I'm not a welder, but like many of us, I do some welding from time to time when needed. Wire feed and Stick. I knew about galvanized metals, but certainly didn't know about this. To make matters worse, a person like myself who mostly turns wrenches but welds when needed is the most likely to have this scenario. Who hasn't grabbed a can of whatever we might think will work to clean something up.....from starting fluid to ..well, brake cleaner. I've used carb cleaner a lot of times. Only reason I haven't used brake cleaner is because I don't usually have a can of brake cleaner lying around. Now I know. I do enough stupid things on my own Avoiding one that can be fatal is ovbiously a good thing. My most recent blunder was to spray and old tractor I was redoing with Muratic Acid to try to speed up and more completely remove paint, not realizing it would take the zinc out also which is used as a rust inhibitor. Now I have rust everywhere, coming through the year old paint job. What a moron I can be all by myself, but then again...we don't know what we don't know..

 

Welders 10 commandments

1. thou shalt not weld on an unpurged tank, for the noise will be very loud when the tank explodes and thy friends will console thy widow in ways generally unacceptable to thee.

2. thou shalt secure thy tanks, lest one fall on thy foot and transform thee into less than a graceful dancer when called upon by thy wife or other female friend.

3. thou shalt clean thy work carefully, lest thy gaze upon thy work falling apart as it passeth out of thy sight.

4. thou shalt place thy work in jigs, or other holding fixtures, for the eye is a poor instrument for the measurement of angles and great will be thy wrath as thou art doing thy task a second time.

5. thou shalt not weld near batteries, compressed gasses, or flammable materials lest a spark from thy labors would cause thee to continue thy chosen profession in an open field or other such drafty place.

6. thou shalt take great care of thy tools and equipment, lest thy friend who is in charge of such things smites thee about thy head and shoulders for being a waster and a knave.

7. thou shalt not perform thy art without proper ventilation, for the smell of toxic gasses produced by the heating of primers, and plated or painted surfaces is worse than a bad cigar and will remain with thee until the end of thy days.

8. thou shalt not weld without goggles, nor shalt thou allow others to gaze upon thy labors, lest thy employment, or the employment of others be changed to sitting on cold and rainy streets while selling pencils.

9. thou shalt wear sturdy gloves, for burns upon thy hands are a source of great pain when thou art attempting to raise thy bowling average.

10. thou shalt ground thy work, when thou weldeth with a machine of arcs, for thou art a good conductor of electricity and the shock which thou shalt receive shall ruin thy plans for thy weekend.

Author Unknown I received this many years ago from my Miller Reps when I was running my Welding Equipment Repair Business

 

Also Lacquer thinner or cleaner is bad for the brain is you get it on your hands, Always wear a good rubber glove that won't dissolve from the lacquer thinner if and when you get it on your hands. Constant use of it can lead to brain damage.

 

also watch out how you store brake fluid and soda mostly coke cola. If mixed accidentally it is highly combustible

 

I think you need to re-Think your Chemistry ...... I think you mean chlorine and brake fluid