Welding galvanized: precautions?

[texbaylea]

I tried some searches but could not home in on the answer although I know I have read it here (TBN).

I was given the bow support post from a boat trailer with a winch on it. Galvanized of course. I want to mount it on my new pipe top trailer rigged to lower and lift the tail gate/ramp.

Other than a fan to blow the fumes away, is there any thing else I should do. I would grind away the galvanize where the welds would occur.

Vernon

 

[bobodu]

You got it covered.Grind away and use a fan.

 

[Skyco]

Just blow the fan on you- not the welding....don't want to blow away your shield cloud while welding.

 

[Egon]

Use a mask.

 

[KennethBrown]

Drink two glasses of buttermilk afterwards also.

 

[RonMar]

Drink two glasses of buttermilk afterwards also.

And hop on one foot while turning counterclockw...

Wear a mask while grinding the galv away. Fan on you/fresh air into the back side of your mask, not on the weld as mentioned...

 

[CRAFTBENDER]

Use a mask.

I use the 3M 6291 mask. It fits under the welding hood.

 

[xlr82v2]

If it's just welding 3 or 4 beads, as it looks like that's all your project may be, I wouldn't be overly concerned about it... like the others said, just have a small fan set up to blow the fumes away from you, or do the welding outdoors, along with removing the galvanizing. That small amount of welding and fumes won't be enough to make you feel sick unless you're just really ultra-hyper-sensitive to the fumes... which, if you've made it this far in life, I doubt that you are.

Safety Patrol will probably come along shortly and condemn this and suggest that you dress up in a spacesuit with forced air respirators and then a 2 hour decompression chamber session with 100% oxygen afterward and tell you that if you don't, you'll die. Don't believe them. Have you ever seen a weldor dressed in an astronaut suit? Anywhere? Well, OK, underwater weldors, maybe, but that's for a different reason

Drink two glasses of buttermilk afterwards also.

Doesn't necessarily have to be buttermilk, regular milk works also, and tastes much much better!!

If I have to weld on galvanized, I always make sure that I drink a glass before and then again after if it's a large project.

And hop on one foot while turning counterclockw...

Laugh if you want, but it works. It's common knowledge among the welding community, and the Navy teaches this in their welding school. There is something in the milk that counteracts the effects of metal fume fever... believe it or not.

 

[Defective]

The milk just counteracts the symptoms.

Ignoring the fumes isn't necessarily the best idea as metal poisoning is cumulative. You'll be fine this time. Even next time. Eventually, you'll have received a big enough dose to hurt you.

Just do your best to get rid of the galvanize before you start then do what you can to keep the fumes out of your lungs.

If you can't hop on one foot and turn counterclockwise, keep your eyes crossed while welding.

 

[Egon]

Unless you are SUPERMAN wear a mask!

Supermen are hardy folk who die before there time for some unknown reason

 

[Egon]

Unless you are SUPERMAN wear a mask!

Supermen are hardy folk who die before there time for some unknown reason

 

[Egon]

Unless you are SUPERMAN wear a mask!

Supermen are hardy folk who die before there time for some unknown reason

 

[Defective]

So Egon...

Tryin' to say sumpin'?

 

[xlr82v2]

OK, here's some info for you guys to read up on about Metal Fume Fever. Took me a while, but I finally found it...

It is NOT cumulative.

It is NOT deadly.

It is very uncomfortable, and you certainly don't want to breathe any more zinc oxide fumes than you have to... but if it unfortunately happens, you'll be OK, you won't grow a third eye or anything, and you certainly are not going to die. It takes quite a bit more than a breath or 2 to get the 'fever.

 

[Egon]

Yup: I am trying to say something!

Wear a mask!

 

[bobodu]

Yup: I am trying to say something!

Wear a mask!

That's like saying Wear a helmet! when painting.

The only time I wear a mask is when welding around dry cleaning equipment.Perclorethylene produces phosgene in a arc.

 

[Highbeam]

Overblown. You're not supposed to be inhaling any welding fumes. You certainly will inhale a little bit and you will be fine.

Note that welding on the galvanized stuff is a little tougher since the burning zinc emits gasses that are not shielding gas. It makes a pretty green puddle though. Like paint, once your arc is established and hot the rest of the weld goes well.

 

[kidr]

Unless you are SUPERMAN wear a mask!

Supermen are hardy folk who die before there time for some unknown reason

This reminds me .Check out anvilfire.com go to iforge ___saftey __metal fume poisoning__sad story. Check out the terrific projects while you're there.