Register now to get rid of these ads!

anyone know an easy way to remove the galvanizing from emt?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Kustom7777, Sep 29, 2011.

  1. Kustom7777
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 5,184

    Kustom7777
    Member
    from Austin, TX

    does anyone know of a way to remove the galvanizing from conduit other than grinding it? is there a chemical process or some other method that would work effectively? thanks,,,,,
     
  2. badshifter
    Joined: Apr 28, 2006
    Posts: 3,535

    badshifter
    Member

    Muriatic acid (pool acid). Gloves, glasses and outdoors! Will smoke and fizz like CRAZY and when it stops, you'll have nice raw metal. Works like a champ.
     
  3. OLLIN
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 3,147

    OLLIN
    Member

    uh oh! what could he be up to now...? :rolleyes::confused:
     
  4. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    Don't breathe the fumes. I bet they're zinc-y and bad for you.
     

  5. badshifter
    Joined: Apr 28, 2006
    Posts: 3,535

    badshifter
    Member

    I was bored, so I did a quick sample for ya. Did I mention fumes? Very bad.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. thesupersized
    Joined: Aug 22, 2004
    Posts: 1,367

    thesupersized
    Member

    Im assuming you want to remove the galvanizing to weld it. I came across this online, I didn't read the whole thing, and im not sure how true it is, but I'm pretty sure it says welding galvanized steel has no long term affects on you, and it's not as bad as most people think.

    http://www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf
     
  7. BLUECOLLARKUSTOMS
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 184

    BLUECOLLARKUSTOMS
    Member

    Dont store it in an open container inside your shop, it will turn all your tools in your toolbox and any other bare metal orange with rust by morning, just from the fumes. I'll never do that again.....Scott
     
  8. badshifter
    Joined: Apr 28, 2006
    Posts: 3,535

    badshifter
    Member

    You may want to read the whole thing before you say it ain't bad for you. Do you really trust your life to an article on the internet?
    From your article:
    Typical “metal fume fever” begins about 4 hours after exposure, and full recovery occurs within 48 hours. The symptoms
    include fever, chills, thirst, headache and nausea. All of these symptoms, pain and suffering, as well as lost work (and play)
    time, can be avoided entirely by simply not inhaling the zinc oxide fumes. This can easily be done using any of the
    methods described later.

    To complement proper positioning, a fully effective method to preventing inhaling zinc fumes is to wear a suitable respirator
    (mask). Some of the commercial products which are suitable are:

    Masks that are not properly fitted will not be effective in protecting the welder since the zinc oxide can be pulled through any
    openings between the mask and the welder's face. Welders who are given masks or any other kind of personal protection
    equipment have to be trained how to adjust them so that they work correctly. In addition, OSHA regulations (29CFR Part
    1910.134(b) requires that fabricators have a written procedure for use of personal protective equipment such as respirators and
    masks; that the equipment be selected from that approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National
    Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; that the equipment selection be based on the hazard to which the welder is
    exposed; that only employees who are physically capable of doing the job and know how to use the safety equipment are
    assigined to perform work; that respirators are cleaned and disinfected regularly, stored in a convenient, sanitary location and
    kept in good repair; that the work area be monitored for changes in exposure; that the medical status of employees is
    reviewed regularly; and that the program be reviewed on a regular basis to appraise its effectiveness. OSHA does not
    currently require periodic medical evaluation of employees, but that is under consideration. Disposable masks eliminate
    some of the hassle associated with meeting these OSHA regulations.
     
  9. twochops
    Joined: Feb 28, 2006
    Posts: 1,510

    twochops
    Member

    Save the old Black acid in a
    closed jam
    if you have to solder or tin some bare steel
    it will do the job.------TwoChops
     
  10. stealthcruiser
    Joined: Dec 24, 2002
    Posts: 3,748

    stealthcruiser
    Member

    Get a piece of vinyl rain gutter, ( the length to hold your EMT), and cover the EMT with the strongest vinegar you can buy........................Works well, if a little slow, check it in a day or two, and swap out the vinegar if it's progress slows or stops.
    And do it outside.
     
