Removing Zinc Coating?

[HandsomeRyan]

Is there a way to remove the zinc from galvanised metal other than grinding it off? I've been playing with steel conduit becasue it is cheap and readily available but I know welding the zinc can cause me to get sick and the tubing is so thin walled i hate to be too agressive with the grinder. Is there a chemical or a better technique that will remove it?

[purplewg]

I use three methods. One burn it off with a torch. Two, Muratic Acid. Three, grind it off.

[556man]

I use three methods. One burn it off with a torch. Two, Muratic Acid. Three, grind it off.

Apologize for the Hijack. I'm interested in using some muriatic acid. About how long do you dip it to get rid of the zinc?

Thanks,
556man

[Zondfive]

Ryan do you have a TIG unit? Keep out of the plume and you are good to go.
I have been doing that since I got my TIG. I tried welding galvanized with my MIG unit and the welds were just gross. So, I tightened the hatch and spent considerable time trying to get it right - never did. The TIG vaporizes the zinc.
had a really nice weld with galvanized sheet and pipe nipple last night.

I am interested to hear the acid reply.


Z

[usmcpop]

If you want to go the acid route, do a little research on the safety aspects of using Hydrochloric acid.

If you want to try acid, you might start with something like Sparkle Emulsion Bowl Cleaner, which has 24% HCl. That way, you wouldn't be stuck with a whole gallon of Muriatic acid.

[Zondfive]

If you want to go the acid route, do a little research on the safety aspects of using Hydrochloric acid.

If you want to try acid, you might start with something like Sparkle Emulsion Bowl Cleaner, which has 24% HCl. That way, you wouldn't be stuck with a whole gallon of Muriatic acid.

MC POP
I was just interested in how they would approach that. Fortunately I don't have to go that route at the moment. That doesn't mean I might not have to later. I am able to buy a quart at ACE Hardware - you know for only $3500.00 HA!


Z

[Pumpkinhead]

until it stops fizzing, which depends on temp., strength of acid, thickness of coating.
you must do this outdoors, the HCl fumes will cause everything steel to rust, and leave nasty corrosion on Al, including all your valuable tools.

[Rocky D]

This question was asked a few weeks ago, and ther were a ton of ideas how tp chemically remove it...I weld galvanized stuff all the time and I don't bother with removing it...all you need is a fan to blow the fumes away. Further Metal Fume Poisoning (MFP), normally will last 24 to 48 hours, no cure, ya just ride it out...I never heard of anyone having any serious complications from it. I had it a few times. As a rule of thumb, if you can taste it, in your mouth, you have been hit. So hold your breath when welding and use a fan. You will be just fine.
Smokers are more likely to have it worse than non-smokers because the smoking puts to sleep the bodies defense mechanism of removing particulate matter from the lungs...that's why smokers have that gurgley smokers cough. Quit smoking and the body repairs that safety feature.
Sorry about soap box...my brother died from smoking.
Bottom line, IMHO working with harsh chemicals is worse than MFP. Welding over metals with chemical residue on them is far more dangerous, as the heat from welding will transform the chemicals adding who-knows-what into the fumes, IMHO, there are NO studies, or MSDS's that address it.

[HandsomeRyan]

If i can really just "weld over it" that would be the easiest solution for me. (i say over, i know it actually burns up)

Right now I'm using a flux core wire-feed welder because although it came with a regulator, I don't have a bottle yet to run MIG. I'm just playing with it right now so i buy the cheapest steel i can find (conduit) and weld it together or weld stuff to it. My welds are generally crap-tastic but i enjoy it. I'm trying to get enrolled in an adult education welding class but right now it looks like work is getting in the way. (i have to travel occasionally and i'd miss class)

----in other news----
I welded up a handlebar basket bracket for Mrs. HandsomeRyan's bicycle and it came out looking pretty good. I burned through the metal on one of my welds but I noticed it and turned the machine down and filled the missing area. the bracket is made of 1/8" steel rod and a piece of (16ga.?) plate. it holds the basket out from the handlebars enough that it won't disturb the brake/shifter cables. It feels solid but even if my welds fail, she only wants the basket to hold mini-candycanes for a christmas bicycle event. I'll try to get some pics up in the 'projects' section soon.

[MXtras]

I remove it with 60 or 120 grit flapper wheels. It gets most of it off - not all of it, but then again I do not remove a whole lot of the substrate.

Scott

[Rocky D]

I forgot to mention that fluxcore is the best wire to use for galv. It doesn't pop on electro-galv stuff...but I found on hot-dip galv it still does. Yet FC is the way to go.

