[Daryl]

I am just as frugal as the next guy, and methods of saving money on steel, iron, coal and other materials are important to me. However, I do not place any measure of my materials cost against potential hazards to my health. I feel there is no reason to try and use any galvanised material whatsoever as the danger to my health and my work environment is too high. Everyone who has asked me to work with unknown materials has recieved the same answer - never. While I sympathise with someone's interest and enthusiasm, I feel there should be a line drawn in the sand.

For those of you who have and continue to use galvanized materials in your forge, for your own sake I believe it should end. It can be bad enough with a gulp of coal smoke when the occasional wind creates an inversion down your chimney, it just isn't worth trying to flirt with disaster.