When I worked in a fire sprinkler fab shop, I used a rosebud of the pipe when I could. I'd put a fan on it or take it outside and burn it off. Lots of heat worked wonders on galvanized. When I couldn't burn it off, I'd grind it with a flap disc and put a fan on the end of the pipe where it was sucking air through it so it wouldn't affect my gas flow
Muriatic acid dissolves zinc in matter of minute or two -clean the part after and apply some oil to stop rusting if you wont weld instantly. Best part is you can protect part you dont want to remove zinc from with tape. I was in need of m20 bolts for my lathe leveling feet and they needed to be welded to a steel plate .So i took electrical tape and protected thread parts ,after that i filled plastic cup with muriatic acid and dipped the bolt heads in . 2 min later bolt head is bare metal and thread still has zinc on it.
I dropped the end of a half inch tube into citric acid. The galvanized layer dissolved after ten minutes. Just make sure that you wash well away the acid afterwards and spray some oil on it if you're not welding it right away. Otherwise it start's to rust pretty fast.
I use muriatic acid. 1:1 ratio with water. Completely dissolves the galvanize. 3 - 5 minutes dip. No grinding needed. As was mentioned, it flash rust pretty fast.
Only weld in a well ventilated shop or outside. A chemical respirator is a must. Never underestimate how hazardous the fumes are. The nerve damage is additive so repeated exposure can be fatal. Drink milk if you have been exposed to zinc welding fumes.
@@danl.4743 ....": Milk contains a protein called casein, which also has a strong binding capacity for heavy metals. Casein forms complexes with heavy metals, preventing their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and facilitating their excretion from the body. Additionally, milk contains calcium and phosphorus, which can help reduce the absorption of certain heavy metals."
I was welding fence pipe and got that galv. sick quick. Muriatic acid bath with 90 percent water works in 30 minutes then backing soda wash stop the acid. Also WD40 works for splatter too. Didn't know about canola oil. Cooking spray is cheaper than WD.
After reading the comments I'm surprised nobody mentioned T11-GS wire it is literary designed for welding galvanized materials such as for gates and security fencing. It is commonly available and welds very nicely despite being a self-sheilded wire. Ventilation and a good respirator is a 100% must.
I haven't welded too much galvanized I'm not welding all the time though mostly just to build jeeps. For example jeep cherokee xj's when installing frame stiffeners the unibody has been galvanized or dipped in some form of galvanizing you can see the layer when cleaning and if you don't get it all or miss a spot it makes your welds icky and you get that yellow/white junk. I've ran into galvanized stuff multiple times over the years doing various repairs or modifications on vehicles and ive had to go back and do an extra thorough cleaning but now i know more about it. I've also seen people try to burn through it.
Hot Gal your weld’s after welding. MIG welding Galvanised Steel takes a little more experience. Here’s some tips if you are in a situation where you can not clean off the Zinc Coating. Reduce your heat. Hold a slight steeper welding angle. Have a slight longer wire stick out. Increase the gas flow to 21 litres a minute. Use Canola oil spray to reduce spatter. These are the tricks I learned using solid wire. You will however obtain a better result with Flux-core wire. It works great on construction of safety handrails.
@@austinhargett5792 I did however fail to mention wire speed needs to a tiny bit on the slower side. With machines where you can set the voltage keeping it to a maximum of 21 volts
@@danl.4743 try it out it is better than anti spatter spray. Canola oil in a spray can works fantastic. The heat from the arc pushes the oil away and doesn’t effect the weld properties.
@@danl.4743 I am not positive, but pretty sure the heat burns the oil up. The heat breaks it down quick. It isn't saturated it is thin film of oil. But you definitely have a good question. Because first rule is, clean and prep the surface to be welded. So I can see what you are saying. Like I said I am not a professional, but have welded plenty in my early years as a mechanic. Peace to you
Metal fume fever doesn't scare me nearly as much as exposure to LEAD OXIDE. I welded galvanized for several days and never got any of the symptoms of metal fume fever. I was stick welding hundreds of shear studs to galvanized metal deck. Then I had an alarming wake-up call when I read just yesterday about lead oxide in galvanized products. Excess zinc leaves the body relatively quickly via urine and feces. Lead, on the other hand, is much slower to excrete, if at all, and builds up in the bones. It is noted for negatively affecting IQ. So respirator it is from now on!
I recommend that the galvanized coating be removed prior to welding. Not only for safety and health reasons but in order to obtain a sound weld. PS: I will weld magnesium alloys before I will weld galvanized steel.
