mill scale burned fumes toxic?

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If I burn mill scale oover a fire (a simple grill made from scraps) is the mill scale toxic when burned?
Reply:I don't think so...
Reply:i would just burn it all off before putting food on...
Reply:I would think a bit of searching would have given lots of information about mill scale, but since I didn't bother looking myself....Assuming the metal you started with is all steel without coatings, then any scale on it's surface is just an oxide of iron formed when the steel was hot and being formed in the steel mill. Similar to rust but with a slightly different formula. You couldn't even get it hot enough in your fire to melt any of it, let alone "burn it off" (meaning vaporize it). It's not toxic, isn't soluble in water  and won't dissolve in or contaminate your food unless some of it chips off...in which case, because it is a bit hard and thin, could theoretically cause a cut in someone's mouth or perhaps chip a tooth if bitten hard on. I wouldn't worry about it 'cause that's a pretty unlikely occurrence, IMHO.
Reply:Thanks for the info. I'm wanting to make a simple grill from mild steel and paint it with 2000f paint. Having trouble finding info on whether or not this wwould be safe for food (I will be using a cast iron pan so the food won't touch the paint but I'm always thinking fumes.
Reply:You'll get fumes off the paint before the mill scale
Reply:Mill scale is iron oxide.
Reply:I would just get it real hot once before you eat off of it.My dad has several grill that were painted with hi temp grill paint and it eventually cooked off some parts of the grill from use.
Reply:5 month old thread, but informative. I need to weld together some flavor bars that cover the burners on my grill, and wasn't sure if the coating on this steel was unhealthy. My gut feeling is thicker steel flavor bars will last longer than those spam-can-thin stainless ones they try to sell us at a premium price.Last edited by Gobysky; 06-20-2012 at 11:37 AM.
Reply:If the steel had any rust preventative on it, you'd want to wash or burn that off.  Otherwise mill scale is primarily various oxides of Iron, so it's already "burned"."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:mill scale is basically rust, and anyone with a lot of iron in their water can tell ya, a little rust is good for ya. Paint and other coatings arent
Reply:Originally Posted by Gobysky5 month old thread, but informative. I need to weld together some flavor bars that cover the burners on my grill, and wasn't sure if the coating on this steel was unhealthy. My gut feeling is thicker steel flavor bars will last longer than those spam-can-thin stainless ones they try to sell us at a premium price.
Reply:Your right, flavor bars, a fancy marketing name. Maybe I'll weld a small box on one of them for wood chips. Then they might come closer to being flavor bars. Welding creativity opens up so many possibilities. I too prefer charcoal, but you can't beat the convenience of turning on a gas valve.Miller Bobcat 250Syncrowave  200Millermatic 252Spoolmatic 30ASpectrum 625 X-TremeMaxstar 150SVictor O/A torchesDewalt angle grindersWelded on/off for over 40 years.
Reply:If I gotta use propane (blech, phooey, hack n' spit) why don't they make the ones with the lava rock like they used to(I really prefer charcoal )