PeteM wrote:Yeah, ventilation is a very good idea regardless of what you're welding. Aside from the chromium, there are other additives like manganese that can cause some serious problems down the road. Even using a regular box fan to draw the smoke/fumes out will help.
Indeed, I will be fixing that problem in the future, and using a box fan in the meantime.
PeteM wrote:ps. Apologies for my abrasive introduction. That was a bad reaction and unnecessary. You don't have to worry about that happening again.
No worries, I have thick skin. I'm certain you have a lot more welding experience than me, and I will be the first to admit, the project that has sparked my interest in welding is a critical one. I do plan to take it on, but not until I feel comfortable with it. I purchased a piece of plate to use, but can always opt to have someone weld it for me should I not feel comfortable. In the meantime I'm doing some smaller projects that are not as critical/dangerous, some of them tig, but I've been practicing my stick and feeling a lot more comfortable with 7018 and 6011, just not comfortable enough to take on the hitch just yet.
This is a very non-critical application, a nut to hold a caster on the bottom of a piece of angle under a simple welding table. Just trying to understand the metals and fumes...about 15 years ago I started blacksmithing, and used to hang out on AnvilFire, where Jim "Paw-Paw" Wilson, a great blacksmith, used to help folks, publish articles, and in general promoted the art of blacksmithing...I only knew him for a couple years...but he was taken victim of fume fever...a sad day indeed when he passed, mainly as he knew better...$#!T happens to the best of us...I would encourage anyone who is not very familiar with fume fever to read this, it does talk about welding hazards on that page, so very pertinent to welding.
R.I.P. Paw-Paw, you will be long missed...
http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/tutor.p ... fety3/demo
These little nuts are nothing like that. Just good to be aware, don't breath the crap, it's not good for you. I'm certain I could weld this in my shop and be done with it and go on with life...but that doesn't mean it's right. I *WILL* be getting better fume extraction, no question.
Alan