Calculators
Noise Exposure Guide — dBA, Exchange Rate, OSHA PEL & Hearing Protection
Shop noise is cumulative. Grinders, plasma cutters, and air tools stack dose even when no single machine “feels that loud.”...
Calculators
The calculators category collects posts built around TestTalkHQ’s free shop math tools—welding settings, electrical sizing, air CFM, material weight, cutting speeds, and job costing. Each article explains when to use the calculator, what inputs matter, and how to sanity-check the result on the floor.
These are companion pieces to the live tools on the site, not duplicate calculators locked in blog form. Start the tool, read the post if you need the why, and apply the numbers to your machine and code environment. Examples include MIG wire feed and voltage guides, TIG amperage for steel and aluminum, voltage drop and wire sizing, compressor CFM for plasma, metal weight and pipe weight, and weld-cost estimates for quoting work.
Posts often link to related reviews when a calculator pairs with a specific machine type. New calculators and walkthroughs land here as they are published; the full index lives on the free calculators hub. Use this category when you want the explanation behind the math, not just the button.
Calculators
Calculators
Welding Fume Ventilation Guide — LEV, Dilution & When Respirators Still Matter
Welding fume control is not one fan in the corner. Local exhaust (LEV) captures at the plume; dilution spreads contamination...
Calculators
Arc Flash Boundary Guide — Approach Limits & How Calculator Results Apply
The arc flash boundary is the distance from exposed energized parts where incident energy drops to 1.2 cal/cm² — the...
Calculators
kW, kVA & Amps Guide — Real Power, Apparent Power & Power Factor
Generators are sold in kVA. Heaters and motors talk in kW. Breakers and wire care about amps. This guide ties...
Calculators
Extension Cord Voltage Drop Guide — AWG, Round-Trip & Welder Cords
Branch-circuit voltage drop and extension-cord voltage drop are related but not the same job. Cord runs are temporary, round-trip, and...
Calculators
Generator Fuel Consumption & Runtime Guide
Sizing answers “how many kilowatts?” Runtime answers “how long until the tank is empty?” Fuel burn changes with load —...
Calculators
Tolerance Stack-Up Guide — Worst-Case vs RSS for Assemblies
Assemblies fail fits when every part hits the wrong extreme — or when you over-toleranced the drawing trying to prevent...
Calculators
Wire Spool Runtime Guide — Feet of MIG Wire and How Long a Spool Lasts
A spool is sold by weight. You burn wire by inches per minute. Runtime is just how many feet are...
Calculators
Gas Cylinder Duration Guide — How Long Will Argon or CO2 Last?
Shielding gas dies mid-pass more often than it should. The bottle size is on the stamp, the flowmeter is on...
Calculators
Tolerance Stack-Up Calculator
Calculate worst-case and statistical (RSS) tolerance stack-up for assemblies. Add multiple dimensions with plus/minus tolerances.