I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?
Thanks
Putting

Not very practical or safe since zincs are relatively cheap and the heath
risk is great.

Heating zinc will produce toxic fume that have always be a known to welders
and foundry workers. Even a small amount can be harmful.


--
My experience and opinion, FWIW
--
Steve
s/v Good Intentions


"puttingau" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?
Thanks
Putting

On 21 Jun 2005 21:15:41 -0700, "puttingau"
wrote:

I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?
Thanks
Putting

Zinc narcosis is noted by welders who join galvanized steel.
The vapor induces a vivid headache which remits in a day or two. Then
there are the serious side-effects....

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

"puttingau" wrote:

I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?
Thanks
Putting

There are standards for zinc oxide fume, and people that are
overexposed can get zinc fume fever (which will pass), and also you
can develop an occupational asthma from repeated exposure. But molten
pure zinc (as opposed to zinc oxide0 does not cause health problems
beyond the obvious burns if you pour it over yourself. The melting
point is 420C.


grandma Rosalie

Hey, Cheapskate!

Just trash them: the alloy changes form due to electrolysis, and these
suckers are cheap anyhow. Then again, do you have giant balls of
aluminum foil stored in your basement?

Good thoughts,
muskrat

puttingau wrote:
I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?
Thanks
Putting

puttingau wrote:
I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?
Thanks
Putting

Practical Boat Owner did a 'readers tips' article on exactly what you
are hoping to do. Not available online but you can get a reprint.

http://www.ybw-directory.com/reprints/results1.jsp?offset=0&tem=pbo&category=Practical%2 C+maintenance+%26+repair&keyword=Recycling+anodes& author=&mag=pbo&hidden_mag=pbo&month=%25&year=%25
or http://tinyurl.com/dne5t

Also I suggest you ask about zinc casting on rec.crafts.metalworking

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Early 60's, Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy.

puttingau wrote:
I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?

If you can cast bullets you can cast something small of zinc, it is
done everyday. Large shipyards also melted & reclaimed big hull zincs
for decades. If you know nothing about casting & don't have the needed
supplies, don't bother. I know that people get raped on small
sacrifical anodes. Zinc itself isn't hazardous. Zinc is good for your
dink, some say. :-)

wrote:

puttingau wrote:
I have a lot of old zinc anode remnants from the boat hull hanging
around discards from the annual haulout. Each year I also replace the
anodes in my Yanmar 2qm20 engine, which are tiny, but more expensive
than the much larger tear drop hull anodes.
The engine anodes are just zinc molded on to a thread. Would it
difficult or in any way dangerous to melt an old hull anode down to
refurbish the engine anode?

If you can cast bullets you can cast something small of zinc, it is
done everyday. Large shipyards also melted & reclaimed big hull zincs
for decades. If you know nothing about casting & don't have the needed
supplies, don't bother. I know that people get raped on small
sacrifical anodes. Zinc itself isn't hazardous. Zinc is good for your
dink, some say. :-)

Casting bullets out of lead IS hazardous to your health.


grandma Rosalie

Gene Kearns wrote:

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:04:23 GMT, Brian Whatcott
wrote:

Zinc narcosis is noted by welders who join galvanized steel.
The vapor induces a vivid headache which remits in a day or two. Then
there are the serious side-effects....

This kind of headache IME is usually due to carbon monoxide or some
specific chemicals rather than a metal fume exposure.

BTW, zinc would not be a vapor (and neither would carbon monoxide).
A vapor is the gaseous state of something that is normally liquid or
solid. A fume is a small metal particle - small enough to be breathed
down into the lungs. When the metal is liquidized and vaporized,
tiny particles condense back into the metallic state almost
immediately - in order for them to stay as a vapor it would have to be
extremely hot - much to hot for humans to withstand.

Oh.... BS. Metal fume fever's symptoms are widely understood.... such
as a headache and flu-like symptoms.... certainly not something to be

Agree - it's called metal fume fever because it is kind of like a 24
hour flu. Symptoms include headache, fever, chills, muscle aches,
thirst, nausea, vomiting, chest soreness, fatigue, gastrointestinal
pain, weakness, and tiredness. The symptoms usually start several
hours after exposure; the attack may last 6 to 24 hours. Complete
recovery generally occurs without intervention within 24 to 48 hours.

knowingly and willfully undertaken. However, this is normally
associated with extremely elevated temperatures in a welding
environment and the consequent ingestion of zinc oxide.

The only serious side effect that occasionally happens (and it
probably would not do so in this instance) is an occupational asthma
where the person afflicted would have breathing difficulties in any
area where galvanizing work was being done. It usually occurs with
repeated exposure, so as I said, it is probably not going to be a
problem here. If the person doing the work isn't earning their living
as a welder, then if it does occur, they can usually just stop doing
that and go back to paying for the zincs.

A bi-yearly casting of zinc is sure to cause no lasting effects... and
IMHO, unlikely to cause any temporary effects as well....

Temperatures no higher than absolutely necessary and casting in open
air make the side effects fairly remote.

There are no lasting "serious side effects..." that have been
documented.


References:
http://www.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-25.PDF

RosalieAnn Figge Beasley, C.I.H.
retired - formerly MOSHA Consultation

Rosalie B. wrote:

Casting bullets out of lead IS hazardous to your health.

So is sailing. :-) Thousands of years of experience attest. Not to
mention working with monomers & polymers, machining exotic woods,
applying and sanding marine hull coatings, sucking down various
mollusks at the marina bar, and walking back to your berth when half
the people driving out in the other direction are drunk. In fact, life
itself is totally deadly; the last time I checked, the death rate was
100%.

Frank
Marine Eng
Not afraid of things in this temporary life, has a real one elsewhere.