Brake Cleaner and Welding Warning

[egoman]

Actually the canadian tire brand of brake cleaner also comes in both versions.

[MiaTurbo]

There was a typo up about 4 posts, since edited and nobody's rereading.

Clorinated has tetrawhatever=bad.

Non Clorinated - which is all that's been available in Canada since the early 90's=this warning does not apply!

I reasearched this last fall. At least in Canada, this is not something I felt needed to be forwarded to my friends.

After reading all kinds of warnings, i'd still rather be on the side of caution..


Slightly on the same topic, has anyone here had any negative reaction to welding galvanized steel? I have a project where i needed some angle and got it from one of the home improvement store. I've always taken the precaution to grind back the coating, but after welding it a few times, I've always found that the next couple of days i get headaches. I imagine that grinding back the metal will not remove the zinc 100% and the metal still gets hot enough to have an effect on the coating a couple inches away from the weld spot.

[a.moore]

That is typical for galvanized. I tend to shy away from buying anything galvanized or painted if I'll be welding it.

If I can't avoid it, I'll weld in the driveway and stand up wind.

[SportsCarDesigner]

I had a part I had to weld daily that I had to weld a galvanized piece of hardware to... couldn't find the hardware in plain steel. I never got more than odd taste in my mouth that always corresponded with welding that part. It seemed no amount of grinding completely eliminates the galvanizing. I figured it contaminates the grinding wheel and you are, to at least some extent, just smearing the zinc around and back onto the steel.

[Kartracer47]

I dip parts to be welded in "pool acid" to remove plating before welding. If it is galvanized then do it outside because of the fumes. Rinse with water and you are good to go. The pool acid is cheaper than buying hydrochloric acid and is the same thing. I buy it at a "box" store, pool or spa supply. Also good for rusty metal. Be careful of fumes and dispose of properly when the acid is depleted though it can be reused many times.

John R

[SportsCarDesigner]

... and dispose of properly when the acid is depleted...

Properly: Call a licensed chemical disposal firm, pay them $950 to take it away, and retain the records of the transaction for 15 years.

OK, I made that up... but it wouldn't surprise me.

The owner of an automotive machine shop where I used to get impellers balanced told me something like that. He had one of those parts degreaser ovens that you put blocks and heads in and incinerates the grease to ash... so he doesn't have to use solvent for environmental reasons. He ended up with a pail of ash (I don't remember if it was a gallon or 5 gallon) every month or two or three... and every time Safety Kleen picked up the pail it cost him nearly a thousand dollars. They gave him a report detailing where they took it and what they did with it, and he has to retain the report for years or go to the pokey for failure to keep records.

[N8Marsh]

I know I'm bringin this from the dead, but just last week a tech at our shop sprayed brake cleaner on a hot manifold and we had to leave the garage. I walked by the car and whiffed and burned my sinuses and throat and felt horrible. This is very serious, its definitely a noxious and caustic reaction.

[BluEyes]

OK, I can definitely understand a nasty reaction between brake cleaner and heat (or if you combust the stuff), but how quickly are you welding after degreasing? Brake cleaner evaporates pretty darn quickly and is supposed to evaporate completely leaving no residue. If this is true, shouldn't it be safe to weld a few minutes after the cleaner has evaporated if you have a well ventilated shop?

[oldejack]

I dip parts to be welded in "pool acid" to remove plating before welding. If it is galvanized then do it outside because of the fumes. Rinse with water and you are good to go. The pool acid is cheaper than buying hydrochloric acid and is the same thing. I buy it at a "box" store, pool or spa supply. Also good for rusty metal. Be careful of fumes and dispose of properly when the acid is depleted though it can be reused many times.

John R

more specifically, pool acid is 32% hydrochloric acid in solution and this is exactly what i do for galvanised too, after diluting by 50%(i'm a cheap bastage). phosphoric acid works (sometimes used in flux for copper plumbing) and has less aromatic fumes but is more expensive and way slower. citric acid will work but its reeeally slow. over on the biodiesel board i'm a member of we'd had a couple of members ending up in the hospital due to chemical vapors and its not something i am interested in experiencing, zinc bathed in a methanol and sodium hydroxide solution, yuuch. for those that use smoking tobacco even relatively innocuous seeming fumes can become very lethal after heating and a cigarette is enough of a heat source to make poison gas out of r12 refrigerant.

like the sarge said on hill street blues, "be careful out there!"

[Wrxconedodger]

OK, I can definitely understand a nasty reaction between brake cleaner and heat (or if you combust the stuff), but how quickly are you welding after degreasing? Brake cleaner evaporates pretty darn quickly and is supposed to evaporate completely leaving no residue. If this is true, shouldn't it be safe to weld a few minutes after the cleaner has evaporated if you have a well ventilated shop?

I believe that it is due to the chlorinated component in the brake cleaner and if I'm not mistaken it does leave some residue behind albeit small amounts its probably still enough considering the warnings.

[nk14zp]

I think this should be a sticky.

[Kinetic Research]

This information was totally new to me, I was told about it for the first time today when joking about how much welding I am about to embark on and one of the old boys said never use Brakecleaner to prep the surface. I searched up about Phosgene and this is the sort of stuff that novices need to know about before DIY becomes "do in yourself".

Gets my vote for a sticky too.

[Dismantalus]

Not only are the Chlorinated solvents bad, but many of the "Non-Chlorinated" cleaners are almost as bad as well. Many of those contain Methylene Chloride, commonly used in cabinet strippers, and really bad neurological effects as well. Everyone should do themselves a favor, and only use Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone to clean parts for welding.