Metallicar Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I received material for front rails and subconnectors today. I also picked up some 16 gauge galvanized sheet steel as a gift. Actually, there is enough of this galvanized sheet material to replace the entire floor. Are there any drawbacks in using the galvanized metal for the floors? Besides fumes and zinc puddling, is there anything else I should watch out for when welding the galvanized metal to the plain steel? Would plain steel sheet welded to plain steel stock be a better/stronger finished product? Will I be safe using the galvanized metal? Thank you all again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostmonkey Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 theres a few issues with using the galv stock. It welds like crap unless you grind the zinc off at each weld, the fumes arent very good to breath and without pickleing it, paint or undercoat wont adhere to it.I'd go with cold rolled myself or if I reaaly had to have the zinc coating I'd go with a galvaneal because it will take paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 You can die from breathing in too much zinc fumes. be careful. I'd use uncoated steel if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corzette Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 I received material for front rails and subconnectors today. I also picked up some 16 gauge galvanized sheet steel as a gift. Actually, there is enough of this galvanized sheet material to replace the entire floor. Are there any drawbacks in using the galvanized metal for the floors? Besides fumes and zinc puddling, is there anything else I should watch out for when welding the galvanized metal to the plain steel? Would plain steel sheet welded to plain steel stock be a better/stronger finished product? Will I be safe using the galvanized metal? Thank you all again! My floor pans were all redone with Galvanized sheet metal. I just torched off the edges and then welded it on. It will burn a bright green color.See my pics at my site below for the before and after pics. Looks amazing and I coated the welds with 95% zinc coating afterwards. Yes dont breath that stuff, isnt it called Cyanide? Anyways I did it because I shouldnt have to worry about the floor rusting ever again and it looks great! Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avrfan Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Please wear a good respirator and do this in a very well ventilated area. I heard that zinc fumes are extremely toxic to the body. It can make you sick for days. The symptoms you might not recognize immediately but if you read about it you will understand better, do some google searching on the subject for your safety. If you want your card body to be corrosion resistant after patching and replacing panels, you can treat raw ungalv1anized steel after you weld it up. They have zinc coating treatments you can apply with a sponge at most body supply shops. There are a variety of other treatments you can do as well, like weldable primer, galvanizing primer etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 If you feel flu like symptoms after. Drink ALOT of milk. It helps pull some of the heavy metal toxins, but not a sure treatment, but doesn't hurt to try, if it does happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New2TheZ2006 Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 how much rust on the rail and pan indicates replacement is a must. Or can you just clean it up, apply POR15, patch, and then undercoat. I have on spot on the rear passenger side end of the rail with some rust, a small hole, and surface rust on the pan. I am not welding capable, so I have to find parts and sub it out, oh did I mention I am broke.... Any ideas. On an old bug, I cut the metal to shape, used a body panel adhesive and some rivets. How do we feel about that? I am in Orlando if someone has ideas in the area. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjc5500 Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 If you weld in a open area with a respirator, you should be fine. and yes, i do belive it is called cyanide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLave Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 you can paint it just be sure you use a galvanized metal primer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metallicar Posted January 29, 2007 Author Share Posted January 29, 2007 Thank you all for your replies. My first concern was whether or not I could weld the galvanized metal to the stock steel materials with good results. I mean, if I can make structurally sound welded connections that would be as good as welding plain steel to plain steel. The concern about the fumes is well placed, though I had read some time ago, that the fumes are not as bad some would think. For example, this is from: http://www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf "Zinc Fumes -- A Safety Hazard? When zinc vapor mixes with the oxygen in the air, it reacts instantly to become zinc oxide. This is the same white powder that you see on some noses at the beach and the slopes. Zinc oxide is non-toxic and non carcinogenic. Extensive research into the effects of zinc oxide fumes has been done, and although breathing those fumes will cause welders to think that they have the flu in a bad way, there are no long-term health effects. Zinc oxide that is inhaled is simply absorbed and eliminated by the body without complications or chronic effects. Current research2 on zinc oxide fumes is concentrated in establishing the mechanism by which zinc oxide causes "metal fume fever," how its effects are self-limiting and why zinc oxide fume effects ameliorate after the first day of exposure even though the welder may continue to be exposed to zinc during subsequent days ("Monday-morning fever"). Other research3 is being done using zinc oxide fumes together with various drugs which results in a synergetic effect for treatment of cancer and AIDS. Another area of research is use of zinc compounds as the active ingredients in throat lozengers that are recognized as significantly effective in reducing the duration and intensity of the common cold." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 even if i doesn't kill you, I wouldnt want to be breathing that. when i was working in this sheetmetal shop, and one of the other guys was using the plasma on some galvanized it made me feel like total crap, coughing/dry throat, headachy... and this was a big shop, so i wasnt even breathing in a lot of the fumes. either way, good luck on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostmonkey Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Again, the fumes are only one issue with choosing galvanized and its an easyly avoided problem.I'd be more concerned with paint/undercoatings not sticking to it. The heat zone from welding will take paint or a cold galvanizing compound but the rest wont.Typically you can scratch off paint with your fingernail.There may be a product out there that is specifically designed for galv but I'm not aware of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Thank you all for your replies. My first concern was whether or not I could weld the galvanized metal to the stock steel materials with good results. I mean, if I can make structurally sound welded connections that would be as good as welding plain steel to plain steel. The concern about the fumes is well placed, though I had read some time ago, that the fumes are not as bad some would think. For example, this is from: http://www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf "Zinc Fumes -- A Safety Hazard? When zinc vapor mixes with the oxygen in the air, it reacts instantly to become zinc oxide. This is the same white powder that you see on some noses at the beach and the slopes. Zinc oxide is non-toxic and non carcinogenic. Extensive research into the effects of zinc oxide fumes has been done, and although breathing those fumes will cause welders to think that they have the flu in a bad way, there are no long-term health effects. Zinc oxide that is inhaled is simply absorbed and eliminated by the body without complications or chronic effects. Current research2 on zinc oxide fumes is concentrated in establishing the mechanism by which zinc oxide causes "metal fume fever," how its effects are self-limiting and why zinc oxide fume effects ameliorate after the first day of exposure even though the welder may continue to be exposed to zinc during subsequent days ("Monday-morning fever"). Other research3 is being done using zinc oxide fumes together with various drugs which results in a synergetic effect for treatment of cancer and AIDS. Another area of research is use of zinc compounds as the active ingredients in throat lozengers that are recognized as significantly effective in reducing the duration and intensity of the common cold." Zinc is considered a heavy metal. Thus heavy metal poisoning. The human body, even though is needs zinc, can die if exposed to too much. You can get heavy metal poisoning from consuming too much iron. Lungs are the most efficient at aborbing elements (in vapor or powder form) (surface area of which can be aborbed), unlike the digestive tract which takes much more time to absorb. Its a matter of higher consentrations in the least amount of time. It throws off the functions of the nervious system of which calcium is needed, the zinc interacts with. Much like in the case of water poisoning (yes you can die from comsuming too much water and not reffering to drowning. and refering to symptoms, but faster arising with water. There a case recently on this). To summerise: Its always better to be safe than sorry. I know of one person that died from HMP (not personally but someone I knew). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 http://www.ppg.com/ppgaf/special6.htm galvanized metals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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