Welding Fumes

[Kenskip1]

Well I guess the title says most of it. However,I have used my Lincoln Mig 140 Pro without any issues. So now I purchased a new Alpha 160ST. A great compact stick welder. Now here's the question.Are the fumes from the 7018 rods been known to cause any health related issues? I only burnt three rods and I had my garage door open. I was using 120 volts, and 85 amps.I felt fine but the odor was very bad.I have no respiratory ailments but I am worried about the fumes.Thinking about purchasing a respirator.I am 62 and in reasonably good health.
When using my Mig I never had a concern.But this stick welding is like taking a trip back to the stone age. No pun intended.
I would ask this question to the folks at Weldingweb, however there site is under reconstruction.Thanks, Ken

 

[Floridaboy]

I would get a fan to move air. Welding fumes are not good any way you get them


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[American Locomotive]

All welding fumes are bad for your health. Some people care, some people don't. If you're worried about it, setting up an extraction fan above the area to **** the fumes away is a good idea. When stick welding, or flux-cored MIG welding you can also just have a fan blowing in the area as well, but gas shielded MIG or TIG welding will not tolerate direct air flow, and will need an extractor.

Respirators can work, but you'll need something like an N95 or N99 disposable mask - but those get expensive fast - $60 for 10! You could also get a half-face respirator and put in organic vapor/ particulate filters.

 

[matt_i]

For stick welding, I have acquired stinger and ground cables around 30-40' long. I usually pull these and the job outside of the shop and go to work in the great outdoors, one time it was thru the back window of the shop. You could also wire the AC power to be close to the garage door for an alternate plugin location for the welder.

 

[nicktomi]

dumb question...how does a shielded mig wire not tolerate a fan but will be fine with an extractor? don't they both move air and therefore screw with the shielding gas? I just started mig welding and even though I'm just a weekend warrior I hate the fumes....

 

[American Locomotive]

Extractors/Fume Hoods generally just carry the smoke away from you gently. A fan blowing on your welding will blow the shielding gas away from the weld.

 

[John T]

Absolutely.



But thats the beauty of stick welding.... set up a fan and blow the smoke away..



done.







I usually stickweld outside... but if I have to stick weld inside, I turn on my downdraft table fan.... It ***** the life out of the room.

 

[Wamsutta]

Just keep a fan within the general area. With large diameter flux core wire, you have to have a fan nearby anyway because without it, there's so much smoke that you can't see your weld puddle.

 

[tarmy]

Buy a forced air hood...expensive but no more death gas!

 

[scubadoober]

Pick up one of these from your local welding distributor.