funny smell or fumes? when gtaw

Date 07-07-2007 23:09

im kind of new to tig but not welding. im welding clean .060 cold rolled steel with thoriated and lanthanated tungsten. 100% argon at 20 cfh. a non adjustable post flow of about 7 sec. im getting an odd smell which i think is the argon. i dont feel any different but want to be safe. maybe im running too much argon? wondering if any of you have ever experienced this? i appreciate all of your help. thanks

By ZCat

Date 07-08-2007 01:05

probably just ozone...TIG welding does have a certain slight smell to it. Try to keep your head out of the fumes

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 07-08-2007 03:05

I agree with Zcat...

Also if you have any mill oils on the steel as you heat it up they will begin to have an odor as well. If you contanminate your tungsten it definitely has a certain smell...you should avoid the fumes of that.

By Milton Gravitt (***)

Date 07-08-2007 15:53

Do you have any cats around. I work at a place that had a couple of cats that urinated all over the material and when you went to weld it you could sure smell it but it has a smell of it own. You could clean it in MEK or Alcohol but it would still be there when you welded it.