Thread: cleaning welding helmet

anyone use furniture polish to clean welding helmet works really good i use home brand stuff. anyone use anything else ?

G'day lornety,
Welcome to the mob. I would have to advise extreme caution. While it seems a good idea initially, recalling that previous posts on this forum discuss the effects of radiation (light -both in the visible and non visable spectrum ) I would have reservations about this.

The thing is, that you may be anaware of the effects of those UV rays reacting with the solvent residues from the polish that you used on the helmet.

To put you in the picture of what we on about, the discussion was on the effects of welding UV rays reacting with the tricholrethylene base of the brake cleaner solvent and causing phosgene gas which is toxic and has a history of making welders very ill.

If you want to continue with the polish perhaps you might matey up with an industrial chemist who might be able to advise on the exact contents of your polish and advise to a much better degree than I can.

The bottom line is that you get a lungful of nasty stuff, hospital will be where you go. Try soap and water to wash down your helmet before you use it next.
Cheers
Grahame

i dont see how it can be any worse then the crap we breath when welding

Not sure about the toxins from it? As it would only be a micro thin layer.
It would make it easier to clean the next time.
I always end up with a nose full of black unknown after grinding and welding.
Dave

The fumes created by tricholrethylene are nasty, even one tiny puff of smoke is enough to put you in Hospital. Funiture polish is toxic on its own, who knows what it will do if it degrades with exposure to heat or UV etc. Maybe the MSDS might shed some light.


Cheers

UglyDan