Warning to those welding

yikes thats scarry shit.......so what is everyone using to clean and degrease stuff before they MIG weld it?
 
"The symptoms of metal fume fever have rarely, if ever, lasted beyond 24 hours. The subject can then appear to be more susceptible to the onset of this condition on Mondays or on weekdays following a holiday than they are on other days."

Yea, I bet.
 
some scary stuff out there for sure.
im a boilermaker/pressure welder/ heat treter by trade.
we were using viton as seals... which is good stuff, until it geats heated a couple of hudred degrees c or so, and gets wet.
the fumes then turn into hydrocloric acid, and if you get that on say your hand, the best and easiest option is to just cut ya hand off...
either that or watch it get eaten away rapidly.
 
some scary stuff out there for sure.
im a boilermaker/pressure welder/ heat treter by trade.
we were using viton as seals... which is good stuff, until it geats heated a couple of hudred degrees c or so, and gets wet.
the fumes then turn into hydrocloric acid, and if you get that on say your hand, the best and easiest option is to just cut ya hand off...
either that or watch it get eaten away rapidly.

Yeh, my friend across the river here, is a union welder, but things are slo at the hall now, so most of the guys are working the non union shipyard, he talks of some shit like that once in a while....like any other dangerous job, gotta watch out....he not that tall, shy of 6' anyway, and rather skinny, so they send his happy ass into pipes and other close shituations welding shit about 2" from his nose/whatever.....he gets home after work spend a hour just loosing 1/2 of him down the drain...I worked at the shipyard as a electrician some years, didn't last long, much too physical demands with the arthritis and all....but it was a interesting couple of months....:amazed:
 
Nasty Solvents

Late entry here - and not welding -- but solvent related..

Since we have "glass cars and a lot of us use resins, I'll relate 2 experiences.

Acetone : While in OZ (Aus) a couple of mates had been through a training session with one of the national resin distributors (FGI). In the class they asked for volunteers. The volunteers steped in front of the class, closed their eyes and held out their hands. Acetone was poured into the open palm, followed by a chunk of Cadberry Chocolate.
They were asked to keep their eyes closed and say what they TASTED.
Yep -- Chocolate.
The Acetone ran so quickly through the bloood stream it reached their tasebuds carrying the choco. They coulda' been having me on - but as good blokes - I took ém at their word. I always use gloves and clean skin with citrus gunk now.

When in NZ - I was introduced to about the most powerful cleaner on the planet -- but its not so green -- Gun Cleaner. We'd use it on fiberglass consolidation rollers to clean the hardened resin out -- put them in a closed container and the stuff disolved in less than an hour -- but nasty - wouldn't want to get it on you. A friend got some under his fingernails cleaning his pistol and woke at 2am with a burning sensation he couldn't get rid of had to wear off -- about 6am he reckoned.

Ain't chemistry interesting?

Cheers - Jim
 
phosgene gas

I got hit by phosgene and freon real bad once. I was just a kid and went with my Pop's to work on an industrial chiller. He was soldering a 2'' copper line that he thought was isolated from pressure. As he heated the crack in the copper, it opened up and dumped 90 pounds of burnt freon right at us! We probably didnt get much phosgene but the freon was bad enough. Breath in a couple breaths of that stuff and your out! It aint no fun. I've had resporatory problems ever since.
 
Kids around here were sniffing peoples central a/c freon to get high.

Stupid kids, that stuff will kill ya. We're gonna have a generation of retards soon :quote:

Tell my about it, years ago they marketed freon in a spray bomb for locating thermal intermittents in electronic tech work....never thought anything of it...

well, I had a gas dryer, the valves will get warm on the coil, and open up and allow the valve to shut, no heat.....so what do I do???

it came on again and I got hit with something gross, really quick, I ran outta there super fast, heard stories, but forgot.....got reminded really quick...that shit HURT....

about 2-3 hours later we went back in the house....muvva fucker....

:crutches::ghost:
 
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