Please read this - Chemical Cleaner/Welding Issue

[HIWAY ONE]

I stumbled on this by accident, this is really scary when you read what happened to this guy-

 

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

 

Brake cleaner and welding don't mix!

Edited August 27, 2009 by Drax240z

[e_racer1999]

Clarify: CHLORINATED brake cleaner and welding do not mix. This was already posted here, but it doesn't to be mentioned twice

[AK-Z]

ONLY use denatured alcohol when cleaning part that to be welded. Thats just my safe rule of thumb

[eec564]

Also watch out for weldable primers. They contain zinc, and it is much the same as welding galvanized steel. Best rule is always clean ALL paint or coatings off of any area you plan on welding.

 

http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/weldhlth.html

 

-Eric

[johnc]

The most important parts of a good weld are:

 

1. Proper fitup - no gaps wider then the width of the fiiller wire.

2. Cleanliness.

 

Use whatever you can to get the parts clean - really clean - and then do a final wipe down with either denatured alcohol as mentioned above or Acetone (which is what I use).

 

And when I mean clean, I mean:

 

No paint

No plating

No powerdcoating

No dirt

No oils

No oxides (physically clean aluminum with a clean stainless wire brush)

No burrs

 

Zinc fumes cause metal fume fever which isn't life threatening but makes the next day suck.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

[Drax240z]

One thing about acetone, make sure you don't use a bottle with a really small nipple, that continuously pisses out acetone right next to where you are welding, even after you put it down and let it sit a minute...

 

Don't ask how I know that.

[waddiejohn]

An old timer told me a long long time ago that if you get too much of the fumes from welding galvanized materials you could drink a quart of milk and it would keep you from getting sick. I don't know, bit I do know it makes you feel like crap.

[DeleriousZ]

Zinc chills are exciting! not really but they are interesting.

 

Proper ventilation is very very important when welding. If you can't get a big ass fan blowing on or around you (not so much to blow shielding gas away, but you get the idea) then a respirator is almost a necessity.

[eec564]

What I don't like about weld-through primers is their name. It implies that it's safe. I mean, it's sold on the shelf, and should be welded right through, right? I don't know any welders that use a respirator on a regular basis. Even if it generally won't kill you, it's not good for you, and there's always a chance of a bad reaction.

 

Welding is 95% prep and 5% welding, if even that. I have friends call me all the time to weld something, and I tell them "Okay, I'll come right over when you're ready, here's the checklist..." Seems like nobody realizes the work involved when working with anything except virgin material.

 

-Eric

[HowlerMonkey]

Actually.....you will have to search a bit nowadays to find 1,1,1 trichloroethane any more.

 

The red can of "brakleen" by CRC is still (I think) the trichloroethane formula.

 

Most brake cleaners have gone to a different formula.........which now burns like crazy unlike tricholorethane........which I used to use to put out fires when welding.

 

Another warning should be that many forumlations of brake cleaner since 1990 or so are very flammable.

 

Of course....I don't use argon but rather C02 for my shielding gas but the warning is duly noted.