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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
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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 |
#2
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Cleaning iron before welding - how to?
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#3
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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 |
#4
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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 |
#5
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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? |
#6
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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. |
#7
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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 |
#8
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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 |
#9
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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 |
#10
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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 |
#11
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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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. |
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