Depending on what you are welding. For example if you are welding pipe or tubing and you grind off the coating, there still might be some on the inside. The thing that is dangerous is when you vaporize Zinc it can cause what people call "Metal Fever" so anything you can do to avoid breathing that in is for the best.
Muriatic acid (32% Hydrochloric acid) will completely remove the zinc and rust. I usually dilute down to 10% with water. You can coat with oil to prevent instant rust, but I prefer using phosphoric acid to create a layer of iron phosphate. This will paint over very well. This also works great to remove rust from old pitted steel, which I use for many non-critical projects.
😮sorry dude, but that not hot dip! Hot dip is thick! Hot dipping is where steel is actually lowered into a hot vast of molten, and then raised to drip off. As in the WORD DIP! What you are grinding off is gavinized electro plating done with with electric ionizing, yes what you have is electro plating that is a very very then coating. It's so easy to tell the difference, even in zinc plating, you can see a pattern of crisscrossing of blotches! And that's is exactly what you have. Hot dip vs electro plating is two separate issues, two separate processes. Sorry but for the correction, you are wrong.
I hate welding galv. Made a boat trailer 3 days ago and sent it for galv. We had to weld stuff on after and we were on a rush. So no grinding the boss said and woofff . What a job
I always just burned through it. It makes little white floaters in the air. That was before we had respirators, just kept my face out of the plume. Never heard of metal fume fever till the late '80s.
How to weld galvanized steel: Just don't, if you don't have to! That sh*t is naaasty to your lungs, and the effects aren't instant so you just ignore it, but after few hours: oh man! 🤕😬 Just take care, use all ppe you can when dealing with galv steel 👍 Be safe men, your family needs you!
In addition to all the other problems, welding galvanized produces much more smoke than other types of welding so its difficult to see your work as you weld and it also puts a heavy dust layer on your welding helmet glass making vision even more difficult. So remove that zinc before welding.
Just curious. I have a set of LS headers designed to cone up over the intake. For a Rock crawler. Rear engine design. If I modify them to not curve up so much I could use them as turbo manifolds.
For the new comers to welding..he is not bullshitting about breathing the gases from weldong on galvanized steel.. I know all to well about metal posoning.. its no fun and now im paying the price 30 yrs later wearing an OBA half the time now
I made the mistake of welding for like 45min straight in a non-ventilated room (heat on in winter). I developed fluid in my lungs, could only take 1/2-breath and was bed-ridden for 3 days. Was otherwise healthy in my mid 30's.
If you don't feel like grinding a 6010/6011/7010 to burn that shit off works well too. Unfortunately I can't wear a respirator and I've been hospitalized by this shit. You should at least beg your employer for a fan for sure.
Sometimes you just have to weld the fucking thing, nothing like jerking up the amps and throwing some stick down. I bet that fucking zinc door hinge I welded 10 years ago still holds, it wasnt pretty but it was better than buying a new door because the screws all stripped out due to lack of hardness 🤷. Fucking polish doors bruh....
I’ve welded miles of this crap!! I can’t like it. I’ve also got zinc, fume poisoning from it. No fun!! Being an Ironworker we come across this stuff all the time. Roof top screen, walls, chiller racks, and so on and so on. Just take care. This crap will hurt you.
I use muriatic acid and a cordless fan along with a respirator. I've had galvanic poisoning and it sucked big time.
Good video and good tips!
When I worked in a fire sprinkler fab shop, I used a rosebud of the pipe when I could. I'd put a fan on it or take it outside and burn it off. Lots of heat worked wonders on galvanized. When I couldn't burn it off, I'd grind it with a flap disc and put a fan on the end of the pipe where it was sucking air through it so it wouldn't affect my gas flow
Muriatic acid dissolves zinc in matter of minute or two -clean the part after and apply some oil to stop rusting if you wont weld instantly. Best part is you can protect part you dont want to remove zinc from with tape.
I was in need of m20 bolts for my lathe leveling feet and they needed to be welded to a steel plate .So i took electrical tape and protected thread parts ,after that i filled plastic cup with muriatic acid and dipped the bolt heads in . 2 min later bolt head is bare metal and thread still has zinc on it.
Awesome advice!
Award winning acting! Thanks for the safety info.
Thank you😂🎉
I dropped the end of a half inch tube into citric acid. The galvanized layer dissolved after ten minutes. Just make sure that you wash well away the acid afterwards and spray some oil on it if you're not welding it right away. Otherwise it start's to rust pretty fast.
Great tip!
I use muriatic acid. 1:1 ratio with water. Completely dissolves the galvanize. 3 - 5 minutes dip. No grinding needed. As was mentioned, it flash rust pretty fast.