  11. Zeke
    Joined: Mar 4, 2001
    Posts: 1,716

    Zeke
    Member

    Agreed I've done it and didn't have an issue welding on the metal. But let it sit for a good bit, and rinse rinse rinse
     
  12. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    Why use anything galvanized? What cha up to? LOL. Lippy
     
  13. I was just looking at conduit to make the structure for my tilt front end and thinking of a way to get rid of the galvanizing.
     
  14. I know conduit is cheap but why not buy tubing the same size. If you need to remove the zinc where you want to weld heat it with a torch and brush it off. We generally put a fan close by and blow the fumes away.
     
  15. braze it and dont inhale, it brazes real easy

    other choice steel tube and wire feed

    JMHO
     
  16. I don't think that all EMT tubing is galvanized, shop around.

    Bob
     
  17. gatz
    Joined: Jun 2, 2011
    Posts: 1,817

    gatz
    Member

    that's very light tubing to make something requiring structural strength.

    by the time you get that coating (partially?) off and figure your time is worth anything, you could buy some steel tubing as suggested above and be further ahead.
     
  18. Weasel
    Joined: Dec 30, 2007
    Posts: 6,698

    Weasel
    Member

    Anyone mentioning EMT and hot rod in the same sentence makes me nervous. One of my criteria of a 'Redneck engineered' car includes the use of galvanized tin and tubing....:rolleyes:
     
  19. WillyKJr
    Joined: Sep 5, 2009
    Posts: 152

    WillyKJr
    Member
    from Blackstone

    I'm with ya on this one Weasel. Seems the discussion is going in the wrong direction. There should be a fab shop (hot rods, race cars, agricultural, etc.) within a short distance of everywhere to get the proper material for this job. Don't cheat with your safety, use the right stuff. Especially on a cool project like this one.
     
  20. Jim the best and least lethal way to use Conduit [traditional Kustom method of construction BTW]....Is to use a coarse Cup style wire brush on a hi speed angle grinder and just bear down and burn it right off.
    It does a nice job and you should use a good dust mask while doing that.... it works well and is la lot less mess.....
     
  21. Engine man
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,480

    Engine man
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    Better to use a powered respirator that sucks air through a filter and puts it in a mask under pressure so you don't suck fumes around the mask.
     
  22. hotrod40coupe
    Joined: Apr 8, 2007
    Posts: 2,561

    hotrod40coupe
    Member

    EMT is a lot stronger than you might think. We used to make Go-karts out of it that would run 70-80 MPH and never had any problems.
     
  23. As it is cheap and lightweight and available most all places-It was always used in some early Kustoms as a form of fabricating shaped bodys -panels,wheel well flares etc- back in the day.......It was never intended as all out structural tubeing,we all know that,.....
    Its great for understructure ,for body bracing,fender supports etc-,but used as any sheetmetal/structural member in itself the welds can easily be corrupted by poor removal of that Galv' coat, so be careful in that reguard as well as the health hazard discussed....
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2013
  24. Plus EMT has a very thin wall, easy to bend on electrical installation sites. I sure wouldn't use it on a car.

    I saw some dipshits years back weld a fuel cell guard on the rear frame of a stock car made from EMT tube.

    Bob
     
  25. Snot Rocket
    Joined: Sep 8, 2012
    Posts: 122

    Snot Rocket
    Member

    If you aren't in a hurry to remove the zinc, dip it in Diesel fuel. After a couple of months, the zinc/diesel will be a gooey mess and the steel will be clean. No fumes.
     
  26. I know quite a few race cars that use it for tilt front under body bracing. You bond it in with mat and resin so the coating makes sense because it will not rust. I'm not standing the car on it's hood, it just has to hold it in place.
     
  27. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    Jim ain't building a hotrod, he's building a Kustom. I use it a lot to brace stuff, frame out grills, tail lights, etc. Starbird also uses it to frame out his custom bodied bubble top cars. he tried to buy it from the manufacturer, un-galvanized, but they refused.
    Also works well as a quick form to hammer metal over.
     
  28. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    Many paint don t hold very well on galvanized parts IIRC.
    Use at least epoxy or a good etching primer.
     
  29. go-twichy
    Joined: Jul 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,648

    go-twichy
    BANNED

    dragster frame?
     
  30. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    This is an old thread.....I'm sure Jim was looking for an easy way to frame/support the radical body changes on his "Telstar" project. And conduit is a good way to do this, quick and easy compared to other methods.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.