Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
I did the same thing. cleaned the grease off with brake clean then welded it. Not a good idea. obviosly I just wasn't thinking. Didn't hurt anything and you can can bet I won't do that again.
Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
Wow, good advice and thanks for sharing.
This was not the type of danger I was expecting when I read the topic title.
I was once moving the springperches on a rear axle.
I used a chisle and a file to clean up the axle-shaft again. After I got the perch off and was done, I shot the axle with a good dose of brakecleaner te remove all loose dirt and metal again. Before, I had put a cut-open box on the floor to catch the run-off.
So I went away for a while to let the brakecleaner evaporate.
After a couple of minutes I came back, grabbed the welding gear, gun and a perch and gave it a tack to keep the perch in it's new location on the axle. The moment after I hit the weld-gun I heard a 'whoof' and felt immediate intense heat right in front of me. But with the weldinghelmet on, I couldn't see where it came from, so I lurched back a bit, flipped the helmet up and found the cut open carboard box fully enflamed in front of me.
Somehow I kept my cool, and instead of jumping up and tripping over all the stuff and cables on the floor running for the fire-exthinguisher, to my surprise, I just reached over for an unlit corner of the box and folded it close onto itself, thereby killing the flames instantly.
I realised this could have ended in a much worse way then that.
Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
I love it when I'm lap welding and then I leak test it so it gets first oil then brake cleaner in the joint. The smoke is a good way to find pinhole leaks but not good when it catches fire.
Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
Seriously? I'm on my berry so if there is a pic I can't see it. But I have literally used hundreds of cans of brake kleen to clean metal before welding. It is flammable, yes, but I've never had a problem burning something down.
"A cross thread is better than a lock washer." Earl Lanning...My Grandpa
Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
Originally posted by BangShiftChad
Seriously? I'm on my berry so if there is a pic I can't see it. But I have literally used hundreds of cans of brake kleen to clean metal before welding. It is flammable, yes, but I've never had a problem burning something down.
Click the link on the word "YIKES" for lung damage.
Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
Originally posted by BangShiftChad
Seriously? I'm on my berry so if there is a pic I can't see it. But I have literally used hundreds of cans of brake kleen to clean metal before welding. It is flammable, yes, but I've never had a problem burning something down.
Not the fuego dude...the fumes basically wrecked every function of this guy's body. Wild stuff.
Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
I'm really surprised more of you didn't know about this.
Its not necessarily the "brake cleaner" chemical itself, its the propellants is most cases. Many other products have similar reactions.
I learned about this in a gas welding class in high school. The instructor went over many different chemicals that react to create Mustard gas (phosgene).
He was always less concerned about fire than chemical reactions.
"You can put out a fire...but you can't replace your lungs if they're all killed by poison...IF you make it out alive!!!".
Then he sprayed some r-12 refrigerant on an open flame, and made everyone kinda "sniff" sorta away from it....it left a very lasting impression, to say the least.
Re: A scary warning... brake cleaner and welding don't mix.
Here's an episode of Chad on fire from the old CJTV files on youtube involving brake clean. Fire is at 1:48 into it, slow motion footage is at 2:44 :D.
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