Only weld in a well ventilated shop or outside. A chemical respirator is a must. Never underestimate how hazardous the fumes are. The nerve damage is additive so repeated exposure can be fatal. Drink milk if you have been exposed to zinc welding fumes.
That’s right!!
I wonder how effective "drink milk" really is. It's the wonder recipe that I heard for so many things since I was 5 years old.
Excellent video, very informative 😎👍
@@danl.4743 ....": Milk contains a protein called casein, which also has a strong binding capacity for heavy metals. Casein forms complexes with heavy metals, preventing their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and facilitating their excretion from the body. Additionally, milk contains calcium and phosphorus, which can help reduce the absorption of certain heavy metals."
I am a complete novice with welding. Can I use my cheap Harbor Freight wire welder on galvanized if I prep as you described in your video?
had metal fever first day of my apprenticeship now i use a fume hood with it and milk helps alot
That PAPR hoods are nice!
I weld Stainless
I Weld Carbon
I weld Chrome
If it’s galvanized I’m going home 😂😂
❤ Best solution after all!
I was welding fence pipe and got that galv. sick quick. Muriatic acid bath with 90 percent water works in 30 minutes then backing soda wash stop the acid. Also WD40 works for splatter too. Didn't know about canola oil. Cooking spray is cheaper than WD.
Your the best, man! Super helpful. Definitely gonna need to clean my pipe first, before doing a single weld.
After reading the comments I'm surprised nobody mentioned T11-GS wire it is literary designed for welding galvanized materials such as for gates and security fencing. It is commonly available and welds very nicely despite being a self-sheilded wire. Ventilation and a good respirator is a 100% must.
what electrode is best for welding galvanize 7018 or 6010 thanks
Glad I came across your channel. Great video ‼️
I haven't welded too much galvanized I'm not welding all the time though mostly just to build jeeps. For example jeep cherokee xj's when installing frame stiffeners the unibody has been galvanized or dipped in some form of galvanizing you can see the layer when cleaning and if you don't get it all or miss a spot it makes your welds icky and you get that yellow/white junk.
I've ran into galvanized stuff multiple times over the years doing various repairs or modifications on vehicles and ive had to go back and do an extra thorough cleaning but now i know more about it. I've also seen people try to burn through it.
Great experience!
Hot Gal your weld’s after welding.
MIG welding Galvanised Steel takes a little more experience.
Here’s some tips if you are in a situation where you can not clean off the Zinc Coating.
Reduce your heat.
Hold a slight steeper welding angle.
Have a slight longer wire stick out.
Increase the gas flow to 21 litres a minute.
Use Canola oil spray to reduce spatter.
These are the tricks I learned using solid wire.
You will however obtain a better result with Flux-core wire.
It works great on construction of safety handrails.
Awesome advice!
Canola oil? You weld your bead on top of the oil?
@@austinhargett5792 I did however fail to mention wire speed needs to a tiny bit on the slower side.
With machines where you can set the voltage keeping it to a maximum of 21 volts
@@danl.4743 try it out it is better than anti spatter spray.
Canola oil in a spray can works fantastic.
The heat from the arc pushes the oil away and doesn’t effect the weld properties.
@@danl.4743 I am not positive, but pretty sure the heat burns the oil up. The heat breaks it down quick. It isn't saturated it is thin film of oil.
But you definitely have a good question. Because first rule is, clean and prep the surface to be welded. So I can see what you are saying.
Like I said I am not a professional, but have welded plenty in my early years as a mechanic.
Peace to you
The bob and weave.. very relatable
Muriatic acid will disolve the zinc. I think it is easier than grinding, which always seems to leave some zinc embedded in the steel.
Good insights
Metal fume fever doesn't scare me nearly as much as exposure to LEAD OXIDE. I welded galvanized for several days and never got any of the symptoms of metal fume fever. I was stick welding hundreds of shear studs to galvanized metal deck. Then I had an alarming wake-up call when I read just yesterday about lead oxide in galvanized products. Excess zinc leaves the body relatively quickly via urine and feces. Lead, on the other hand, is much slower to excrete, if at all, and builds up in the bones. It is noted for negatively affecting IQ. So respirator it is from now on!
I recommend that the galvanized coating be removed prior to welding. Not only for safety and health reasons but in order to obtain a sound weld.
PS: I will weld magnesium alloys before I will weld galvanized steel.
Im welding 1/8th thick unistrut supports for the electricians conduit, learning tho weld galvanized is another ball game than regular carbon welding 😆
Great Video, thx.
So if i am migging and i grind off 2in around the weld is there still any real health issues?
