Read this and maybe save your life... seriously.

Thanks for the post. I've not seen this before, scary stuff.

He is a close friend of one of my friends and I've meet him twice at bike week dude was berkeleyed up bad.

I trend never to have brake cleaner around much myself mostly cause at $4 a can there something else cheaper to use...

1.1.1. or trico is nasty E36 M3 it can remove case hardening on bearing surfaces. I try never to use anything with it. But some of the "green" brake cleaners with out 111 are just as bad for you so main point is know what your dealing with and have more then enough ventilation and wear your PPE. I have a unit that fits under my welding helmet but i too don't wear it all the time..

Don't blow this out of proportion. The chemical of concern in the brake cleaner is perc. That's generic dry cleaning fluid. Don't burn it.

Fundamentally, work well ventilated in the shop always. Don't go mixing things or doing things without thought or care.

Don't dump water into an acid, dump acid into water instead. Don't mix bleach with amonia for a super cleaning fluid. Don't stand in puddles and arc weld. Etc.

I have seen this before and it is a "Good to know" item for sure - but did anyone else wonder why someone would wait 9 days to seek help for symptoms that include kidney failure and lung pain? I mean... I have crazy glued a gash on my eye to finish a job and I'm pretty sure I'd have atleast called someone by day 2.

Uh, to avoid this issue, just buy "non-chlorinated" brake clean. In fact, it's difficult TO buy chlorinated brake clean these days for that exact reason.

I actually saw some at Princess Auto the other day and was all "waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaht?"

In reply to BobOfTheFuture: Uh huh. I know... I really should unify my names.... "worked_buddha", "darkXR", or "buddha_xr" maybe

In reply to foxtrapper:

Well, this just goes to show you that it's NOT blown out of proportion.

I'm cleaning a shower right now with shower cleaning stuff. Might even have ammonia in it. My mother told me a few days ago to try bleach/water 50/50. So I read your post and find that for some reason, it could be bad to back-to-back those. Guess I'll go read the label to see if it has ammonia.

The sad thing is there are chemicals available OTC that when mixed, can seriously berkeley you up. I've always though of most of this stuff as do not directly inhale, do not ingest.

This stuff isn't common sense in some cases when dealing with ingredients. While I wouldn't pour straight ammonia into straight bleach without reading what could happen, the vast majority of peeps just think "grab a stronger cleaner"... I'm not a chemist you know.

darkbuddha wrote: In reply to BobOfTheFuture: Uh huh. I know... I really should unify my names.... "worked_buddha", "darkXR", or "buddha_xr" maybe

Just go with the name you reeeeeally wanted: "Dirk Diggler."

Appleseed wrote: Just go with the name you reeeeeally wanted: "Dirk Diggler."

You win the internets today. Solid post!

Ya know, I wish I could justify "Dirk Diggler" as a screenname... I really really do.

heh heh heh...

HiTempguy wrote: Uh, to avoid this issue, just buy "non-chlorinated" brake clean. In fact, it's difficult TO buy chlorinated brake clean these days for that exact reason. I actually saw some at Princess Auto the other day and was all "waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaht?"

Maybe in fascist Canadaland.

Osterkraut wrote: Maybe in fascist Canadaland.

Heil Harper!

I like it, it's got a raaaang to it

This is a good reminder.

A buddy of mine said smoking around Freon was prohibited by the Navy for the same reason. Freon drawn through the burning ember would become phosgene gas.

Thanks for the reminder. Very scary stuff.

Good to know. I try not to spray anything before I use heat. If I have to clean I'll use a brush or grinder. That is just scary, there.

IIRC, many halogenated hydrocarbons can cause liver damage over time or with repeated exposure.

That's the reason carbon tetrachloride, a really good cleaner, has been off the market for years.

I've heard about this before as well. I also heard never to try and weld galvanized metal parts too. It's scary how many chemicals we carry in a household/workshop and never know how badly they can hurt us and the environment around us.

Merc wrote: I also heard never to try and weld galvanized metal parts too.

It is unfortunate, unpleasant and it makes you feel like crap but it isn't necessarily bad for you. At least not in the long term. When welding/cutting/heating/brazing galvanized steel the heat vaporizes zinc. When the zinc hits the air it becomes zinc oxide. The same stuff people rub on their faces to avoid sunburn. Zinc oxide is an allergen, not a toxin. Metal fume fever is an acute allergic reaction. Studies have shown no negative long term affects.

The AWS fact sheet is here

http://www.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-25.pdf

I try to avoid welding anything galvanized because I have spent many an evening feeling like crap afterward but I will do it at work if I have to. I just make sure I let my manager know I probably won't be in the next day.

Interestingly enough welders who are exposed all week long will only feel the effects on the first day back from their weekends. After that they develop a resistance to it.