Stop using galvanized stock for forge welding, it ruined my anvil face

Last month I grabbed some old galvanized railing from a demo site in Portland, thought I'd save a buck. Heated it up for a forge weld and the zinc vaporized, then deposited nasty layers all over my anvil face. Took me 4 hours with a flap disc and sandpaper to get it clean, and the face still has a faint pitting pattern. Anyone else dealt with this or do you guys actually bother checking the coating before you burn?

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riveradams15d ago

Did you check the coating before you heated it? I used to think a quick wire brush was enough to burn off whatever was on the steel, but after wrecking a good anvil face myself, I get it now. Zinc leaves this sticky residue that just melts right into the surface, and it's way harder to fix than the few bucks you save on scrap. Honestly, I'd rather pay for clean stock or strip it with vinegar first now, lesson learned the hard way.