Welding and Cutting Galvanized Pipe

lastcowboy32 · Feb 2, 2016

I've gathered a pile of scrap metal from our dairy barn renovation. I want to make a gantry crane style engine hoist out of it.

Some of the metal is raw, but some of it is galvanized.

Any tips on how I can make it safer to torch and/or weld with galvanized pipe?

For instance, if I take a grinder and grind off the zinc before torching/welding; will that minimize the fumes?

centash · Feb 2, 2016

Will help some, but the galvanized is still released albeit to a lesser extent. Wear the
correct mask; that stuff is nasty!

Ben

Steve@Advance · Feb 2, 2016

Be careful trusting that stuff! It's pipe, not structural tubing. It will work, just build in extra overkill.

ztrmower · Feb 2, 2016

grinding on it also can make sick, btdt i would not do that project out of it period.

Stephen Newell · Feb 2, 2016

I usually just stay upwind from the smoke. Sometimes that means putting a fan near where I'm working to draw the smoke away from me.

mite-help · Feb 2, 2016

cut/welded some of that when I was young & dumb--er, no vent, fan. made me sick, tasted that stuff for a few days.

Greg K · Feb 2, 2016

Stay upwind and drink a couple glasses of
milk at the end of the day. That's a tip
from a professional welder friend of mine.

Dick L · Feb 2, 2016

I weld quite a bit of galvanized pipe and conduit. I try to stay away from the direct smoke coming off the pipe and keep the shed door open. Other than that I don't do anything. I only weld for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time though. That is about all my back will take bending over before I have to set for a bit.

lastcowboy32 · Feb 2, 2016

(quoted from post at 07:53:04 02/02/16) Be careful trusting that stuff! It's pipe, not structural tubing. It will work, just build in extra overkill.

Understood. I have, what I think, are some really good pieces for the structural part. I have six pieces of well casing that used to be used for upright supports in the barn. We had to take them out; because the bottoms rotted over the years from the acids on the floor.

Once I cut off the rotted section; each one will have at least six feet of good, solid well casing about five inches in diameter. I'm planning on using two of them on each side to be the uprights.

For the cross beams at the top, I have some nice, 1/4" thick by 6" "C" channel with about 1" lips on it.

The only galvanized that I'm going to use is some smaller diameter pieces (2") to tie the sections together and make cross braces.

Darn thing should hold up a house when I'm done

mj · Feb 2, 2016

(quoted from post at 07:55:58 02/02/16) I've gathered a pile of scrap metal from our dairy barn renovation. I want to make a gantry crane style engine hoist out of it.

Some of the metal is raw, but some of it is galvanized.

Any tips on how I can make it safer to torch and/or weld with galvanized pipe?

For instance, if I take a grinder and grind off the zinc before torching/welding; will that minimize the fumes?

What [b:80f06a1cfa]Stephen Newell[/b:80f06a1cfa] said!

mj · Feb 2, 2016

(quoted from post at 12:42:56 02/02/16) Stay upwind and drink a couple glasses of
milk at the end of the day. That's a tip
from a professional welder friend of mine.

Yep - It worked for me 'back in the day'. 8)

f2355j · Feb 3, 2016

I think the burning galvanizing gives off fosgeen (sp) gas same gas used in WW1 in higher concentration to kill people, be careful!!

jsfarmall · Feb 4, 2016

Use a fan and drink milk. Used to be a
structural welder in the gas fields. Use
this method and you'll be fine.

lastcowboy32 · Feb 5, 2016

(quoted from post at 05:54:54 02/04/16) Use a fan and drink milk. Used to be a
structural welder in the gas fields. Use
this method and you'll be fine.

All good advice. I think I'm set for this aspect of the project.

Thank you.

Dune Country · Feb 8, 2016

As a young man was welding in a vault on galv, got sick and went to doc, he gave me 5 or 6 bananas to eat,worked

lastcowboy32 · Feb 9, 2016

(quoted from post at 17:06:13 02/08/16) As a young man was welding in a vault on galv, got sick and went to doc, he gave me 5 or 6 bananas to eat,worked

I hopefully won't be working in a vault! I am a little bummed, though; because our weather report has taken a turn for the cold side this weekend. The HIGH is supposed to be just a little above zero. I have heat in my garage, and I was hoping to be able to open a window or crack a door with a fan next to it for ventilation, but...damn!

I was at least able to borrow my cousin's 14" metal-cutting chopsaw. That will limit the torch work to curved cuts, but it will still create some fumes.

Welding and Cutting Galvanized Pipe

lastcowboy32

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centash

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Steve@Advance

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ztrmower

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Stephen Newell

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mite-help

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Greg K

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Dick L

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lastcowboy32

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mj

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mj

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f2355j

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Dune Country

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lastcowboy32

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