When you’ve taken the first steps toward MIG welding — acquired a welder, learned to use it; collected appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); and drawn up a plan to build, repair or create —you’re serious about welding. You’ll also want to check out some important accessories to help you execute the welded masterpieces you’re envisioning. Let’s check out some frequently used accessories and discuss their application to welding.
This tool offers multiple uses for a variety of tasks, and it’s best to have more than one. You’ll want one with a thin-kerf cutter wheel and another with a disc to grind, sand and smooth welded surfaces and remove scale. The latter type is also good for preparing surfaces for welding.
Invaluable for marking cutting pieces, a carpenter square is also important for examining joints and miters. A fabrication version of a carpenter square can be clamped directly to your workpiece to keep joints square while welding.
Handy for cutting angles and tubes, a chop saw used with clamps will allow you to achieve 45° miter cuts consistently.
You’ll almost always need clamps for welding. C-clamps, pipe-clamps and vise grips — all are likely to come in handy for holding workpieces steady.
Useful in welding for the same reason it’s useful in so many endeavors, a level helps you keep workpieces aligned.
Like clamps, magnets are good for holding workpieces together. Not as steady as clamps, standard arrow-shaped magnets are still great for holding 45°, 90° and 135° angles. Adjustable arrow-shaped magnets, also available, can be used to hold workpieces at any angle.
Nothing short of amazing, this gel will help you hold your temper while welding. It keeps your torch tip clean by preventing spatter from sticking, and thereby allowing shield gas to keep flowing smoothly and wire to keep from unspooling. You will love nozzle gel. It’s cheap and one jar lasts a long time.
Needle-nose or diagonal pliers are perfect for cutting and clearing wire away if it gets stuck to the contact tip. (There are pliers made specifically for MIG welding, but if you have needle-nose or diagonal cutter pliers, they work very well.)
This is a great marker for many things, including metal. Even when metal heats up, soapstone marks remain highly visible. Soapstone is inexpensive and simple to use.
This is the best tool for measuring before cutting. The old saying, “Measure twice, cut once,” applies for workpieces, too. You want workpieces to line up. Use a retractable measure for longer pieces. A flat steel ruler is great for smaller, more detailed segments.
