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.

i second that
zinc is likely one of the most harmful things you will confront in day to day activitys
be safe and keep it out of the fire

I agree entirely. I purchase "plain finish" fasteners and threaded rod from the local Fastenal store. That way I avoid welding or forging other heavy metals that stuff may be coated with like nickel.

Zinc oxide fumes are pretty nasty. You must also take caution when working with brass as it releases fumes when melted (brass = copper + zinc)

is there a way to safely work with these zinc fumes? (and other fumes dust gasses and vapours as well)

will working outdoors provide sufficient ventilation?

And how do i find out if steel is galvanized or contains otherwise other fatal chemicals?

Please read up on zink poisoning. Many of your answers are posted in the sticky. IF you have to ask, then at this point please do not fire your forge. You are not ready... yet

Welcome to IFI.

Edited January 12, 200917 yr by steve sells

i may be a noob but.. really? zinc+heat=death. i have been told again and again by my friends and family that if i blackcmith i cannot go near anything but plain finish steel. i have not seen or directly heard about zinc poisioning but ihear it's bad.

There is much information in the Sticky about this at the top of this page. please read it all, as its no joke, it can kill you.

Here's some good info...Bob
Safety and Health Topics: Hexavalent Chromium

New Guy, a well liked and well know blacksmith, Paw Paw Wilson, actually died of complications from metal fume fever. He did have a couple of strikes against him already, age, COPD, etc; but if he hadn't done what he *knew* was wrong, (he sent everyone else out of the shop when he was burning off the zinc on some pipe he wanted to arc weld), he would still be here today.

I gave the toast to his memory at Quad-State that year.

Sure you may be young and healthy and just be sick as a dog for a couple of days wishing you would die; but why suffer even that when it's easily avoided?

i may be a noob but.. really? zinc+heat=death. i have been told again and again by my friends and family that if i blacksmith i cannot go near anything but plain finish steel. i have not seen or directly heard about zinc poisoning but i hear it's bad.

Zinc poisoning, fume fever, welder shakes, and many other things have been discussed on IForgeIron, each with a warning to try to keep others safe. I was fortunate enough to know Jim Wilson and years ago told him I had a really bad case of the flu. It was Jim that determined that it was an exposure to zinc and heavy metal poisoning.

Jim died from complication from zinc fumes. I made sure I saw the forge Jim used when he flared off the zinc at his shop when I was at the memorial hammer in. I wanted to be sure I remembered the sight and odor of the zinc and have it remind me not to mess with zinc.

You can read the material on IForgeIron, you can read the posts and warnings, you can look up heavy metal poisoning, fume fever etc. We can not stop you from testing out the dangers on your own. We bring this to your attention, as your friends have done, because we want to keep you alive and safe.