Cleaning off grease before welding

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virago72, Oct 13, 10:13am
hey guys, I have a welding job to do but need to first clean grease off both surfaces, open to experiences / opinions!Cheers

red97, Oct 13, 10:20am
i find that a quick going over with a grinder gets rid of grease and leaves a good welding surface

hijacka, Oct 13, 10:35am
Brake clean then grinder

virago72, Oct 13, 10:36am
what about carb clean!

purple666, Oct 13, 10:36am
What are you welding!
What are you welding with!

cuda.340, Oct 13, 10:37am
don't use brake clean, it gets into the porous cell structure of the steel & when you weld it emits a toxic fume thats very bad for you. there was a big thing about this earlier this year. use carb cleaner instead or white spirits.

virago72, Oct 13, 10:39am
welding steel, arc welder.

purple666, Oct 13, 10:42am
A grinder will get it clean enough for arc welding, you only need a light pass with it.

austingtir, Oct 13, 10:49am
clean off then burn it out with a torch.By far the best way as it always works.

virago72, Oct 13, 10:56am
ok, but clean off with what! before burning off! cheers

red97, Oct 13, 8:32pm
unless it is literally covered in half an inch of grease and you are welding a nuclear reactor core or something equally critical i have always found that as soon as the weld is started the grease burns off well before it has a chance to interfere with the weld, wipe it grind it weld it

austingtir, Oct 13, 8:33pm
A rag just get the majority of it of then burn it off

mrfxit, Oct 13, 8:39pm
GRINDING GREASE . LOL yea whatever .
mostly just heats it up a smears it all over the place
Degreaser / Petrol / Kerosene / turps depending on what you have available & the type of grease then simply hose off with water.
Do your grinding & welding after that.

h.e, Oct 13, 9:05pm
depends what it is if its a grease covered quick hitch i will steam clean it before i start.if its a stuck bearing shell that you are running a weld around to shrink it a quick wipe with a rag will do.otherwise i generally wipe it with a rag, burn it off with the gas,quick grind and your into it

lookoutas, Oct 14, 1:06am
There's stuff out called Grease & Wax Remover!
It's good for cleaning up every other thing that could be covered in greasy stuff.
Then there's another product out called Wax & Grease Remover, but that all depends on what you wanta remove first and foremost.

Or just turn the power up.

clampits, Oct 14, 1:14am
NEVER USE BRAKE CLEANER!Read This linkhttp://www.brewracingframe-
s.com/id75.htm

thejazzpianoma, Oct 14, 1:28am
WHOA!
Yes READ IT!

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Hopefully the link might post better this time.

40wav, Oct 14, 5:55am
Thats pretty bloody serious, and would be a very easy mistake to make. This should be a warning in its own thread. Will someone do that!

hijacka, Oct 14, 6:08am
What a bloody stupid thing to suggest! Get some brains man!.
Oopps is that me! DOH!

johnf_456, Oct 14, 6:34am
Go on post 19

hijacka, Oct 14, 6:43am
Scary thing is i've used brake clean before welding as its easier to spray and walk away than get thinners and rag etc Now i know better! cheers

austingtir, Oct 14, 7:22am
I weld every day on oil,greece and paint covered parts trust me guys just use a damn torch dont mess with this other crap.

40wav, Oct 14, 7:24am
Alright then. Not quite sure how to post Jazzs link but I'll give it a go.

skin1235, Oct 14, 8:03am
jeezus, thats a horror story

I actually got out of my chair and checked a can of cleaner I use regularly

good ole supercheap Australian Export degreaser -
had to go online to find the actives - not listed on the can
appears itis 60 % white spirits, sigh of relief -
but then this popped up

"Hazards Category: This product is hazardous according to the criteria of the NOHSC.
Classed as a Schedule 5 Poison according to the SUSDP.
Classsed as UN1950 Class 2.1 Aerosol.
All components are listed on the AICS.
Risk Phrase(s):

R36/37/38 Irritating to Eyes, respiratory system and the skin

R49: May cause cancer

R65: May cause lung damage if swallowed

R66: Repeated exposure may cause drying and cracking of the skin.

WARNING: Inhaling concentrated vapours (???chroming???) may prove
fatal.

Safety Phrase(s): S2: Keep out of reach of children
S14: Keep away from heat, ignition sources and oxidisers
S23: Do not breathe vapour
S24/25: Avoid contact with skin and eyes
S36/37/39: Wear suitable protective clothing, gloves and eyeface
protection."

that one is already in the wheelie bin

water blaster and wire brush has got to be a option

skin1235, Oct 14, 8:06am
chroming is the vapor coming off a hot exhaust, or the piece I'm welding after giving it a clean and wipe - and thatscommon occurrence