Anyone get shop hangovers?

Anyone ever get these?
Seems like every time I spend any good legnth of time in the shop doing stuff I have a massive headache the next day. Doesn't matter if I have the garage door open with good air circulation or if it's closed up the whole time.
Spent about 7 hours last night out there. Welding, plasma cutting, grinding and this morning woke up with a killer headache. Had the door open the whole time with a slight breeze through but apparently it didn't help.

I don't know if it's fumes, or if it's my eyes.
It's getting real frusterating that I cant do the stuff I enjoy without paying for it the next day.

I'm thinking of getting a giant fan to really move air around and see if that helps. If it does, I might shoot for buiodijg or getting a fume extractor and seeing if that fixes it.

So how are your eyes? You say you have good ventilation but if it is something you are allergic to maybe a respirator would help.

If you're using an auto darkening hood, check to make sure that your shade setting hasn't been accidentally moved to a lower setting. Next time you're welding, set it to just light enough that when you're arcing, you can just make out what you need to be welding.

earthman said:

So how are your eyes? You say you have good ventilation but if it is something you are allergic to maybe a respirator would help.

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My eyes aren't too bad. They want me to wear glasses at night because I'm partially night blind. But otherwise, I don't need anything.
I might just try a full face respirator next round and see if that does anything.

endicott_jb said:

If you're using an auto darkening hood, check to make sure that your shade setting hasn't been accidentally moved to a lower setting. Next time you're welding, set it to just light enough that when you're arcing, you can just make out what you need to be welding.

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Good call. I'll check that out.
I haven't been known to be allergic to anything, but as ya get older, those things change.

I some times get those shop hangovers too, but mine are usually from too many wobbly pops

But honestly my auto darkening helmet got out of wack and did cause me some head aches.

Seemed to happen to me on every Tuesday morning........
might have had something to do with the guy's coming over for
Monday night football...[ddd Hope you figure it out and it's something
simple.........

I worked in a fabrication shop back in the 70's and nobody ever mentioned smoke, welding, gas cutting, grinding etc. The air was thick with smoke and even back then I could never understand why there was not massive ventilation systems in place.

I guess because it was England, and it was all they could do to keep the place above freezing point in winter, so they didn't want to suck all that hot air out just for the guys help.

I have a vent fan high in the wall of my shop to suck out hot air rising, and also have some fans to blow air around, and keep the doors open during the day, but it has been 100f here most days over the last couple of months.

It may be your eyes. If I go to the eye doc in the am I'm ok or not too bad. If I go later in the day Idon't do as well. The other thing I have found is if I'm stressed about a job in the shop or trtying to do something more difficult I will clinch my teeth and that will give me a head ache and sometimes a stiff neck.

Eye strain is a big #1, at least in my experience.

Industrial Disease! Seriously, you may have become sensitive to certain airborne elements or something nobody has mentioned yet... noise. Sounds silly, I know, but if the "right" conditions exist, I get a headache. (Grinding at length bothers me for sure.)

.

kenny c said:

It may be your eyes. If I go to the eye doc in the am I'm ok or not too bad. If I go later in the day Idon't do as well. The other thing I have found is if I'm stressed about a job in the shop or trtying to do something more difficult I will clinch my teeth and that will give me a head ache and sometimes a stiff neck.

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This might very well be a part of it too now that you mention it. I grind my teeth bad. And when stressed at work, my thighs KILL the next day. I much keep them clinched or something.

Thanks for everyone's feedback!

I think I'm going to try a systematic approach.
Eye doc visit is probably in order.
Next long night I have with a good mix of welding, grinding, cutting, I'll wear a full face mask. See how I feel the next day.

I'm also very bad about hearing protection too. I try to remember to grab the ear muffs, but rarely actually get them.

If you tend to use ear muffs and don't always use them, I'd suggest ear plugs instead. I like using the type that are on a plastic band that can hang around your neck. They're made by EAR and are called Cabo Flex's. I'm fortunate enough that most of my safety equipment I can get from work.

Anytime I weld, grind or use my plasma cutter I open one door and put my big shop fan by the other door to get those fumes out, they'll kill you for sure!

Only time I get a shop hangover any more is when I hit the shop's beer fridge too much! [ddd

Beercan

jmlcolorado said:

I'm also very bad about hearing protection too. I try to remember to grab the ear muffs, but rarely actually get them.

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I've had tinnitus since I was a teenager, and it has only got worse over the years. Too many loud rock concerts and wind-rush noise from fast motorcycles. If the noise is loud enough that you have to raise your voice to talk over it, then it is loud enough to damage your hearing.

And your ears do NOT heal.

I have several pairs of ear muffs hanging on the tool board in my shop, use them every time I grind or use a power tool.

I want all of you to go back and re-read King Herald's post. Especially the part about 'your ears do NOT heal'. If you are young enough and arrogant enough to think you're not hurting your ears with loud noises [like I was], then read what I write. Protect your ears. Even fairly loud continuous noise will break down your hearing over time.
Once you've realized that you've been hurting your ears all of these years, it's too late, because the damage has been done and 'your ears do NOT heal'.

My hearing loss can be accounted for 2 major instances. The first, and probably why my right ear is worse, was a day at the range when I forgot my ear plugs. Probably shot about 300 rounds that day as it was pre-qualification. The second, and probably the worse, was when I was in Afghanistan and my platoon had to go to another base so we rode a CH-53 helicopter for what seamed like an hour and a half. Tried using cigarette butts but that's not even close to the same. Both instances could have been avoided if I had only remembered to bring what I was supposed to. As I've gotten a bit older, and maybe a little wiser, I've realized and learned that your hearing is one of your most important assets. It not only allows you to communicate but also controls much of your balance. Ya know those people who can barely hear, yeah, they fall down a lot more. Or like me, lose their balance doing simple things like climbing steps.

I`ve got tinnitus. Seriously loud at times too... yea, you bet it sucks
I`ve got hard plastic ear plugs with filter inserts ,made to fit my ears. About $130 and worth every penny.
Sure, fumes out of the shop as much as possible, but don`t underestimate noise as a headache trigger.

All of us older gents seem to get wiser as we age......but like stated...
a bit late for some of us....can't hear worth a lick.....getting harder every
day to see things with out pretty strong cheaters.......
so all you young guy's take heed whats been said and be smart use your ppe.....
you can't do this stuff very well without eyes, ears and fingers......
just sayin....

Well, I stopped and got a few different styles of ear plugs.
Normal foam ones don't work worth a crap in my ear holes. They fall out quick, even when out in properly.
So got a couple different styles of ribbed plastic ones.
One with a hard band, and another with a string to hang them around my neck.
Gonna try to make it a habit to toss them in when gettin dirty.

I will also try to wear them when working in the shop.