[TheForge] Re: File Making

[Jeffrey Polaski]

I'm not really used to thinking of iron/steel as absorbent, but it's
come up several times. Especially with regard to welding gasoline tanks.


Are there any guide lines on how much a hunk of steel can absorb? 



Jeff Polaski


> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:theforge-
> bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Larry Brown
> Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 12:01 PM
> To: Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: File Making
> 
> 
> Speaking from the other side or the Arthur Kill, and being 49 I
remember
> all sorts of nasty stuff on the beaches over the years, being cleaner
in
> more recent times. NJ has and had tons of nasty chemical companies
along
> the eastern NJ boarder with Staten Island and NY and we had or have
the
> world's biggest dump in the marsh along the river.
> 
>   I remember working in Whitte ship scrapyard when I was 18 that
cutting
> sometimes gave some foul odors, usually on the older stuff that had
been
> soaking or on the bottom the longest. I think the guy who repaired the
> holes in the bottom of the barges by welding plates between the ribs
had
> very little left in the way of vocal cords.
> I thought it might be the salt absorbed into the metal. I have some
pieces
> of WI from old docks and a few just foam when heated. I found that
steel
> and WI are both affected and have seen what looks like a crust near
the
> edges after the piece cools when you torch cut it. Might be on the
surface
> or from within
> 
> Larry BRown
> 
> At 09:26 AM 3/20/2008 -0400, you wrote:
> >Speaking of fumes, much of the wrought iron I pulled out of Raritan
Bay
> in
> >Perth Amboy gives off a fume that is really nasty.  You get the
tiniest
> >whiff and everything inside you says "NO!".  I have learned to steer
> clear
> >of this.  Put the iron in the fire awhile and let whatever noxious
things
> >that are there burn off while giving a respectful berth.
> >
> >What I could not quite figure is what those noxious things may have
> >been.  The fumes are most acrid - very harsh on the nose, and
something
> >of a singular sensation (please, no lapsing into "A Chorus Line").  I
> also
> >notice the occasional strange blue flame.  Not like copper, but not
like
> >anything else either, of which I am familiar.  Any ideas?  This iron
has
> >lain in the brackish-to-salty waters of the bay for at least 50
years,
> >closer to 100 in most cases I would imagine - old ship graveyard.
> >
> >         -Andy
> >
> >Larry Brown wrote:
> >>Thanks for the information in the post, I always try to stay away
from
> >>the fumes as it stinks, but the cyanide information is really good
to be
> >>aware of. Don't use it much, got the can 2nd hand and have had it
20+
> yrs.
> >>Larry Brown
> 
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