Metal prep for welding

[MrMoMo]

I run through break cleaner too fast so i usually go get the tub of acitone. Just dont hit it with the welder too fast with your face close to it, inhaling a big lung full of that stuff will make your weld suffer almost as much as you do!

Jebus Cripes!! Not to mention that if you have enough acetone fumes floating around to inhale them, you will likely ignite them when you strike the arc - hopefully your mouth is closed so you don't ignite your lungs!!!!!!!

We have had several people ignite acetone fumes at work... worst was inside a fuel tank that was being fabricated - the fumes had nowhere to escape - BOOF! fuel tank poped out in all directions like an over inflated juice box. Also somewhat regularly have rag fires - someone cleans marker off the aluminum with an acetone soaked rag, then the rag gets put down on a table, (more than one person working at the table) welder starts fabricating something -sparks shoot off weld and BOOF, rag goes up.


BE VERY CAREFUL WELDING AND USING ACETONE!!!

 

[brownbear]

Like said above, my choice is cleaning with the angle grinder and I use anti-splatter aerosol too. It works.

I have tried the metal prep thing. It seems to help, but I dunno....

I have also tried lightly sandblasting the area clean. That made a nice weld.

 

[Rifleman]

I'm a new welder, but I grind the bad stuff with a grinding wheel, then shine it up with 80 grit flap wheel, then spray it down with brake cleaner. When completely dry, I weld.

Clean wire wheel on the grinder dedicated to metal prep. Spray w/ brake cleaner (the fast evaporating kind) and weld away. Works great.

Very old thread, but it's never to late to learn about safety, NEVER weld on metal that has been cleaned with brake cleaner, here's a quote from the 'thefabricator.com" web site,

Quote " In the May/June issue I talked about common solutions to pinholes. While I was focused on the question at hand, I inadvertently neglected to address a particularly dangerous practice that Marv B. mentioned.

He stated in his question that prior to welding he “tried cleaning them [the components] with brake cleaner.” This is disturbing as the combination of welding and brake cleaners can lead to serious illness, permanent damage to your internal organs, or even DEATH!!!!!


Many warnings are found on the chemicals that we use every day. Often I simply assume that if it’s sold over the counter surely it must be safe, but that’s just not the case this time. The Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for a can of brake cleaner reads:


“Do not use this product near open flames, welding operations, or excessive heat. Vapors may decompose to harmful or fatal corrosive gases such as hydrogen chloride and possibly phosgene.”


This can be debilitating or even deadly to the welder or those around him or her. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), phosgene is an industrial chemical used to make plastics and pesticides. It does not occur naturally and was used extensively in World War I as a choking agent.

It is poisonous at room temperature and can cause coughing, burning in the throat and eyes, blurred vision, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and pulmonary edema. Some of the more serious effects can show up 48 hours after exposure, and those include difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, and heart failure.

Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are reported permanent side effects of phosgene exposure. In other words, if it doesn’t kill you, it’s going to alter your health significantly. "end quote

Just a little more info, even after the brake cleaner has dried on the part that your cleaning, if that area is welded on it will still produce phosgene gas ,

When it says that phosgene was used extensively in World War 1 in the above info, most people know that product as mustard gas, not something you want to mess with or take lightly,

 

[cruiserpilot]

I was gonna chide you for dragging up a thread from 17 yrs ago, cause to me that’s a record.
But thanks for clarifying the dangers of these things we use.
I dramatically reduced my brake clean use a few years ago. Especially if I didn’t wear gloves my skin would really break out and crack. I do use brake clean to kill hornets on contact. It’s the only thing that outside kills them and the dogs don’t go near it. Unfortunately the dogs seem to smell and are attracted to
Pesticides and hornet killer spray so had to stop using it.
But good info. Today there is no excuse for not wearing proper safety gear and reading labels of stuff we use.

 

[Rifleman]

I was gonna chide you for dragging up a thread from 17 yrs ago, cause to me that’s a record.
But thanks for clarifying the dangers of these things we use.

We are a community of like minded men and woman who like to work with our hands building things, But one thing I've learned over the 50 years that I've been building things, We should never stop wanting to share valuable information, and to me the health and safety of not only ourselves, but that of our friends, and family is always at the top of my list, Cheers my friend