Stick welding smoke

[Chris P]

I'm just curious how hazardous the smoke for arc welding is? My wife gets pretty annoyed when I forget to open the garage door while I'm welding. I know its not good for me, but is it really dangerous?

[Glenn]

The same rule applies for welding as for blacksmithing, you can smoke, just do not inhale.

Look up the MSDA sheet for the rod your are burning. Lots of nasty stuff being produced.

General MSDS index

MSDS 6013

MSDS 7018 MR


From the Miller Website

*Welding produces fumes and gases. Breathing these fumes and gases can be hazardous to your health.
FUMES AND GASES can be hazardous.

* Keep your head out of the fumes. Do not breathe the fumes.

* If inside, ventilate the area and/or use local forced ventilation at the arc to remove welding fumes and gases.

* If ventilation is poor, wear an approved air-supplied respirator.

* Read and understand the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and the manufacturer’s instructions for metals, consumables, coatings, cleaners, and degreasers.

* Work in a confined space only if it is well ventilated, or while wearing an air-supplied respirator. Always have a trained watchperson nearby. Welding fumes and gases can displace air and lower the oxygen level causing injury or death. Be sure the breathing air is safe.

* Do not weld in locations near degreasing, cleaning, or spraying operations. The heat and rays of the arc can react with vapors to form highly toxic and irritating gases.

* Do not weld on coated metals, such as galvanized, lead, or cadmium plated steel, unless the coating is removed from the weld area, the area is well ventilated, and while wearing an air-supplied respirator. The coatings and any metals containing these elements can give off toxic fumes if welded.

[james gonzalez]

Stick welding fumes have been linked to Parkinsons, I believe.
Do not weld without ventilation. A weld fume respirator too.

[Thomas Dean]

I'm just curious how hazardous the smoke for arc welding is? My wife gets pretty annoyed when I forget to open the garage door while I'm welding. I know its not good for me, but is it really dangerous?

The more cromium in the material/welding rod the worse it is. Any Stainless welding have plenty of ventilation. They don't put the warnings on the boxes for nothing. You have a wonderful wife that wants you healthy. VENTILATE! Or buy a hood that has filtered forced air supplied to you...They are expensive, trust me on that one!

[Chris P]

The more cromium in the material/welding rod the worse it is. Any Stainless welding have plenty of ventilation. They don't put the warnings on the boxes for nothing. You have a wonderful wife that wants you healthy. VENTILATE! Or buy a hood that has filtered forced air supplied to you...They are expensive, trust me on that one!

So, because my wife loves me so much, now she wants me to at least consider getting one of these hoods... I've looked into a couple and yes, they are expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions to a good one?

[triw]

Go and get on your knees before you wife and thank her for loving you enough to get on your case. Also thank God he gave you such a great wife.

[ThomasPowers]

The problem with a lot of this stuff is that it's not immediately toxic and so folks are tempted to push the envelope a bit to save time, money or just bother. However a lot of it is cumulative and with no good way to get rid of it once the damage is done.

Sure we're all imortal when we're young; but do you really want to be a physical wreck before you are 50? You might die young but you won't leave a good looking corpse!

The time to worry is when your wife suggests spending your PPE money on a fast motorcycle and beer; *then* it's time to review your will and make sure all your tools will go to your good buddy Thomas!

[Chris P]

Go and get on your knees before you wife and thank her for loving you enough to get on your case. Also thank God he gave you such a great wife.

Every day.

So no specific suggestions regarding a good respirator?

I and thought something like this:
3M Adflo PAPR High Efficiency Multi Gas and Vapor System with 3M Sp
but I wasn't sure if this was over kill or maybe something cheaper could be had and still achieve the same results.

Thanks for the replies and advice so far :)

[Glenn]

Good things can be said for working outside and plugging in a BIG fan to blow the smoke away.

[Bentiron1946]

Well now's a fine time to tell me I should not have inhaled or maybe I should say "I smoked but did not inhale." I don't remember welding in any really very tightly enclosed spaces with my stick welder. Any of the shops that I welded in had big roll open doors and high bays and back then nobody but nobody worried about the smoke. If I knew getting old was going to be this tough I'd a done nothing!:cool:

[Chris P]

Working outside isn't a bad idea, except the winter coming up and all. As it is I work in a drafty tent for a garage and almost always have the door open. Still the smoke collects. I have a fan that is about a foot away from the projects on my work bench and it seems to help a bit, but in a month or so when it is 30* or lower during the day I don't think I'm going to want to have the garage door open. I have a kerosene heater that will heat the place, but it will be rendered useless if the door is open.

Would something like this be effective enough:

3M Welding Respirator Assembly with Odor Relief Model# 6297-W | Masks + Respirators | Northern Tool + Equipment

Thanks all for the replies so far.

[Thomas Dean]

I will check at work tomorrow and see what we use. It maybe comprable to what you are looking at. Tune in tomorrow for an update to this particular post!

[gpworks]

KEEP YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE FUMES/SMOKE..if stick welding blow a fan at yourself.thats what we always did....be safe not sorry.

[Thomas Dean]

KEEP YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE FUMES/SMOKE..if stick welding blow a fan at yourself.thats what we always did....be safe not sorry.

