Thanks
 

I know somewhere sometime we used that type of cleaner to clean up some metal before welding & never had anything bad happen luckily. Thanks for the posting.:lateral:

Thank You
Randy(D&Z Customs LLC.)
[email protected]
1-262-347-9741

Thanks for posting. I can't use Brake Clean at all. As soon as I smell it I get sick immediately. I can be 50ft. away and if I get a slight smell of it I get nauseous.

Very Scary indeed!! Thanks for the lookout! I remember my mom doing something similar as a kid when mopping the basement with bleach and vinegar... or maybe it was amonia... anyway, the white chlorine smoke that she thought was steam knocked her out cold!

My grandmother did the same thing with bleach and ammonia.

Sick --

I did PM you about the title --- as I said to you --- I don't know what I'd call the title -- but I just about passed up reading it... because "very scary" could be a ride you had in a twin turbo whatever -- but that doesn't mean I'd be particularly interested in reading how close you came to a "shorts change". :lol:

There are so many people on this site that weld -- and weld at home -- or in shops -- that probably also use this stuff all the time..... I can't imagine that everyone is aware of this particularly bad combo of chemicals. And agree with the writer - that nobody reads the 'warning' on stuff anymore. Everything comes with some warning now.

Maybe "WELDERS!!! AND USING BRAKE CLEANER!! READ THIS POST!!

I don't know -- MODS -- come on -- we need to get this info out there!! Please?

Important Welding Safety Precaution:unibrow:

wow, I too am glad you posted this, and admittedly, almost didn't read due to the title and figuring it was either some silly pic or story, but am sure glad I did! I use brake clean to clean my race car all the time - it knocks the grime right off of stuff - so I use it religiously and appreciate the caution!

Feel REALLY bad for that guy too, holy crap, he is going to have problems for life from one little puff of smoke, and it is an honest mistake he made IMO and any one of us could do something like that and assume it's no big deal. I wouldn't have put the argon and burning brake cleaner together (especially at 4 ppm little smoke tuft) just because I saw a name like phosgene nor would I take the time to look it up before proceeding in the garage!

I changed the title and made it a sticky....lets hope it saves someone!! Nice work team!! :lateral:

Here is the link to the CDC's "Facts about Phosgene" page. Many of the symptoms "Brew Dude" had do not seem to be a result of his exposure to Phosgene, so I question his assertions about them. Nonetheless, we need to remember to be cautious!

CDC Page: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/phosgene/basics/facts.asp

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

After reading the CDC info (thanks for that link!) it seems to me that it's not just a brake cleaner issue --- but a CHLORINE and Welding (high heat) problem.... I didn't find any info relating to just the chemicals in Brake Cleaner and nothing mentioned about Argon gas. So for me, at least, I'm not going to just discontinue the use of brake cleaner - but any product with chlorine in it.

I'll hit AirGas supply today and ask them what they know - if anything - about this bad combo. Would be interesting to see if the sales people there have any warnings to add.