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**Ruffy** · 07-09-2009, 06:10pm

You might think brake cleaner would be fairly innocuous when used as a cleaner before MIG welding..... Brake cleaner = Phosgene

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Cheers Ruffy

**DAD** · 07-09-2009, 10:35pm

Good on ya Ruffy its a good thing to post stuff like this. Clap

**Astro** · 07-09-2009, 10:58pm

Bloody frightening. One tiny little whiff causes so much permanent damage.

**A^K^T** · (This post was last modified: 08-09-2009, 12:05am by A^K^T.)

That's scary , i have done a fair bit of welding being a sheet metal worker and can understand what it's like getting ill from it .
A week off work after welding up some galvanised gates wasn't fun .

**Louwai** · 08-09-2009, 08:06am

I agree that it's good to display & distribute this type of info, but people who are properly trained would not do it in the first place.

That comment relates to 2 things.
#1 People who do it without training
#2 People who have been "trained" by less than suitable trainers, & THINK they are doing the right thing. Scary

I'm a boilermaker. I finished my apprenticeship over 25yrs ago. One of the major things we were taught was,
DO NOT LET ANYTHING INTO THE WELD.
The reason for this was not fumes or safety, it was to stop porosity in the weld.
Those who are dilligent & want a perfect weld will never "just burn it out".
I spent several yrs repairing damaged Aluminimum & Steel fuel tankers. (Semi-trailers) as well as diesel tanks for locomotives.
The cleaning sequence was;
#1 Clean / wipe / flush with Shelite (to remove fuel residue & Shelite will evaporate totally)
#2 Steam Clean for 2hrs, (to totally remove fuel residue & shelite residue)
#3 Grind (to remove rust, scale etc)

Therefore, if the components are cleaned correctly, the scenario above should never happen.

But of course, we all know that we don't live in a perfect world.
The sad part is, a lot of people won't even head such a warning & do it anyway......

**Ozboc** · 08-09-2009, 08:15am

Also something you should also know , if you ever need to get an MRI done on your head , you need to tell your doctor that your a welder

why ????

over the years you can get metal fragments in behind your eyes ... and the MRI is an incredibly strong magnet ..... need i say more

those that have been purge welding/ tig stainless need not worry about this :)

Boc

**Missy_Moo** · 09-09-2009, 02:00pm

(08-09-2009, 08:06am)Louwai Wrote: I agree that it's good to display & distribute this type of info, but people who are properly trained would not do it in the first place.

That comment relates to 2 things.
#1 People who do it without training
#2 People who have been "trained" by less than suitable trainers, & THINK they are doing the right thing.

I'm a boilermaker. I finished my apprenticeship over 25yrs ago. One of the major things we were taught was,
DO NOT LET ANYTHING INTO THE WELD.
The reason for this was not fumes or safety, it was to stop porosity in the weld.
Those who are dilligent & want a perfect weld will never "just burn it out". So true.
I spent several yrs repairing damaged Aluminimum & Steel fuel tankers. (Semi-trailers) as well as diesel tanks for locomotives.
The cleaning sequence was;
#1 Clean / wipe / flush with Shelite (to remove fuel residue & Shelite will evaporate totally)
#2 Steam Clean for 2hrs, (to totally remove fuel residue & shelite residue)
#3 Grind (to remove rust, scale etc)

Therefore, if the components are cleaned correctly, the scenario above should never happen.

But of course, we all know that we don't live in a perfect world.
The sad part is, a lot of people won't even head such a warning & do it anyway......

-Grit blasting and washing still don't remove all paint / chemical residues, processes that are time consuming and cost a lot, but all cleaning processes are there for a reason.
-Sealing masks and supplied air at least help a little more to the welder not recieving fumes. Expensive systems, way out of reach of the home welders...If only the home DIY saw the isolation bays used for the known dangerous work.

10-09-2009, 11:04am

WOW! I just want to jump in here and point out a few things.
#1 and most important, THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!
#2 Using Barb or Brake cleaners to clean parts is a very common place practice here in the USA.
#3 We both have never heard a word along these lines rest assured that we will pass along not only to our friends but to our fellow employees!
Thanks again
Marie
HeavyBusRacing.com

**Ruffy** · 10-09-2009, 11:07am

No Probs Marie - I pilfered it from another site of which i am a member which is largely US based Pi_thumbsup

Cheers Ruffy

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