Re. Fumes... galvanized is the worst. You get galvo lung which is apparently like getting the flu for a days after breathing it. Nasty !!!

You can easily self ventilate with open doors and a desk fan when stick welding. It gets much harder with mig as the shielding gas is susceptible to being blown away.

www.touringted.com

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

There are few things as toxic looking as the arc and fumes from galvanising.
Quenching , as well as knacking the weld, hardens the metal, making it brittle.

Ted you've been brainwashed by the H+S brigade! Everything you've said is probably perfectly true, but I don't think the occasional bit of hobby welding ignoring all that is likely to cause problems!


I used to be terrible for safety when welding and grinding. The worst arc burns to get are on your eyelids when welding without a mask, it doesn't take much exposure to do it, because they're so thin and delicate and not normally exposed to normal sunlight very much! On fumes, I used to be lazy and not bother cleaning away paint before welding, I found it would normally burn away before the arc gets to it - Not great for your lungs and also remember to stop and blow out the flames now and again!

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UK to Mongolia 2009, on a DR350

I hope you're right........

However, It's good to be properly informed so you can take educated risks. Then you can only blame yourself when you end up with lung cancer.

I don't bother with gas masks and gloves if I'm just doing 20 seconds of welding either. The arc is just like sunburn. A little bit won't hurt. I just hold my breath


With paint, it's not just the fumes that are affecting your lungs. Paint's are usually oil based. When they burn they create hydrocarbons.

These hydrocarbons will contaminate the weld..... You think it's burning away but they're still there and your weld WILL be contaminated.

Not a problem for rough bits here and there but if it's a joint of any integrity, it should be avoided.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Although I'm unlikely to do any welding in the future it's interesting to read this thread and learn the latest stuff.

In the 60s and 70s when cars were beginning to fail MOTs in large numbers through rust, DIY welding was all the rage to get a car tested.
Everyone was at it, and many of us, including me, used our skills at soldering electronics with tiny soldering irons to tackle sills and subframes.

This anecdote might be useful for anyone in a similar position about to fix a car.
My dad had handy access to oxy-acetylene gear and my uncle showed me how to work the taps. So I dived under a girlfriend's mini to weld the subframe up with a couple of pieces of dexion, being mindful of the petrol tank close by.

Job done, we jumped in the car and drove off to her home. In a quarter-mile a pedestrian stepped onto a zebra crossing quite some distance ahead, and the release of the accelerator was sufficient for her to slow us down in time.
Almost at walking-pace, she needed the brake to pull up in the last few yards. There was a loud scream.... "NO BRAKE!"
her right leg bouncing up and down on the pedal.

I pulled on the handbrake and told her to steer for the kerb, encouraging her by pulling on the steering wheel as well.
Hitting the kerb was enough to bring us to a halt. Oh dear!

Never mind. Replacing the melted flexible hose to the off-side rear wheel, and the aforementioned welding, was sufficient for the MOT, and we got married a while later.....
(Don't try this at home..... you chose which one!)

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TTR250 - London to Cape Town

Just what i need for my xt, knock some up n i'll come collect ;-)

good job on the rack but just an option new steel is not that expesive and dosnt have any paint on it also chair metal will be rsw if you push the boat out a bit and buy cds it is alot stronger ,cost me 35quid for the cds and managed to beg a few off cuts for tea many at a local fabricators .

Any of you welding experts want to run me off a set of pannier racks for my versys ?

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Mark
http://chasingdreams2014.blogspot.co.uk/

It would probably be cheaper to buy some.....

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.