[Zondfive]

until it stops fizzing, which depends on temp., strength of acid, thickness of coating.
you must do this outdoors, the HCl fumes will cause everything steel to rust, and leave nasty corrosion on Al, including all your valuable tools.

PH - Really appreciate that piece of information.

Many thanks,

Z

[Pumpkinhead]

PH - Really appreciate that piece of information.

Many thanks,

Z

now remember, just because you can obtain it DOES NOT make it less dangerous, it is ACID, it will eat your skin, the fumes will destroy lung tissue and mucus membrane, it will BLIND you in the proverbial blink of an eye.
so please, BE CAREFUL. it may seem nerdy, but rubber gloves and a face sheild WITH goggles underneath. you get one set of eyes, eff'em up it's white cane with a red tip.

Also and no less important, the bottles it comes in are usually ordinary plastic, and not meant for long term storage, i.e. they leak fumes, as i said these fumes will destroy your posessions.
NEVER store acid in the house, ANYWHERE children are apt to get at it, or above chest height.

O.K., safety grandma out

[556man]

PH - Really appreciate that piece of information.

Many thanks,

Z


Same here. Thanks PH.

556man

[556man]

This question was asked a few weeks ago, and ther were a ton of ideas how tp chemically remove it...I weld galvanized stuff all the time and I don't bother with removing it...all you need is a fan to blow the fumes away. Further Metal Fume Poisoning (MFP), normally will last 24 to 48 hours, no cure, ya just ride it out...I never heard of anyone having any serious complications from it. I had it a few times. As a rule of thumb, if you can taste it, in your mouth, you have been hit. So hold your breath when welding and use a fan. You will be just fine.
Smokers are more likely to have it worse than non-smokers because the smoking puts to sleep the bodies defense mechanism of removing particulate matter from the lungs...that's why smokers have that gurgley smokers cough. Quit smoking and the body repairs that safety feature.
Sorry about soap box...my brother died from smoking.
Bottom line, IMHO working with harsh chemicals is worse than MFP. Welding over metals with chemical residue on them is far more dangerous, as the heat from welding will transform the chemicals adding who-knows-what into the fumes, IMHO, there are NO studies, or MSDS's that address it.

Great info there Rocky.

Thanks,
556man

[Hotfoot]

I use a grinder full face shield, and wear old clothes, shoes, and old gloves.

I use Mutiatic acid (which is hydrochloric) (Less than $4.00 a gallon at my local hardware), pour it into plastic dish (a recycled Cool Whip (Ymmmmm!) container), and use a throw-away paintbrush to apply it. The fumes are pretty horrible, so stay up wind...and don't splash or 'flip' acid with the brush!! When the fizzing stops (which is fast), I hose it all off, and I dump the little acid left over in the dish on the ground, and hose it down, I also hose the brush off good.
I do this not only to galvanized, but also to brite coated chain to "age it", so it will take paint, hot oil, etc. on my gong pieces.:)

[Some Creep]

Also and no less important, the bottles it comes in are usually ordinary plastic, and not meant for long term storage, i.e. they leak fumes, as i said these fumes will destroy your posessions.
NEVER don't store acid in the house, ANYWHERE children are apt to get at it, or above chest height.

The stuff we get comes in plastic gallon jugs just like milk and store bought water. It LOOKS like water! Dork shop kid went and picked up 5 gallons one day and was tossing them on the bench while unloading the truck, sliding them along like they WERE full of water. 2 or 3 of us jumped him at the same time "What the he!! are you doing???"

Acids DON'T like oils, and really, really avoid proximity to any cleaning products, especially those containing chlorine (labels saying 'hypochlorite' or 'hypochloride'). It's best to store this stuff away from everything else. The plastic jugs we get are sensitive to sunlight and get brittle if left in it. A handle breaking off while you're pouring would surely suck.

[Pumpkinhead]

on the heels of Hotfoot (pun intended), a neutralizing bath of a bit of baking soda in water after a clear water rinse is a good idea. also after acid bathing your steels are super susceptable to rusting, so bathe, rinse, neutralize, rinse, dry, use. this treatment will also remove light to moderate rust, little fizzing and it takes longer.

[Broccoli1]

Is there a way to remove the zinc from galvanised metal other than grinding it off? I've been playing with steel conduit becasue it is cheap and readily available but I know welding the zinc can cause me to get sick and the tubing is so thin walled i hate to be too agressive with the grinder. Is there a chemical or a better technique that will remove it?

