Zinc coated steel?

[dyethor]

Its up to you how you want to handle the fumes, just use commonsense. I don't like breathing in metals or fumes. I have had asthma when I was young and now my lungs get hurt easy. Last time a guy in my shop welded on zinc, the fumes in the shop hurt my lungs and gave me bronchitis. I was coughing bad for 3 weeks. Grinding off the zinc is the way to go at the debris flying off are still a solid not a gas. Its easier to filter out big particles than smaller ones.

[jp2code]

Good point about the Asthma. I don't have that problem.

If you are outside, the cutting torch (with flame facing away from you) will quickly burn the galvanize off like burning off paint.

[dyethor]

I use a cutting torch or a map gas torch to heat up the zinc to molten in order to move it around yet keep a layer on the steel. I do this on parts with tighter tolerances. Not where parts need to be welded but where they have moving parts. The place that galvanizes my stuff usually puts it on pretty thick. My machines have to survive a junkyard, and powder coating in that type environment is a joke.

[welderdude]

I have another interesting way to take care of zinc plating. Muriatic acid aka hydrochloric acid will react with the zinc and remove it. It also kind of etches the steel once it eats through. also, a small amount of hydrogen gas is produced during the reaction. I believe lye aka sodium hydroxide will do the same thing although I haven't tried it yet.

[jp2code]

I have another interesting way to take care of zinc plating. Muriatic acid aka hydrochloric acid will react with the zinc and remove it. It also kind of etches the steel once it eats through. also, a small amount of hydrogen gas is produced during the reaction. I believe lye aka sodium hydroxide will do the same thing although I haven't tried it yet.

So, what kind of place does a welder walk into to get hydrochloric acid?

[welderdude]

About any hardware/home improvement store. Its usually sold as concrete cleaner and sometimes says Muriatic acid on the container. Its dirt cheap too.