Agreed, but if the smoke is not exiting the building you are still breathing it. I usually have a fan blowing behind me pushing the smoke away from me. At least it works for me. The respirator hoods are for confined space work and/or hexavalent crome work. (anything with cromium in it) For the most part the welding fumes in a large shop are dilluted to such a small 'parts per million' that it does not cause a 'safety issue'. Our industrial hygene dept. takes readings in our shop periodically and the results have been 'no significant health risk'. Take this for what it's worth. But companies are scared to death of possible law suits for health risk issues, therefore, they take very seriously the need and compliance from these samplings.

In my own personal shop, and I do a goodly amount of welding, I make sure I have cross ventilation and/or doors are open. My shop is 30'w x 40'l x 14'h, so your milage may vary in a smaller shop.

[irnsrgn]

Buy Power Mask Powered Respirator, Power Mask Positive Pressure Dust Mask,

This is what I used in the shop when doing any heavy or prolonged welding, also for grinding, sanding and wire wheeling.
http://www.airgas.com/browse/product.aspx?Msg=RecID&recIds=320862&WT.svl=320862 Edited November 17, 2008 by irnsrgn

[HWooldridge]

I've known four welders who died of lung cancer in their 50's - three of them also smoked cigs, the other did not. All of them were stick men and worked both in the field and in the shop - but none of them practiced TIG or MIG so all of their exposure was to stick fumes. Nobody could prove their cancer came from welding fumes but I guarantee it didn't make them any healthier.

[Glenn]

Set the fan to blow side to side. This way there are no eddies of smoke under the hood.

[archiphile]

When I was working in shipyards welding up aluminium Boats I took a look at the particulate matter in the air and wondered what I could do to decrease the amount that I inhailed....I talked to my lws and they showed me this at the time of purchase in 2000 that cost me $1300. I know it is expensive but it was the best weeks pay I ever spent. They are now $1600 at Airgas, I would look on ebay and see what you find

More info

HEPA Respirator Systems

Also check your pm

Best

Archiphile


copyrighted photo removed and a link placed into the text

[Thomas Dean]

When I was working in shipyards welding up aluminium Boats I took a look at the particulate matter in the air and wondered what I could do to decrease the amount that I inhailed....I talked to my lws and they showed me this at the time of purchase in 2000 that cost me $1300. I know it is expensive but it was the best weeks pay I ever spent. They are now $1600 at Airgas, I would look on ebay and see what you find

More info

HEPA Respirator Systems

Also check your pm

Best

Archiphile

copyrighted photo removed and a link placed into the text

This is the exact resp. hood we use. Had no idea at to the exact cost since the company furnishes all our tools, equipment, and safety gear. And I know, I am very fortunate that they do this.

[markb]

I know these are not for welding , but a conduit to your hood could give you positive fresh air .
I bought one for spray painting, iscryonates are very bad.

Hobbyair and Pro-Air

[stixman55]

I checked out the 3M system that Chris put on the board and I will tell you this... I am sold. I aint rich but I think this is what I want. Were re-locating (back to Texas) and have plans to make a welding shop (of sorts) in the back of the house (maybe convert the garage) and I think this is what we will get. Yep.. it's a lot of Pesos but I only got one of me and one of my wife to go around. Thanks Chris for this info.. I put the site on my favorites. I'll let you know when I get it.. should be in a couple of months.:D

Edited November 25, 2008 by stixman55

[moya034]

The forced air welding helmets are certainly nice, especially if you weld for a living, however, a 3M 6000 series half face piece respirator equipped with NIOSH P100 filters will do the job for less then $20.

Either way, you still want some sort of ventilation system in the garage so the fumes don't go in the house.

[Thomas Dean]

I checked out the 3M system that Chris put on the board and I will tell you this... I am sold. I aint rich but I think this is what I want. Were re-locating (back to Texas) and have plans to make a welding shop (of sorts) in the back of the house (maybe convert the garage) and I think this is what we will get. Yep.. it's a lot of Pesos but I only got one of me and one of my wife to go around. Thanks Chris for this info.. I put the site on my favorites. I'll let you know when I get it.. should be in a couple of months.

Where in TEXAS are you headed? I'm in East Texas just out of Longview, about 120miles east of Dallas. Holler if you end up close to here. I'm always ready to light the fire! :)

[Chris P]

I checked out the 3M system that Chris put on the board and I will tell you this... I am sold. I aint rich but I think this is what I want. Were re-locating (back to Texas) and have plans to make a welding shop (of sorts) in the back of the house (maybe convert the garage) and I think this is what we will get. Yep.. it's a lot of Pesos but I only got one of me and one of my wife to go around. Thanks Chris for this info.. I put the site on my favorites. I'll let you know when I get it.. should be in a couple of months.

I'm glad it helped you out . I just got mine the other day. I found a great deal on one on ebay. The auction ended for about $500 and I ordered a couple new filters and a battery charger.. so the mask was about a third and with the extras it was about half price. So, keep an eye on ebay, sometimes the deals come up . Good luck.

[unitekweld]

Either way, you still want some sort of ventilation system in the garage so the fumes don't go in the house.

That's a good point. I should tell my Dad about this thread, he's pretty safe, but sometimes he thinks he's invincible when it comes to safety and protecting himself. The thing is that when you breathe in toxicity, you may not even know it, and you can't feel it, so you think you're fine and continue on as you are. But those toxins stay in the body and wreck havoc later on.