Flap disc on the grinder- you only need to remove the Zinc around the area you are weldin'

Zip Zip and yer good to go.

[Zondfive]

now remember, just because you can obtain it DOES NOT make it less dangerous, it is ACID, it will eat your skin, the fumes will destroy lung tissue and mucus membrane, it will BLIND you in the proverbial blink of an eye.
so please, BE CAREFUL. it may seem nerdy, but rubber gloves and a face sheild WITH goggles underneath. you get one set of eyes, eff'em up it's white cane with a red tip.

Also and no less important, the bottles it comes in are usually ordinary plastic, and not meant for long term storage, i.e. they leak fumes, as i said these fumes will destroy your posessions.
NEVER store acid in the house, ANYWHERE children are apt to get at it, or above chest height.

O.K., safety grandma out

OK SO WHERE ARE YOU and HOW DO YOU COME BY ALL THIS INFO!
I have never seen a post of yours that wasn't DEAD on...Nice job. Miss no details either. that is what counts. The details are what kill you!

Once again great job!! ! ! ! !

Z

[Zrexxer]

I have never seen a post of yours that wasn't DEAD on...Stick around... :rolleyes:

[Bill C2]

I use 1” EMT for my pig legs. Why? The price was right. Mig with .023 wire w/o removing the zinc and I get crappy looking welds, so I place the area to be welded I a plastic container with a 50/50 mix of Muriatic acid and water. Always add acid to the water NOT water to acid. 15 minutes seems to do it. Next, I place the legs in a strong soda solution. Only the end of the pipe was in the acid but I place the full length in the soda bath to ensure neutralization of any acid that my have gotten up inside the pipe. Then a clean water bath to remove the baking soda. Dry and ready to weld. All the aforementioned safety recommendations apply.

BILL

[aametalmaster]

There is always one of these you can wear...Bob

[TEK]

Stick around... :rolleyes:

That was funny....

no offense Pumpkinhead, but that was hilarious.....:D

[Pumpkinhead]

That was funny....

no offense Pumpkinhead, but that was hilarious.....:D

no offense taken.

[largely]

Let me say first that I admire Rocky D and respect his eexperienced advise most of the time but gotta disagree re: "Never heard of serious complications from metal fume fever." I advise you all to read the following post from SFT and much other info on this subject on many weld and blacksmith sites.

http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3315&highlight=galvanize

Stay safe,
Larry

[Pumpkinhead]

Let me say first that I admire Rocky D and respect his eexperienced advise most of the time but gotta disagree re: "Never heard of serious complications from metal fume fever." I advise you all to read the following post from SFT and much other info on this subject on many weld and blacksmith sites.

http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3315&highlight=galvanize

Stay safe,
Larry

and i advise you to search this site for info you can believe in, this topic has been beat to death.

enough with the digging Paw-Paw up, if he was stupid enough (yeah, that's right STUPID!)to "burn off" zinc plating in a forge, in an enclosed shop, without the knowledge of the fact perhaps the galvinization contained other elements MUCH more dangerous than zinc, he got what he deserved, IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE. and i'm sure it was his first time, right? dood probably has been "burning off" zinc like that since forever, and it bit him in the a s s .

[Zrexxer]

Let me say first that I admire Rocky D and respect his eexperienced advise most of the time but gotta disagree re: "Never heard of serious complications from metal fume fever." I advise you all to read the following post from SFT and much other info on this subject on many weld and blacksmith sites.

http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3315&highlight=galvanizeOh geeze. I'm all in favor of staying safe but all the disinformation in that sky-is-falling story has never helped the situation one bit. That gentleman died of pneumonia after having a history of emphysema, and if I recall correctly, he was a lifetime smoker. With that kind of compromised respiratory system, he could as easily have succumbed to SMOG as zinc poisoning.

[Rocky D]

Let me say first that I admire Rocky D and respect his experienced advise most of the time but gotta disagree re: "Never heard of serious complications from metal fume fever."...
Stay safe,
Larry

I didn't say anything that you could disagree with insofar as to my experience...how can you disagree with someone's experience???...I was stating a fact...that I had never heard of a fatal exposure....which is true.
In my previous post I mention the effect smoking has on the individual, as pointed by the astute Zrexxer...we need to keep things in perspective here.

[bobad]

Bottom line, IMHO working with harsh chemicals is worse than MFP. Welding over metals with chemical residue on them is far more dangerous, as the heat from welding will transform the chemicals adding who-knows-what into the fumes, IMHO, there are NO studies, or MSDS's that address it.