Depending on what you are welding. For example if you are welding pipe or tubing and you grind off the coating, there still might be some on the inside. The thing that is dangerous is when you vaporize Zinc it can cause what people call "Metal Fever" so anything you can do to avoid breathing that in is for the best.
Muriatic acid (32% Hydrochloric acid) will completely remove the zinc and rust. I usually dilute down to 10% with water. You can coat with oil to prevent instant rust, but I prefer using phosphoric acid to create a layer of iron phosphate. This will paint over very well.
This also works great to remove rust from old pitted steel, which I use for many non-critical projects.
I love this channel!
😮sorry dude, but that not hot dip! Hot dip is thick! Hot dipping is where steel is actually lowered into a hot vast of molten, and then raised to drip off. As in the WORD DIP! What you are grinding off is gavinized electro plating done with with electric ionizing, yes what you have is electro plating that is a very very then coating. It's so easy to tell the difference, even in zinc plating, you can see a pattern of crisscrossing of blotches! And that's is exactly what you have. Hot dip vs electro plating is two separate issues, two separate processes. Sorry but for the correction, you are wrong.
Awesome thanks
Found Little John's supplier 💀💀
I hate welding galv. Made a boat trailer 3 days ago and sent it for galv. We had to weld stuff on after and we were on a rush. So no grinding the boss said and woofff . What a job
Great video thanks
Thank you
You’re welcome
Electrode negative helps a little as well
Guilty of burning through zinc. Also burn through paint.
Great video
if you mig weld a galvanized joint the fumes are minimal if you drag the gun.
I always just burned through it. It makes little white floaters in the air. That was before we had respirators, just kept my face out of the plume. Never heard of metal fume fever till the late '80s.
Why does drinking milk seem to cure the metal fever?
It doesn't. It's an old wives tale based around a misunderstanding of calcium
Go up to top comment here. Read the replies 4th one details the help from milk.
My professor has that same hood
White vinegar does a good job of stripping zinc and rust, may take a bit of time but super cheep and in just about everyones kitchen.
How to weld galvanized steel:
Just don't, if you don't have to!
That sh*t is naaasty to your lungs, and the effects aren't instant so you just ignore it, but after few hours: oh man! 🤕😬
Just take care, use all ppe you can when dealing with galv steel 👍 Be safe men, your family needs you!
In addition to all the other problems, welding galvanized produces much more smoke than other types of welding so its difficult to see your work as you weld and it also puts a heavy dust layer on your welding helmet glass making vision even more difficult.
So remove that zinc before welding.
Just a guess but if you are Welding on ceramic coating, pretty much everything applies the same. Thanks in advance.
I would imagine so! I’ve never done it though. I’ve used ceramic backings, and it don’t stick! Lol
Just curious. I have a set of LS headers designed to cone up over the intake. For a Rock crawler. Rear engine design. If I modify them to not curve up so much I could use them as turbo manifolds.
You got it this helps alor
For the new comers to welding..he is not bullshitting about breathing the gases from weldong on galvanized steel.. I know all to well about metal posoning.. its no fun and now im paying the price 30 yrs later wearing an OBA half the time now
I'm pretty sure my welding class took 10 years off my life
A shake it off, have an apple, wear ppe. You’ll be safe dude
I made the mistake of welding for like 45min straight in a non-ventilated room (heat on in winter). I developed fluid in my lungs, could only take 1/2-breath and was bed-ridden for 3 days. Was otherwise healthy in my mid 30's.
Im pretty sure soaking small parts in vinegar overnight strips off zinc, but I personally never risk it.
Not worth the risk and extra work
If you don't feel like grinding a 6010/6011/7010 to burn that shit off works well too. Unfortunately I can't wear a respirator and I've been hospitalized by this shit. You should at least beg your employer for a fan for sure.
If I was asked to weld galvanized steel, I'd double my rate plus an extra 50% as hazard pay. PPE ain't cheap, nor is cancer treatments.
Better yet just dont weld with it, buy clean or rusty steal and just don't, there's always a solution that's safer
Sometimes you just have to weld the fucking thing, nothing like jerking up the amps and throwing some stick down. I bet that fucking zinc door hinge I welded 10 years ago still holds, it wasnt pretty but it was better than buying a new door because the screws all stripped out due to lack of hardness 🤷. Fucking polish doors bruh....
Who is this and what happened to bob mofatt
Snake poisoning man
Just. Drink milk before during and after and you'll be just fine
yeah dawg
I’ve welded miles of this crap!! I can’t like it. I’ve also got zinc, fume poisoning from it. No fun!! Being an Ironworker we come across this stuff all the time. Roof top screen, walls, chiller racks, and so on and so on. Just take care. This crap will hurt you.