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Tungsten Toxicity

D

David Paule

Well Known Member
I use a tungsten bucking bar. And I just learned that tungsten can be harmful if ingested. So while I don't plan to eat my bucking bar it definitely seems like a good idea to wash up after working with it.

A search for tungsten toxicity brings up a number of articles. It appears as if there's generally low risk, but wash your hands after you're done working with it.

Dave
 
Hmmm...
My wedding ring is a Tungsten Carbide ring. I wonder if the "carbide" makes it safe to wear?
 
Don't panic, You have to eat it or drop it on your toe for it to hurt you, tungsten is totally safe, handling it as a bucking bar.
 
rivetshaver said:
Don't panic, You have to eat it or drop it on your toe for it to hurt you, tungsten is totally safe, handling it as a bucking bar.
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You mean, I shouldn't try to hold my tungsten bucking bar in my teeth while I buck the rivets? How else am I supposed to do this with only two hands?
 
Yes, if you eat it you have bigger issues. Seriously, when dressing the tips of tungsten welding rod (TIG) one should be aware of this, but unless it is done all day, probably not an issue. I still dress mine on the bench grinder, about one a month.
 
Thoriated Tungsten

Seriously, when dressing the tips of tungsten welding rod (TIG) one should be aware of this
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In this case you are probably more concerned about the small "very small"
radioactive material being released when grinding a thoriated tungsten.

I agree, dropping a tungsten bucking bar on your toes is probably your highest risk of injury.

Apart from the discussion, the tungsten bucking bar is one of the very best tools to have in your RV building arsenal.
 
Radiation?????

BillL said:
Yes, if you eat it you have bigger issues. Seriously, when dressing the tips of tungsten welding rod (TIG) one should be aware of this, but unless it is done all day, probably not an issue. I still dress mine on the bench grinder, about one a month.
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I did a lot of specialty tig welding and some of us carried a varied selection of Tungsten with us for different jobs depending on the size and material to be welded. We were warned not to carry our little custom made tubes of Tungsten in our shirt pockets near our hearts because they said it gave off radiation and could possibly do damage over time. :eek:
I did what they said but never did check it out myself.
 
NYTOM said:
I did a lot of specialty tig welding and some of us carried a varied selection of Tungsten with us for different jobs depending on the size and material to be welded. We were warned not to carry our little custom made tubes of Tungsten in our shirt pockets near our hearts because they said it gave off radiation and could possibly do damage over time. :eek:
I did what they said but never did check it out myself.
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Curious about the deadly effects of tungsten, apparently there is some concern about *thorium* alloyed tungsten. It emits alpha particles. Very short lived, blocked by skin or paper. Decays to helium. Not good to breath, I'd imagine. Wear respiratory protection or use air control measures.
 
Wow, I never knew about that hazard. I'll have to swap out my tungsten bucking bar for depleted uranium. Oh... wait... crud.
 
uranium

Back in the day there was a service bulletin to remove depleted uranium counter weights from B727-100 ailerons.
They all became bucking bars.
 
ATOMIC BARS

DaleB said:
Wow, I never knew about that hazard. I'll have to swap out my tungsten bucking bar for depleted uranium. Oh... wait... crud.
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Hey the government is trying to get rid of tons of that stuff. We could probably get it for free and make up a bunch of sets of different shape bucking bars. We could call them " ATOMIC BARS". ;). And as a plus they'll keep your shop warm in the winter. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Aluminum is toxic

As long as we're talking about toxic metals... ALUMINUM is high on the list. It is a neurotoxin and has been associated with Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease, and a host of other problems. I'm much more afraid of it than my tungsten bucking bar.

I haven't let it stop me from building my RV. Not for a moment. But I'm always cautious while in the shop, not to rub my eyes, stick a finger in my mouth (or nose, etc., any mucous membranes), and I always, ALWAYS wash thoroughly after coming in from the shop. Especially before eating or something like that. If I've been scuffing my parts with scotchbrite, for example, before priming or painting, my hands can be almost black from the aluminum dust. You don't want any of that absorbed in your body. Just a heads' up for those who may not have known or heard. You can do a google search and find out lots more. Don't take my word for it. But be careful in the shop. Here's an article with a good summary.

http://www.arltma.com/Articles/AlumToxDoc.htm
 
suit

Everyone should wear a full environmental body suit when in proximity of aircraft.
Seriously we used to spray MEK and triclorithane every where in the old Braniff hangers.
Nobody even wore a paper mask.
 
For those who are concerned with TIG welding:
thoriated tungsten electrodes are slightly radioactive,
ceriated tungsten electrodes are not, and they are equivalent for welding 4130 steel as far as I can tell.

At work and at home, we turned in all the thoriated electrodes for ceriated. the cost is minimal.

Now, I suppose someone will find a health hazard related to Cerium, but at least it's not radioactive.
 
I'm more worried about the strontium chromate primer than either the tungsten or the aluminum. Hexavalent chromium is bad stuff.
 
Not all chrome compounds are the hexavalent variety. From many moons ago, some/all of the corrosion inhibiting water treatment chemicals used hexavalent chrome. Net been used any longer in 20+ yrs now I believe. What else uses this variant? Other chrome compounds are not nearly so toxic, as I understand.
 
RV Recipe

Dang it! I was just perfecting my tungsten soup recipe:

(1) tungsten bucking bar
(1) cup fine aluminum powder
(1) cup micro balloons
(3) cups alodine
(1) can strontium chromate
(1/2) cup MEK

Boil bucking bar in 3 cups alodine solution, over high heat, for 30 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of aluminum powder, then let simmer for 1 hour. In a separate pan, fry strontium chromate, micro balloons and the rest of the aluminum powder, for five minutes, then add to the soup base. Serve warm, with a wine glass of MEK, to be inhaled during the meal. Enjoy! :D
 
ppilotmike said:
Dang it! I was just perfecting my tungsten soup recipe:

(1) tungsten bucking bar
(1) cup fine aluminum powder
(1) cup micro balloons
(3) cups alodine
(1) can strontium chromate
(1/2) cup MEK

Boil bucking bar in 3 cups alodine solution, over high heat, for 30 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of aluminum powder, then let simmer for 1 hour. In a separate pan, fry strontium chromate, micro balloons and the rest of the aluminum powder, for five minutes, then add to the soup base. Serve warm, with a wine glass of MEK, to be inhaled during the meal. Enjoy! :D
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Sounds like some of the deserts that used to come in MREs:p
 
ppilotmike said:
Dang it! I was just perfecting my tungsten soup recipe:

(1) tungsten bucking bar
(1) cup fine aluminum powder
(1) cup micro balloons
(3) cups alodine
(1) can strontium chromate
(1/2) cup MEK

Boil bucking bar in 3 cups alodine solution, over high heat, for 30 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of aluminum powder, then let simmer for 1 hour. In a separate pan, fry strontium chromate, micro balloons and the rest of the aluminum powder, for five minutes, then add to the soup base. Serve warm, with a wine glass of MEK, to be inhaled during the meal. Enjoy! :D
Click to expand...

I'd like to see the nutritional info, er, MSDS on that.
 
Low Pass said:
Not all chrome compounds are the hexavalent variety. From many moons ago, some/all of the corrosion inhibiting water treatment chemicals used hexavalent chrome. Net been used any longer in 20+ yrs now I believe. What else uses this variant? Other chrome compounds are not nearly so toxic, as I understand.
Click to expand...

This is true, but nonetheless, it pays to be prudent around such things. I had a bottle of alodine from 1987 in my cabinet, and I'll wager that many others do also. I tossed it into the hazmat stream for disposal here at work because I didn't want to risk using it.

So, be cautious before you go working with unknown stuff, or buy brand new and use as directed. Just saying.

As someone who has worked in chemistry for all of my adult life, I can attest that some people are overly careless with chemicals. And I've also seen far too many "safe" chemicals suddenly appear on the hazardous list after people unexpectedly died from exposure to them! :eek:
 
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