Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

Hi all

I have 200+ feet 2" by 2" iron rod that is covered with thick and
sticky protecting agent. It feels more like syrup than grease. Last
time I cleaned the bars with a degresing agent and high pressure water
and after that I used an angle grinder. And I may do just the same
this time. But it got me interested: how do (large) machine shops
clean their iron before welding? My method seems a bit impractical :)

As it is difficult or impossible to clean the inside of the pipe I
have considered heating the pipe endings near the weld before the
actual welding. The idea is to burn any possible oils remaining inside
the pipe away. Is that a practical solution? I use GTAW/TIG I I
believe that using a low current would allow me to heat the pipes
sufficiently to burn any oily residue but not melt the pipe? Any
comments?

IW

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

In article
,
wrote:

Hi all

I have 200+ feet 2" by 2" iron rod that is covered with thick and
sticky protecting agent. It feels more like syrup than grease. Last
time I cleaned the bars with a degresing agent and high pressure water
and after that I used an angle grinder. And I may do just the same
this time. But it got me interested: how do (large) machine shops
clean their iron before welding? My method seems a bit impractical :)

As it is difficult or impossible to clean the inside of the pipe I
have considered heating the pipe endings near the weld before the
actual welding. The idea is to burn any possible oils remaining inside
the pipe away. Is that a practical solution? I use GTAW/TIG I I
believe that using a low current would allow me to heat the pipes
sufficiently to burn any oily residue but not melt the pipe? Any
comments?

IW

They make commercial steel cleaners.
Like a commercial dishwasher sitting over a conveyor belt.

I usually lay all the steel on the ground bunched up together.
Mix up a 5 gallon bucket of hot water with a cup of simple green in it,
and scrub the steel with a stiff narrow scrub brush on a broom stick.

Just keep rotating the steel until al sides are done, then hose off and
prop one end up higher so the water drains.

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

SteveB wrote:

wrote in message
...

Hi all

I have 200+ feet 2" by 2" iron rod that is covered with thick and
sticky protecting agent. It feels more like syrup than grease. Last
time I cleaned the bars with a degresing agent and high pressure water
and after that I used an angle grinder. And I may do just the same
this time. But it got me interested: how do (large) machine shops
clean their iron before welding? My method seems a bit impractical :)

As it is difficult or impossible to clean the inside of the pipe I
have considered heating the pipe endings near the weld before the
actual welding. The idea is to burn any possible oils remaining inside
the pipe away. Is that a practical solution? I use GTAW/TIG I I
believe that using a low current would allow me to heat the pipes
sufficiently to burn any oily residue but not melt the pipe? Any
comments?

IW


I call the coating fish oil, although I don't know what it actually is.

I have cleaned several miles of this stuff. You cut it, deburr it, and lay
it on a flat table surface touching each other on the sides. You take a rag
with A LITTLE BIT OF gasoline on it. You wipe one side. You roll the tube
1/4 turn and wipe the next side, and so on until you get all four sides.
Now you take another gas rag with less gas and feed them through your hand
to get all four sides. At the end, take a clean rag to clean off everything
else that's left.

I've been doing it that way for more than twenty years. Yes, gas is
hazardous, so work outside. Put your gas can away from everything where
you're working. Pay strict attention if you do any grinding. Watch out for
the rags later when welding. The gas will take all oil out of your skin.
So will the hand cleaners you use, and if you use Dawn, you can expect
cracked skin down to the meat. Feels real good the next time you get gas in
there.

Whatever way you choose to clean your metal, it is one of the most vital
steps in fabrication that will save you time later and give you a nicer
finished product.

Steve




I set up the 20' sticks on two sawhorses, and walk along with a spray bottle
of kerosene and a rag, spraying the stock while holding the rag underneath
to catch the overspray (I do this inside). Then I wipe down until rags come
away clean. I also use the kerosene as a cutting fluid for aluminum.

GWE

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

wrote in message
...
Hi all

I have 200+ feet 2" by 2" iron rod that is covered with thick and
sticky protecting agent. It feels more like syrup than grease. Last
time I cleaned the bars with a degresing agent and high pressure water
and after that I used an angle grinder. And I may do just the same
this time. But it got me interested: how do (large) machine shops
clean their iron before welding? My method seems a bit impractical :)

As it is difficult or impossible to clean the inside of the pipe I
have considered heating the pipe endings near the weld before the
actual welding. The idea is to burn any possible oils remaining inside
the pipe away. Is that a practical solution? I use GTAW/TIG I I
believe that using a low current would allow me to heat the pipes
sufficiently to burn any oily residue but not melt the pipe? Any
comments?

IW

I call the coating fish oil, although I don't know what it actually is.

I have cleaned several miles of this stuff. You cut it, deburr it, and lay
it on a flat table surface touching each other on the sides. You take a rag
with A LITTLE BIT OF gasoline on it. You wipe one side. You roll the tube
1/4 turn and wipe the next side, and so on until you get all four sides.
Now you take another gas rag with less gas and feed them through your hand
to get all four sides. At the end, take a clean rag to clean off everything
else that's left.

