[1meancuda]

I finally got to the point on my welding cart where I could add wheels. So I flipped the thing over, got the casters lined up on the back and started laying a bead. I did maybe about an inch or so of welding and then started thinking, "Boy, I didn't grind on these caster plates and I'm not really sure what they are really made out of." I always keep both man doors open in my garage and use a box fan in the one to exhaust the fumes out. But, after thinking about it, I decided that while I was welding on these caster plates, I should really have the fan closer to me and blowing the fumes away. I was using flux core, so I turned the fan on high since there was no gas to blow away. I jumped on-line once I finished up and started reading and everything I found showed that most caster plates are zinc coated. Well, I freaked out a little bit, but I think I kept enough distance and while the ventilation wasn't great, it must have worked ok.
What do you guys usually do for ventilation when you are welding? I found a post my martinsr about a mask that is like $22, so I think I will also look at getting one of those as an added measure of protection.

[61bone]

I don't like to weld anything that has been plated with anything. An organic filter with good ventilation is a minimum whatever you are welding, even mild steel. When welding plated materials, secure supplied air is a requirement even when removing the plating before welding. Drinking milk is bull. You would do just as well to eat a dozen raw Oysters. All welding fumes are harmful so protect yourself as best you can.
Your ok this time. Just one little whiff of the fumes off plated material will tell you that you got it and you will never forget the taste and smell.
Just thought I would add that you can give yourself a dose of "Welders Flu" when you are grinding off the plating.

[camaroman7d]

Typically when you get over exposed to the burned plating you will get a nasty taste in your mouth and one hell of a headache.

[1meancuda]

No taste or headache to speak of, so I must have done OK venting the fumes. Definitely opened my eyes to safety though after I got thinking about it! That, and when I set my garbage can on fire this weekend from sparks or slag!

[oldred]

Originally Posted by 61bone

Drinking milk is bull. You would do just as well to eat a dozen raw Oysters.

Where in the world did that non-sense come from anyway? I have heard people actually argue that drinking milk (or buttermilk depending on the idiot advising it) will either prevent fume sickness or cure it or do both, it will do none of these things!


I have mentioned this instance before but it just goes to show how big this "milk" myth is and what some people will do.

Some years ago I was at a mine site in Kentucky when this group of welders came in to cut up and remove some galvanized tanks, pipes and culverts, those tanks were very heavily galvanized. This was going to be a fairly big job so they brought with them about 20 Oxygen and Acetylene tanks, half a dozen torch outfits, gasoline powered cut-off saws and a large cooler filled with pint boxes of milk and not a single respirator, not even ONE! The contractor who had taken this job had told these guys that all they needed to do was to drink a box of this milk every hour or so and they would be fine, told them he had been doing it for years (yeah right, sure he had! ). The mine superintendent came out and when he saw this setup he sent those guys packing before they even lit a torch, the job was turned over to my crew and it took all 4 of them 2 1/2 days (using proper breathing equipment) to remove these things so I can just imagine what almost happened. The most surprising thing about this is the fact that the dumb#%% that contracted that job could find so many people that would actually believe that non-sense but these guys not only thought they would be OK most of them insisted that it worked.

[61bone]

The raw oysters aren't going to make you puke any worse than you are going to even if you do drink milk for a dose of zinc fumes.