Welding Tips and Tricks

hello,

i want to ask about using nail polish acetone to clean metal before welding. If this is the only cleaning solution i can find, do you recommend using it?
considering nail polish acetone has additives in the ingredients for moisture. but does that has any effect on cleaning or hazard when welding?

note: i know there are other cleaning solutions, but i'm just asking about acetone.

thank you

I have never tried it but it contain oil to avoid white finger tips.

I usually get it in small quart cans from the hardware store or a paint supply house.

AndersK wrote:I have never tried it but it contain oil to avoid white finger tips.

that is why i am asking if there will be any hazard welding on it. you know there are things that are not good for welding purposes such as WD40 or carporator cleaners. you never know, that could be one of those things.

Poland308 wrote:I usually get it in small quart cans from the hardware store or a paint supply house.

believe me my friend i have tried every one of those and couldn't find acetone or any alcohol solution. if i can use nail polish that will make my life much easier. hopefully someone can answer me if its good or not.

thank you

e30,

There are not going to be harmful fumes from the additives in nail polish remover, but I suspect the "moisturizers" in it will give you fits in the weld, as they are organic in nature-- vegetable oils, most likely.

One option may be to use the cheapest generic NPR you can find, as it will have the least additives, then follow with plain ol' 70% rubbing alcohol to remove the oils.

Another option is to order acetone from the paint department at homedepot.com

Where are you located, that acetone is so difficult to find?

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:e30,

There are not going to be harmful fumes from the additives in nail polish remover, but I suspect the "moisturizers" in it will give you fits in the weld, as they are organic in nature-- vegetable oils, most likely.

One option may be to use the cheapest generic NPR you can find, as it will have the least additives, then follow with plain ol' 70% rubbing alcohol to remove the oils.

Another option is to order acetone from the paint department at homedepot.com

Where are you located, that acetone is so difficult to find?

Steve S

not harmful is good news. and i believe using the cheapest NPR is a good idea, thank you for that. the problem is as i said before is that i could't find any rubbing alcohol either.
To answer your question, i live in a small country called Bahrain. there are many things that are not available to the public, for example i cant buy respirator filters, they are only for industrial uses. yes i know it sucks but you see my problem, nothing is available, not easily anyway.

it would be nice to get an answer from someone who tried NPR to verify weather it will have an effect on the quality of the weld.

thank you

Can't you try some on a scrap piece and see if it has any ill effects?

Len

How about a can of electrical contact cleaner?

May vary between counties but in the UK there is " posh " nail polish remover which may have many additives in bought from chemists etc but go to " Poundland " & it's plain acetone - not the strongest I've used - but works fine for welding purposes - used it for several years without problem - sometimes they look a bit funny on the checkout when I buy like 10 bottles ! thing is the bottles are only 400 ml size - but thats way cheaper than the only place that keeps it for commercial use ( just over $20 for a liter ) - worth checking out computer shops as well - they sell a cleaning product thats a light cloth soaked in IPA - it's similar to the product that Wyatt uses in some recent video's.

Is there a local welder/welding shop around you might be able to purchase a litre or so from?
If not try the nail polish remover and see what happens.
IPA is another possibility or have the government banned that because its an alcohol?
Possibly available at a chemist shop in the form of wipes.

Interesting, I never realized that some places might not sell acetone.

Not sure if if makes any difference but I just checked the medicine cabinet. The key ingredient in our bottle of nail polish remover is ethyl acetate rather than acetone.

Dave

e30BAH wrote:

not harmful is good news. and i believe using the cheapest NPR is a good idea, thank you for that. the problem is as i said before is that i could't find any rubbing alcohol either.
To answer your question, i live in a small country called Bahrain. there are many things that are not available to the public, for example i cant buy respirator filters, they are only for industrial uses. yes i know it sucks but you see my problem, nothing is available, not easily anyway.

it would be nice to get an answer from someone who tried NPR to verify weather it will have an effect on the quality of the weld.

thank you

Bahrain explains it completely. Very tight regulation of chemicals not for daily "household use".

After using the NPR, wash with a solution of distilled water and soap, and rinse with distilled water. Real plain soap, not a "bath bar" that's actually detergent and may contain water-softening chemicals and moisturizers. (This works best with distilled water, but "de-ionized" water will also do, if it doesn't say "minerals added for taste" like many bottled drinking waters).

Steve S

I have a concern that after grinding or vigorous brushing aluminum has some almost microscopic jagged surface and edge. If I wipe with acetone at that time, won't it leave bits of paper towel, or rag which might provide lots of other gunk that would contaminate. For this reason, I wire brush with stainless after acetone. Might this practice remove most of the residue from nail polish remover?

Alternative solvents might be non chlorinated brake cleaner, denatured alcohol, or if desperate, grain alcohol.

Another solvent I bet would work very well is ether, or starting fluid. My backhoe is an over center design. It's forever slinging a gob of grease onto the window. The diesel filthies the windshield. A quick spray with cheap starting fluid leaves it clean with no rubbing. Use care to allow drying before striking an arc. Do not smoke near it.