cleaning stainless steel

This topic has 30 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 13 August 2017 at 16:45 by Roger Hart.

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 31 total)

1 2 →

Author

Posts
12 August 2017 at 09:53 #311584
Roger Hart
Participant
@rogerhart88496
Been doing some silver soldering of stainless and this has left a greyish film over the work. I will probably have to clean up using W&Dry but I wondered if there was any easyish way to clean up stainless. The usual sulphuric pickle doesn't work and neither does citric. I had read that HF is good for this, but not nice stuff and not available in most ironmongers….
Advert

12 August 2017 at 09:53 #25435
Roger Hart
Participant
@rogerhart88496
12 August 2017 at 10:04 #311586
Nick_G
Participant
@nick_g
.

I do know that motorbike guys sometimes will use Harpic cleaner on stainless exhaust downpipes. Think this has hyrochloric acid content.

Nick
12 August 2017 at 12:22 #311599
Speedy Builder5
Participant
@speedybuilder5
Phosphoric acid is the flux for soft soldering – maybe it would be a good pickle acid ?? Jenolite rust remover is mainly phosphoric acid.
BobH
12 August 2017 at 12:34 #311603
Frances IoM
Participant
@francesiom58905
Phosphoric acid can also be found quite cheaply as a limescale remover – the SS cleaners sold for kitchen use seem to contain phosphoric acid + detergents.
12 August 2017 at 12:40 #311605
Monoman
Participant
@monoman
Jenolite is NOT phosphoric but is Lactic acid.
12 August 2017 at 12:53 #311606
mark smith 20
Participant
@marksmith20
If the object is small citric acid electrolysis works.
12 August 2017 at 13:36 #311616
martin perman 1
Participant
@martinperman1
Our local fabricating shop works only in stainless, they use impregnated pencil rubbers, my description, so that they can restore the brushed surface back to the original after welding etc.

Martin P
12 August 2017 at 13:55 #311621
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Monoman on 12/08/2017 12:40:47:

Jenolite is NOT phosphoric but is Lactic acid.

.

With apologies to all those who thought they had seen the last of me

… This needs to be said:

Please read the MSDS

**LINK**

https://www.jenolite.net/pdf/jeolite-jelly-msds.pdf

MichaelG.
12 August 2017 at 14:15 #311624
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Hello Michael
12 August 2017 at 14:23 #311628
roy entwistle
Participant
@royentwistle24699
Michael Welcome back

Roy
12 August 2017 at 14:23 #311629
ega
Participant
@ega
Michael Gilligan:

No apology needed in my case – I have missed your input.

I thought from Monoman's post that this was another case of specification creep (you may remember our discussion about Pear's soap). It may be nostalgia but my recent purchase of Jenolite seems less effective than before.

What is the difference between ortho and ordinary acid?
12 August 2017 at 14:44 #311633
duncan webster 1
Participant
@duncanwebster1
Dr Pepper's soft drink contains phosphoric acid. It's pretty good at rotting your teeth (not mine never touch the stuff), not tried it for cleaning SS. Probably too weak

Edited By duncan webster on 12/08/2017 14:45:14
12 August 2017 at 14:58 #311638
dcosta
Participant
@dcosta
Hello Michael, welcome back.

Dias Costa
12 August 2017 at 15:10 #311640
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by ega on 12/08/2017 14:23:26:

What is the difference between ortho and ordinary acid?

.

Orthophosphoric acid is phosphoric acid 'as we know it'

Wikipedia will explain much better than I can.

**LINK**

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphoric_acid

MichaelG.
12 August 2017 at 15:17 #311641
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by ega on 12/08/2017 14:23:26:

I thought from Monoman's post that this was another case of specification creep (you may remember our discussion about Pear's soap). It may be nostalgia but my recent purchase of Jenolite seems less effective than before.

.

You may well be right

I now presume that Monoman must be familiar with this version:

**LINK**

https://www.jenolite.net/pdf/rust-converter-msds.pdf

MichaelG.
12 August 2017 at 15:19 #311642
Nick_G
Participant
@nick_g
Posted by Michael Gilligan on 12/08/2017 13:55:14:

.

With apologies to all those who thought they had seen the last of me

MichaelG.

.

OMG ……………………. He's back.!

Normal service can now be resumed.

Nick
12 August 2017 at 17:17 #311663
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi MichaelG, glad to see you posting your valued knowledge and finding links no one else seems too again.

Regards Nick.
12 August 2017 at 17:55 #311670
Speedy Builder5
Participant
@speedybuilder5
Ah, page 4 of Michael Gs link

ORTHOPHOSPHORIC ACID – That would be the Lactic Acid Monoman was talking about ??
BobH
12 August 2017 at 20:28 #311697
Martin Connelly
Participant
@martinconnelly55370
Martin P, are you referring to Garryflex blocks?

Martin C
12 August 2017 at 20:32 #311698
martin perman 1
Participant
@martinperman1
Martin C,

Until you gave them a name I hadn't a clue hence Abrasive pencil rubbers, yes they are the ones.

Martin P
13 August 2017 at 07:55 #311723
Mike Poole
Participant
@mikepoole82104
Welcome back Michael G.

Mike
13 August 2017 at 08:40 #311726
Martin King 2
Participant
@martinking2
Ditto, welcome back Michael G !

Martin
13 August 2017 at 09:03 #311730
Barnaby Wilde
Participant
@barnabywilde70941
Posted by Nick_G on 12/08/2017 10:04:53:

.

I do know that motorbike guys sometimes will use Harpic cleaner on stainless exhaust downpipes. Think this has hyrochloric acid content.

Nick

I used to think everyone raving on about Harpic was a wind up till I got a bottle & tried it for myself. Brings the downpipes back to the shine they should be. Also works great on my SS BBQ, especially the grill.
13 August 2017 at 09:17 #311733
Chris Evans 6
Participant
@chrisevans6
First welcome back Michael, your input has been missed. The abrasive impregnated rubber sticks are known as "Craytex" I have a few here in my workshop of varying grades and shapes.
Author

Posts