(Solved) Can we weld galvanized steel outside with my own welder?

Can we weld galvanized steel outside with my own welder? I know we can’t inside.

Sorry but no.

@accesscontrolexpert, Let me expand on the reason. If someone sees you welding on it, they then think its ok to do themselves. Next think you know you have people welding galv indoors making others sick. The only exception is with the spot welder, To be clear people can’t make spot welds with the MIG on galv, But with the Miller resistive spot welder.

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Just de-galvanize your steel first. Depending on the size and shape, you just dunk it in diluted (1:4 ratio acid to water) swimming pool acid (HCL) which boils off the Zinc. Then wash it in lots of water, and dry it quickly because it will rust fast.

To dispose of the HCL Acid, neutralize it with Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate (also a swimming pool chemical). Just sift the NaHCO3 into the solution slowly until it stops fizzing, and the salt starts landing on the bottom. Now you have a neutral solution (or maybe a little base) which is sent down the drain regularly. The Zinc is a light metal, which is pretty much harmless, as opposed to bright metals (Cadmium, Silver, Gold, Platinum) which are not. Sometimes Cadmium accompanies Zinc, but not usually in a hot galvanizing process. If you are concerned about a large amount of Zinc you have in solution, you can use a Zinc Winning process to clean the solution.

Caution, if you have a Septic Tank, do not pour this down the drain. It can really piss-off your colonizing bacteria, and make a big stink. In this case, you may want to evaporate the solution in a big pan, and dispose of the remaining solids appropriately.

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For the record, DO NOT DO THIS AT DMS.

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Not even if you have a spare $4,000!

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Also of note, don’t pour down a storm drain but rather a drain in your house. They go to different places. The storm drains typically just go straight to the nearest stream, not a water treatment plant.

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7 posts were split to a new topic: (split) Silver Antimicrobial Properties

Thank you for this info. I just posted a question about testing for galvenized steel and this gives me an option. The “can” I want to create for creating Damascus is only 4 inches long.