I agree, but don't agree that dilute hydrochloric is harsh. Stomach acid is hydrochloric, and is far, far preferable to breathing heavy metals. Metals can build up in your tissues, HCL will not.

Having said that, I think I would rather breathe zinc or cad vapor than to burp stomach acid. :(

[Rocky D]

...
Having said that, I think I would rather breathe zinc or cad vapor than to burp stomach acid. :(

GROSS! :eek:

[treborly]

Whenever I have to weld something which i`m not sure of, I just take a deep breath, hold it in, do a quick beed, walk away to fesh air, breathe, repeat.

[largely]

Rocky, It wasn't a personal attack. I believe I began by expressing my admiration for your skill and experience. It's pretty obvious that you've never had a fatal attack but that doesn't mean that no one has nor that anyone should disregard the dangers of inhaled fumes. Let me again express my respect for you and your perspectives. Peace to you and yours.

As for PH, who seems to like to rant, if everyone who ever did anything that he considers STUPID deserved to die many here would have been dead long ago.Here's some info from a source I can belive in.

http://files.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-25.PDF

I was only trying to be helpful. In the future I'll keep my advise to myself.

Larry

[Rocky D]

Rocky, It wasn't a personal attack. I believe I began by expressing my admiration for your skill and experience. It's pretty obvious that you've never had a fatal attack but that doesn't mean that no one has nor that anyone should disregard the dangers of inhaled fumes. Let me again express my respect for you and your perspectives. Peace to you and yours.

...I was only trying to be helpful. In the future I'll keep my advise to myself.

Larry

Larry, I didn't take it as an attack, and I do agree with your statement above. It was your choice of words, that said you "didn't agree"....my point is only that was not the right choice of words...you really can't disagree with someones experience...that's all.

As to someone croaking from metal fume fever, even the AWS statement doesn't allude to it being a death dealing phenomena, and that which Franz spoke of about Paw Paw, really shouldn't be taken as a "blanket statement".

I do appreciate your participation in the forum, and I don't want you to feel as you have to refrain from adding your experiences...we all value each others experience, that's how we learn...once and awhile we mis-speak and someone will remind us of it...no biggy...we are all brothers of the torch, here and should accept each others views with respect, and we don't have to agree, either, but to do it agreeably. I apologize, if I have stepped on your toes, I didn't mean to.

[largely]

Rocky,
Thanks for the response.
I don't feel you stepped on my toes in any way. I agree that my choice of words was poor. I didn't mean to imply that anyone dies from mff but thought anyone with compromised respiratory function could be sensitive and shouldn't be advised to weld on it. That's what I should have said.
Again, PEACE!
The other guys are correct that Jim could have died from many things, but he DID die from pnumonia brought on by metal fume inhalation.
Of course there are those who believe that such people are STUPID and deserve to die. That's the kind of arrogant answer that drives people away from this board.
I'll continue to participate here and continue to respect your opinions as you've respected mine.
The other guy I'll just try to ignore.

Larry

[Pumpkinhead]

.... That gentleman died of pneumonia after having a history of emphysema, and if I recall correctly, he was a lifetime smoker.

my, my, my, Largely, if the above is true, ANY person with emphysema that smokes something that is clearly labeled on each package as a life shortening product due to it's effects on lung tissue, IS STUPID!!!
if this same person who suffers with a debilitating disease of the lungs heats plated metal to remove said plating, and inhales the fume, which is invisible, IS STUPID !! and is akin to playing Russian Roulette, sure you may never land on a full chamber, but then again?
also, it seems as if you didn't go off half-c0cked and checked other sources besides the great and wonderful SFT, you would have seen no mention of fatalities due to zinc, but alas no, you went straight for the sensationalism, ala the National Enquirer, Extra, TMZ, etc.

[Zrexxer]

you went straight for the sensationalism, ala the National Enquirer, Extra, TMZ, etc.Hey, I kinda like TMZ, it's the best place to laugh about what that pinhead Britney Spears did today! :p Makes me feel better about my ordinary, non-celebrity life!

[Broccoli1]

Hey, I kinda like TMZ, it's the best place to laugh about what that pinhead Britney Spears did today! :p Makes me feel better about my ordinary, non-celebrity life!

The fact that you know what TMZ is, is quite disheartening Z:eek::D

[Rocky D]

Is that a place where we can find out why Brian Lee won't return any of Grappletractors' calls? :confused: