Smelly Cast iron

[Ueee]

I have spent a bit of time today starting to re-vamp the 6" vice i picked up when i got my shaper.

Mostly grinding so far, some drilling, but there is one thing that i have noticed, the cast iron stinks when machined or ground. The closest thing i can think of that smells the similar is hydrochloric acid at work on steel.

Any one come across this or know why it is?

Cheers,
Ew

[j.ashburn]

Ewan be a content of Sulphur in that old iron spose being old every thing went in the brew pot. Had some cast iron window weights here machined them up and took weeks to go rusty looked like chrome when finish cut went on hi nickel for sure. they a great source of ci for bushes etc. i grind the outer skin off first and cover all the ways on machines best I can cheers.John.

[nearnexus]

I've machined quite a bit of cast iron and never noticed any odour.

I always wear a dust mask as it gets up your nose otherwise, and some say it's a carcinogen and others don't.

Ingesting the stuff can't be good. I know a carpenter who died from breathing dust from particle board long term, so play safe with any stuff like this.

Rob

[RayG]

Hi Ewan,

I ready the title, and thought... that's probably what the wife thinks of all the machines... :)

Back on topic, the term "cast iron" covers a wide variety of stuff, I can't recall any particular smell that stands out,

Hydrochloric acid on steel produces hydrogen and ferric chloride mostly, plus maybe other stuff depending on what's in the alloy... ? The smell of Baker's soldering flux on steel comes to mind. Bakers Soldering flux is "killed" hydrochloric acid, so it's probably a ferric chloride solution..

EDIT:... A little quick googling.. Correction, the acid is killed by adding zinc till it dissolves no more, so the flux would be zinc chloride.. :)


Regards
Ray

[Clubman7]

Probably SG iron.
Vices are made from it as it has good strength.
Gets smelly when machined.
Find the dust can upset your stomach if you breathe in too much.

[cba_melbourne]

Good explanation here:
www.ajs-matchless.com/TechTips%5CGeneral/NoddyCrankshaft.pdf

[Ueee]

Thank you Chris, good info as usual. I would not say the smell is ozone-ish though.

It hasn't caused me any problems, all the grinding has been wet.

Rob, particle board, mdf, HD3 etc is glued with a lovely 5 part mix which includes the known carcinogen formaldehyde. The stuff is really bad for you. At tafe we were told here in Aus we have 5? 10? timbers that are not only carcinogenic but when cut with powered machines create dust so fine they can enter your body via skin contact, and right into your blood stream. The old wood machinist at tafe died of sinus cancer, guess he didn't wear dust masks enough of the time.

Ew

[Grahame Collins]

Any one come across this or know why it is?

A reason to keep the cats out of the workshop?

[nearnexus]

Rob, particle board, mdf, HD3 etc is glued with a lovely 5 part mix which includes the known carcinogen formaldehyde. The stuff is really bad for you. At tafe we were told here in Aus we have 5? 10? timbers that are not only carcinogenic but when cut with powered machines create dust so fine they can enter your body via skin contact, and right into your blood stream. The old wood machinist at tafe died of sinus cancer, guess he didn't wear dust masks enough of the time.

Ew

The guy I knew was a cabinet maker and only 45 years old when diagnosed with lung cancer from the particle board dust. Non smoker. Dead within 6 months.

Makes you think about the dangers of some of this stuff. They go on about asbestos, but there's other commonly available stuff (like mdf) that no one mentions which can do you no good as well.

You've only got to see what those cheap little paper dust masks collect from going into your lungs.

My father was a motor mechanic all his life, including in the army during WW2, and even though they worked without any protection on asbestos brakes, clutches, gaskets etc daily, there was no guy in the trade he knew of that ever died of asbestos related illness.

That's not to say it didn't happen, but they make a big deal about asbestos (which is bad news), but ignore other potentially deadly stuff that the handyman is playing with.

Rob

[Steamwhisperer]

I have spent a bit of time today starting to re-vamp the 6" vice i picked up when i got my shaper.

Mostly grinding so far, some drilling, but there is one thing that i have noticed, the cast iron stinks when machined or ground. The closest thing i can think of that smells the similar is hydrochloric acid at work on steel.

Any one come across this or know why it is?

Cheers,
Ew

Hi Ewan,
I have come across that smell before as well and if I remember correctly only on a used casting and not a new one.
Mind you the dust wreaks havoc with any fillings in my mouth, kinda' like chewing tin foil :D
Easy fixed though, I just scrape my fingernails down a blackboard and it takes my mind off the metallic taste in my mouth. :oo:

Phil

[Abratool]

Maybe I have a sensitive nose, however I have always noticed a smell coming off cast iron when machining it, or working with it, example hand scraping.
The smell paricularly seems to penetrate into the hands.
A friend of mine referred to it as "the smell of toolmaking".
Noticed it when machining John Heine brand Die Sets & the like.
regards
Bruce