I've been doing it that way for more than twenty years. Yes, gas is
hazardous, so work outside. Put your gas can away from everything where
you're working. Pay strict attention if you do any grinding. Watch out for
the rags later when welding. The gas will take all oil out of your skin.
So will the hand cleaners you use, and if you use Dawn, you can expect
cracked skin down to the meat. Feels real good the next time you get gas in
there.

Whatever way you choose to clean your metal, it is one of the most vital
steps in fabrication that will save you time later and give you a nicer
finished product.

Steve

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

On Jan 21, 1:16*pm, "SteveB" wrote:
wrote in message

...





Hi all

I have 200+ feet 2" by 2" iron rod that is covered with thick and
sticky protecting agent. It feels more like syrup than grease. Last
time I cleaned the bars with a degresing agent and high pressure water
and after that I used an angle grinder. And I may do just the same
this time. But it got me interested: how do (large) machine shops
clean their iron before welding? My method seems a bit impractical :)

As it is difficult or impossible to clean the inside of the pipe I
have considered heating the pipe endings near the weld before the
actual welding. The idea is to burn any possible oils remaining inside
the pipe away. Is that a practical solution? I use GTAW/TIG I I
believe that using a low current would allow me to heat the pipes
sufficiently to burn any oily residue but not melt the pipe? Any
comments?

IW

I call the coating fish oil, although I don't know what it actually is.

I have cleaned several miles of this stuff. *You cut it, deburr it, and lay
it on a flat table surface touching each other on the sides. *You take a rag
with A LITTLE BIT OF gasoline on it. *You wipe one side. *You roll the tube
1/4 turn and wipe the next side, and so on until you get all four sides.
Now you take another gas rag with less gas and feed them through your hand
to get all four sides. *At the end, take a clean rag to clean off everything
else that's left.

I've been doing it that way for more than twenty years. *Yes, gas is
hazardous, so work outside. *Put your gas can away from everything where
you're working. *Pay strict attention if you do any grinding. *Watch out for
the rags later when welding. *The gas will take all oil out of your skin..
So will the hand cleaners you use, and if you use Dawn, you can expect
cracked skin down to the meat. *Feels real good the next time you get gas in
there.

Whatever way you choose to clean your metal, it is one of the most vital
steps in fabrication that will save you time later and give you a nicer
finished product.

Steve- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Be careful - degreasing agents can turn into phosgene gas at welding
temperatures. Have you tried mineral spirits?

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

On Jan 21, 10:16*am, "SteveB" wrote:

[wipe off with gasoline]... *Yes, gas is
hazardous, so work outside. *Put your gas can away from everything where
you're working. *Pay strict attention if you do any grinding.
..., you can expect
cracked skin down to the meat. *Feels real good the next time you get gas in
there.

Err... waterless hand cleaner dissolves lots of stuff that
gasoline dissolves. I'd try that first, it seems like it might
be more ... benign. And, I know it rinses off with water.

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

Acetone works pretty good and leaves no residue.

--

__
Roger Shoaf

Important factors in selecting a mate:
1] Depth of gene pool
2] Position on the food chain.



wrote in message
...
Hi all

I have 200+ feet 2" by 2" iron rod that is covered with thick and
sticky protecting agent. It feels more like syrup than grease. Last
time I cleaned the bars with a degresing agent and high pressure water
and after that I used an angle grinder. And I may do just the same
this time. But it got me interested: how do (large) machine shops
clean their iron before welding? My method seems a bit impractical :)

As it is difficult or impossible to clean the inside of the pipe I
have considered heating the pipe endings near the weld before the
actual welding. The idea is to burn any possible oils remaining inside
the pipe away. Is that a practical solution? I use GTAW/TIG I I
believe that using a low current would allow me to heat the pipes
sufficiently to burn any oily residue but not melt the pipe? Any
comments?

IW

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

wrote

Be careful - degreasing agents can turn into phosgene gas at welding
temperatures. Have you tried mineral spirits?

No, just gas and let it dry.

No harmful effects so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far
so far

slap

Steve

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

"whit3rd" wrote in message
...
On Jan 21, 10:16 am, "SteveB" wrote:

[wipe off with gasoline]... Yes, gas is
hazardous, so work outside. Put your gas can away from everything where
you're working. Pay strict attention if you do any grinding.
..., you can expect
cracked skin down to the meat. Feels real good the next time you get gas
in
there.

Err... waterless hand cleaner dissolves lots of stuff that
gasoline dissolves. I'd try that first, it seems like it might
be more ... benign. And, I know it rinses off with water.

Whatever winds yer clock and gets it out the door on time.

Steve

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

I'll have to try that. Gas works good, but I've always been nervous working
with it. And if you work with it much, it causes your skin to dry out so
much it cracks. Now I just have to find a place that sells kerosene.

