Paranoia question because my friend is a dummy

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So my buddy has a little welding job for me on an exhaust he wants to modify. After many a conversation about the dangers of welding and chlorinated brake cleaner, the dummy figures "oh ill clean the exhaust for him before I bring it over" and what does he clean it with? Brake cleaner, the NON CHLORINATED kind at least. Now, Im a very paranoid/careful person when it comes to my health and the health of my family, especially with welding fumes (I weld in my garage which is underneath our living room so I make sure there is always good ventilation regardless of the process Im using).  Ive already checked the MSDS and it seems as if Ill be fine to weld it. Im still going to clean the crap out of it with acetone before an arc even touches it, but someone please ease my mind. I know the chlorinated ingredients perchloro-ethylene (aka. tetrachloroethylene) and methylene chloride, are the ones that cause all the problems in the red can and the only ingredients in the green can are Acetone, Toluene, Methanol, and C02. However because it is brake cleaner Im still paranoid about welding over it even after I clean it. I have done some googling pertaining to this and the general concensous is Ill be ok because its non chlorinated, but like I said I am starting this thread for peace of mind. Thank you.
Reply:Doesn't brake cleaner just evaporate?  If still concerned, I would just take some soapy water to it.Lincoln Idealarc 250-250Lincoln AC-225
Reply:Make sure there are no solvents left on the workpiece before you weld and there are no problems.The problems with solvents are that they are often flammable (and welding is rather 'hot'    ) and some solvents ('old' style brake cleaner with chlorinated solvent such as 1-1-1-trichloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene) can react with the intense UV from arc welding processes to form a poisonous gas (phosgene).Make sure there are no flammable solvents (puddles or vapors) left on or near the workpiece (ask Zap? about a solvent rag    ) before welding.Make sure that the work area is 'properly' ventilated, for both solvent vapors as well as welding 'fumes' (flux, slag, shielding gas, metal vapors, etc).If your friend cleaned the pieces with spray brake cleaner consisting of mostly acetone, by the time he brought it over to you to start working on it all of the solvents should have evaporated (unless there were some 'trapped' puddles/pockets of solvent).It's good to be safe, but with some common-sense solvent safety, you should be fine as far as the welding goes.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Non-chlorinated is mostly acetone, MEK, Touluene and a few other flammable solvents that evaporate very quickly. It won't kill ya to weld over it but make sure its dry or you could have a little flame up and some pretty stinky black smoke. If your unsure, take it outside and heat it up a little with a propane torch, it'll flash off any residual.It's not so much the UV that reacts with chlorinated solvents as it is the heat, the solvents also break up into elemental chlorine which naturally is chlorine gas. http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/phosg...sics/facts.asp
Reply:I think it pretty much goes away quickly like Recruit said.     It's better to be safe than sorry, so I don't think your over reacting.    I've used carb cleaner, brake cleaner, and even ether (starting fluid) for cleaning.     I'd spay it in cracks of truck axles, to try to get rid of the oil, before i weld.     It worked well to spray ether in the crack, and follow up immediatly w/ compressed air behind it in effort to displace the oil.      I never blew any seals out or any combustion from it.     I think whats in the  food and air we breath all day is more of a concern to me than what were talking about here.
Reply:IF it really was nonchlorinated, then you're okay regarding phosgene gas. IF... That said, if it's still connected to the vehicle, start the engine and let it warm up to operating temp and it'll evap any solvent hidden in cracks.  Or take a torch and heat the area - same thing.  Even a hair dryer.  Brake cleaner evaporates easily, but you're right to be cautious, even paranoid when someone else is doing things "to help".  As someone said, it's the arc that creates phosgene with chlorinated stuff.  Regular heat won't have that problem.
Reply:How many joints do you have to weld up?  Just run over them with a torch quick to burn (evaporate) anything off.12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:Respirator, a good one even after lots of cleaning...
Reply:If you are not ok doing something don't do it. You got to consider you might be listening to a moron giving out information at all times.
Reply:Theres more than one dummy here.Turn that job down...Welding in a garage under a living room will cancel your insurance .Watch the spark stream from welding and cutting in a welding shop.
Reply:I wouldn't touch it. Besides brake cleaner sprays everywhere and most people would just clean the joint and not even think of cleaning it. If I had to do it, I would soak the thing in vinegar or something similar. hose it down, parts cleaner then take a torch to it...maybe.Are these small side jobs worth the risk of sitting in a hospital for a week or being dead?Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer