Thread: Welding Question

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I'm fabbing some new railing sections for our deck, getting rid of all of the wood but using my existing spindles that were 1/2" rigid conduit which is galvanized. They are getting welded between a pair of 1/2x1.5" C channels, top spindle inside the C, bottom atop the C (open sides of the channels face down so they don't collect rain). My question is welding the galvanized pipes. I'm running them across the belt sander about 1/2" up on each end to clean metal, but the galvanizing is inside, too. I know the heat from welding creates a weak cyanide gas in the fumes. Am I OK just keeping a fan pushing all the fumes away from me or do I need to take other precautions? Never welded on galvanized metal before....

If your out side you should be OK If your mig welding galvanized and want to use a fan you'll need to have the fan pull the stink away. as if it is blowing on the welding you will blow your gas away also. I just wear a resporator same one I use for painting. Benn doing that for over 40 yr. and still here.lol

I've welded a bit of galvanized over the years - kinda stinky, but pretty harmless. Read the attached - it's got some good safety information.

http://www.sperkoengineering.com/htm...Galvanized.pdf

Originally Posted by cffisher

If your out side you should be OK If your mig welding galvanized and want to use a fan you'll need to have the fan pull the stink away. as if it is blowing on the welding you will blow your gas away also. I just wear a resporator same one I use for painting. Benn doing that for over 40 yr. and still here.lol

Charlie,
The fan I would use is an old box fan providing a light air flow from across the room so blowing the MIG gas away should not be a problem. I may use a half mask, just in case - thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by glennsexton

I've welded a bit of galvanized over the years - kinda stinky, but pretty harmless. Read the attached - it's got some good safety information.


http://www.sperkoengineering.com/htm...Galvanized.pdf

Glenn,
Thanks for the link, that provides a wealth of good info. I had heard the guys on the construction sites talking about getting "poisoned" by welding fumes, and I guess they could have gotten sick enough to claim a day or two off of work, so precautions for a production welder make sense. I'll keep my head out of the smoke, but won't worry about keeling over from a whiff or two. Thanks for taking time to reply.

All are good answers, but i would like to add my 2 pennies. If you weld for some time with galv. you may notice a metalic taste in your mouth, just drink some milk.

I've had that taste as well Jim - beer works as well as milk to remove the taste

yep you will be ok .. sand/wire knotted cup wheel. some of the plating off. just need abit of air movement ..i welded all that nasty stuff for many years to . i just smoke a cigarette or cigar under the welding hood that fillters all them bad welding fumes

Smoke a cigar under the welding hood-----

I knew a guy named NYE FRANK that smoked tipperillos all the time--he had cut out a section of his hood and put a metal shield there so he could smoke the tipper ---he was a very good metal worker who worked in Quincy's shop(old age i don't remember if that was first or last name) they built lots of Indy cars, Mickey Thompson's stuff, land speed record streamliners

Unfortunately he was beaten to death by some home invaders , sure was a tragic lost to automotive history



Quinn Epperly--remembered finally (well after 2 cups of coffee)

HummmmmmTake the galvanized you have to the scrap metal place and trade in for stuff that is not.


Just kidding.

Originally Posted by 1gary

HummmmmmTake the galvanized you have to the scrap metal place and trade in for stuff that is not.


Just kidding.

Tell you what, Gary. There's 221 existing spindles and they weigh about 1.5# or a little better each so I figure that I might get about $0.75 each for the galvanized pieces if I'm really lucky, less fuel to take them to the scrap yard ($20) so I might net $145 for them. The new ones are $3.50 to $6 each, depending on how fancy you want them, so I'll drop $775 to $1350 for new material. If you want to make me a deal on the old ones that keeps me whole send me a check and I'll stack 'em up by a tree for you till your next trip to Kansas - they won't rust!

Don't think it did not cross my mind to toss them, but I'm just too cheap!

221 x both ends = 442 welds!!!!! x 3/4x 3.14== inches of stinky weld

8 hr day x 60 min =480 minutes/day

one weld per minute -couple potty breaks=====

Ahhh shucks just tear the deck off the house

Roger,

Since you've not welded galvaized metal....you'll know right away what youve got when the cotton candy starts floating around. If it has a heavy coating there will be little wisps of cotton candy like stuff floating around. I use to weld suction pipe 16-36 inches for industy with an acetaline torch and wire. I would get some serious headaches in no time. Just saying.

David

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

221 x both ends = 442 welds!!!!! x 3/4x 3.14== inches of stinky weld

8 hr day x 60 min =480 minutes/day

one weld per minute -couple potty breaks=====

Ahhh shucks just tear the deck off the house

Jerry,
I need to get you over here to talk to my wife!!

Originally Posted by rspears

Jerry,
I need to get you over here to talk to my wife!!

let me know how that works if your wife is any thing like my mother .. she ask me to machine /rebuild a engine for someone in the family . i told her NO them engines i just of soon not get in too.... then she told me i seen and know what you can do so you will machine/ build this engine ..... yes mother ... if Jerry works i be making a call to him

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

221 x both ends = 442 welds!!!!! x 3/4x 3.14== inches of stinky weld

8 hr day x 60 min =480 minutes/day

one weld per minute -couple potty breaks=====

Ahhh shucks just tear the deck off the house

Ya' know Jerry, I had not put the numbers to it like that, and you did not put in time for squaring each spindle, prep, etc. In fact, I had not actually totalled up the spindle count until I was looking at the "come back" to Gary's friendly poke I awoke this morning with the thought of using my metal posts, but getting some pre-fab hanger pieces for rail section 2x4's and replicating what I had originally out of composite material to eliminate maintenance and rot. Going to visit with the metal guy to price out some square bar stock spindles and punching holes in channels for setup/spacing, and to the home/decking supply place to compare prices on the replication way. I may owe 1Gary a beer or two for making me look at another angle for this railing project, but the jury's still out. I'm also listening to all the good comments about the headaches, etc from the stinky welds, and I appreciate the input.

Now enough about deck projects or this is going to start being like one of those "other" places that has more discussions about home owner projects than hot rods Thanks for all the help, guys!