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welding fumes and safety

N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
so i am sure most have read about the different materials that when burned up can make you sick or kill you... including chlorinated brakeclean

example article

another one

since i just got a new welder i wanted to know what safety measures everyone takes when welding as far as preparing the materials first and foremost, ventilation, respirators etc. i have looked around quite a bit for info but can't really seem to find stuff that applies to the average hobbyist/fab guy. i know that back in the day when i built my old jeep there were a handful of times that i inhaled some nasty smoke and thought wow that sucks, i don't want to inhale that again :rofl:
i have never gotten sick (luckily) but i am probably going to die soon :ugh:

this thread can also be used for info on safety equipment used for other mechanic/fab tools as well.

basically, you can't be too safe
 
Caleb

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
I think the big one is galvanized fumes. I've never had any issues with aluminum fumes or plain steel fumes.
 
Rot Box

Rot Box

Diesel and Dust
Supporting Member
Location
Smithfield Utah
I don't consider myself a professional welder by any means, but I do weld a lot at work using MIG or TIG and my company is strict in making sure we weld safely. We always turn the ceiling fan on or it gets really fumy, but sometimes even that doesn't seem to be enough. When welding sanitary tubing we purge the gasses with Argon so there are many harmful fumes in the air. Hexavalent Chromium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexavalent_chromium is our big concern with stainless welding.

I hate so say it but i'm convinced that by welding without a resperator you are going to expose yourself to many fumes and gasses to some extent. You need an exhaust fan regardless if you weld indoors, but too much airflow and it will blow your agron/tri-mix off of the welding surface :-\

I just grind off paint, rust and remove any other debris or oil that is in the way and call it good. Crack a door or window and turn on the fan. Make sure you are pulling air from one location and blowing it out another to ensure positive airflow then you are good to go. It helps to have a friend watch the smoke and make sure it stays out of your helmet while your working...

NEVER weld or grind galvanized metal! :p
 
N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
that is my big deal, i just don't want smoke going into my hood. i will basically always be welding mild steel only, so that is good as far as i can tell. and i will always clean off the welding surfaces well, it is beneficial to the weld anyways. but then the question arises about what to use to clean the surface after grinding/sanding and before welding? obviously not chlorinated brakeclean. people say you can use brakeclean and other chemicals but should make sure it is dry by waiting or blowing it with the air hose... any remarks on that?

the positive airflow thing is good, i can crack my garage door and open the side door or put an exhaust fan in the window. this just sucks because 1)it is effin cold outside and 2)like you said the shielding gas will get blown around. it is possible to just turn up the shielding gas, and sure argon isn't good for you but inert gases are better than poisonous ones :D


keep it goin'
 
Corban_White

Corban_White

Well-Known Member
Location
Payson, AZ
Acetone works well for cleaning. Evaporates really fast and AFIK non toxic when heated. But I could be wrong. Works for me. Maybe I'll die tomorrow. :p
 
Caleb

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
I've never used any kind of chemical for cleaning. I always use either a grinder, a wire wheel, or a flap disc...depending on what I'm working on.
 
choptopbII

choptopbII

Well-Known Member
Location
Clearfield, UT
I weld on Galvanized steel all day long at work sometimes and it sucks we have portable Oder Eaters, Masks and fans we use for the galvanized junk and for when we are using a plasma cutter.

Galvanized sucks!!!!

I jump at every opportunity i get to break out a tig welder and weld some aluminum!!!
 
Badbuggy

Badbuggy

rock star
Location
Fruita, Co
I don't know if it is true, ..... Milk is supposed to be the cure for galvanize poisoning. I have had to work on galvanized many times in my career, and the milk has not hurt me.
 
Tacoma

Tacoma

Et incurventur ante non
Location
far enough away
Milk is supposed to help with chelating various heavy metals out of your system, but I haven't read anything definitive or from a scientific source that backs that up, just old-boy folklore, so... But I've heard it for my whole life, too. :shrug:
 
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