Steve

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
SteveB wrote:

wrote in message
...

Hi all

I have 200+ feet 2" by 2" iron rod that is covered with thick and
sticky protecting agent. It feels more like syrup than grease. Last
time I cleaned the bars with a degresing agent and high pressure water
and after that I used an angle grinder. And I may do just the same
this time. But it got me interested: how do (large) machine shops
clean their iron before welding? My method seems a bit impractical :)

As it is difficult or impossible to clean the inside of the pipe I
have considered heating the pipe endings near the weld before the
actual welding. The idea is to burn any possible oils remaining inside
the pipe away. Is that a practical solution? I use GTAW/TIG I I
believe that using a low current would allow me to heat the pipes
sufficiently to burn any oily residue but not melt the pipe? Any
comments?

IW


I call the coating fish oil, although I don't know what it actually is.

I have cleaned several miles of this stuff. You cut it, deburr it, and
lay it on a flat table surface touching each other on the sides. You
take a rag with A LITTLE BIT OF gasoline on it. You wipe one side. You
roll the tube 1/4 turn and wipe the next side, and so on until you get
all four sides. Now you take another gas rag with less gas and feed them
through your hand to get all four sides. At the end, take a clean rag to
clean off everything else that's left.

I've been doing it that way for more than twenty years. Yes, gas is
hazardous, so work outside. Put your gas can away from everything where
you're working. Pay strict attention if you do any grinding. Watch out
for the rags later when welding. The gas will take all oil out of your
skin. So will the hand cleaners you use, and if you use Dawn, you can
expect cracked skin down to the meat. Feels real good the next time you
get gas in there.

Whatever way you choose to clean your metal, it is one of the most vital
steps in fabrication that will save you time later and give you a nicer
finished product.

Steve


I set up the 20' sticks on two sawhorses, and walk along with a spray
bottle
of kerosene and a rag, spraying the stock while holding the rag underneath
to catch the overspray (I do this inside). Then I wipe down until rags
come
away clean. I also use the kerosene as a cutting fluid for aluminum.

GWE

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
 

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:12:20 -0800, "SteveB"
wrote:

I'll have to try that. Gas works good, but I've always been nervous working
with it. And if you work with it much, it causes your skin to dry out so
much it cracks. Now I just have to find a place that sells kerosene.

Steve

Diesel fuel is as close to the same as kero as doesn't matter for this
job. It just stinks a bit more. Mineral spirits (aka paint thinner)
works well too, and it's often cheaper than either diesel or kero per
gallon.

Get a can of Gunk SC. Auto parts store, or
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ep/grease.html

One can of this will last for years because you mix it about 9:1 with
kero, diesel or mineral spirits and a little of the mix goes a long
ways. It works way far better than solvent alone.

Slop it on with a brush or rag, maybe scuff it a bit with a scrub
brush if the goo is really thick. Let it cook a couple of minutes,
then hose it off. The result won't be quite clean enough to paint
successfully, but it'll certainly be pleasant to handle and easy to
weld. I prefer to grind off millscale for MIG welding because I think
I get better results. I never bothered with stick (6013 and 7014)
because it didn't seem to make any difference.

If the steel is just coated with medium to heavy slimy**** dirtyawful
oil, as is the case with new steel where I buy it in Minneapolis, the
approach I take for small lots (a few 20-foot pieces) is PPG/Ditzler
DX579 metalcleaner. It's about 8 bux a quart but ya dilute it 2:1
with water -- and 4 oz of the diluted stuff will do all the 20' steel
bits I can fit on a pair of sawhorses. I've not yet used up the
most recent quart I bought several years ago. It's a strong
detergent with phosphoric acid. Rubber gloves not imperative, but not
a bad idea. This is the stuff autobody guys use as "acid prep" on
bare steel before priming. Autobody metal is not usually greasy, but
I've found that the stuff does remove yard preservatives from steel
very effectively. Also see footnote.

Slop it on with a disposable brush or rag, let it work a few minutes,
hose it off. The appeal to this stuff for me is that it leaves the
metal squeaky clean and also somewhat passivated against rust. I
can thenceforth handle it without getting dirty and I can stock it for
weeks or months without getting any rust even in Minnesota.

Most steel fabrications are painted after welding, right? This
treatment leaves a surface that enables about any paint to wet, flow
out and level beautifully, even (urp retch barf gag) Rustoleum.

Awright, I sometimes use Rustoleum. My bitch with it is that it
never gets really hard. It can look decent and it holds up OK
outdoors if nothing touches it, but it is not a rugged finish.
However, it is cheap ... uh, economical ... and cheap does appeal when
it'll suffice.

Footnote: About the only thing more persistent than silicone is
herpes. Metal previously painted and waxed with silicone
preparations can be problematic even when DA-sanded to bare metal. I
have never once had a paint failure on metal that was treated with
DX579.

DuPont and others must have similar products that work as well and
maybe better. I merely mention what I have discovered to work fer me.