester students would drop out and leave all their gear (usually like new) in their lockers. The instructors would put it in the storage room for new people to borrow, if they asked.

There is some great info in this thread that I feel is overlooked by most new welders. The only other thing I have to add, and I'm sure most of the professionals will agree with me, is buy American made metal working tools! Cheap imports are hazerdous to your health and the health of those around you. Chipping hammers, C-clamps. and vise grips are not areas to cheap out on........ when they break, it's often ugly :eek: