Welding Galvanized Tubing?

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I want to build a dog kennel out of 1 3/8" chain link fence tubing. As I understand it, this tubing is either galvanized or zinc coated. What procedures and or precautions do I need to use in order to weld this material? Thanks guys.-leeSyncrowave 250 DX (Watercooled)Millermatic 251Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101H
Reply:As I understand it zinc IS the galv, you'll have to take a grinder to it as you cannot weld to galv. There are cold galv sprays which will do a decent job of protecting your welded areas after you are done. Alternatively you can take an oxy-acetelyne toch and burn it away from the areas to be welded, which may be more convenient if you can't easily clean the areas you need to weld with your grinder. Just make sure you are doing all this outside or at least in a well ventelated area, as the fumes are pretty sure to make you sick otherwise.If you don't have the time to do it right, then you definitely don't have the time to do it over.
Reply:If you are outdoors, you can just burn thru it. It is not the recommended way of doing it, but yes, you can do it. The galv./ zinc coatings are the stuff of hotdogs. Lips, hooves and a*#holes. I like to grind off an 1/8" area around the weld to minimize the junk in the welds. After that, like Clanweld said, some spray on cold galvanizing compund will do the job well.
Reply:Originally Posted by RojodiabloIf you are outdoors, you can just burn thru it. It is not the recommended way of doing it, but yes, you can do it. The galv./ zinc coatings are the stuff of hotdogs. Lips, hooves and a*#holes. I like to grind off an 1/8" area around the weld to minimize the junk in the welds. After that, like Clanweld said, some spray on cold galvanizing compund will do the job well.
Reply:Galvanized tubing has killed lots of welders cause the fumes are fatal...Drink a glass of milk before and after the welding and DO have a ventilation of some kind...(supossedly milk neutralizes the effect of the fumes). If you can make it of mild steel that would be better...at least for me...not something to risk my life for (even thou it can be done correctly)...not something I want to play with...My Babies: HF Drill pressHF Pipe Bender3   4.5" Black and Decker angle grindersLincoln Electric PROMIG 175that´s it!
Reply:have a litre of milk, then get a respirator.    weld away
Reply:If you are working outdoors its not that bad, I usually hold my breath and burn a little, keeping my face out of the work, then lift my head away to take a few breaths. You can tell where the wind is carrying the fumes by following the solid white wisps that look like smoke (I believe this is zinc oxide) which are a byproduct of burning the galv. You can always blow a fan across the work as well. I've never even gotten mildly sick following these admittedly half-assed procedures.I've tried to find out if there is any merit to the milk drinking 'cure', no luck. I tend to be sceptical of these types of things, but in this case at least it can't hurt. If anyone has any good info, maybe AWS has a reccomendation or something? I looked on the AGA website and found these articles, notably not mentioned is milk. http://www.galvanizeit.org/content/i...&navID=224#smahttp://www.galvanizeit.org/resources...ng/welding.pdf (1996)Good luck!Last edited by Clanweld; 12-02-2006 at 08:40 AM.If you don't have the time to do it right, then you definitely don't have the time to do it over.
Reply:you can buy corner kits,cut your tubing slide it in and zip screw it.that is easy way.but if you are going to weld,after you grind tubing it it eaiser to weld if you take hammer and smash ends(not completly closed)and it can be done with oxy,stick or mig.my dad was a fence erector for 35 years.I have seen him do it many times,from dog pens to cantalever gates.then all he ever did was spray welds with rustolem paint.