Cleaning Silver Steel

This topic has 19 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 15 February 2017 at 16:50 by Neil Wyatt.

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14 February 2017 at 18:14 #284246
Steve Crow
Participant
@stevecrow46066
I don't know if this is really a model engineering question but I'm sure someone here can help me.

I have made 72 struts from 1mm silver steel for a project nearing completion (A model gasometer frame).

I made them from steel I had in stock which was not rusty but had a dark tarnish. Originally, this was not a problem but now they need to be, if not shiny, at least clean and silver like.

I could make them all again out of new stock or clean them on the lathe but there are 72 of them. At 10 minutes each that's 12 hours I'll never get back.

Does anyone know of a magic solution, preferably using domestic products, that I could just pop them in overnight or something? Or an other way of cleaning them all at once?

Cheers

Steve
Advert

14 February 2017 at 18:14 #8567
Steve Crow
Participant
@stevecrow46066
14 February 2017 at 18:52 #284251
daveb
Participant
@daveb17630
Degrease then dunk in patio cleaner, wash with plenty of water, oil or wax to prevent rusting.

Dave
14 February 2017 at 20:18 #284278
Dod
Participant
@dod
A question on a Model Engineers Workshop about a model gasometer, – whatever is the world coming to ?
14 February 2017 at 20:22 #284279
Brian H
Participant
@brianh50089
I would have said that a metal model of a gasometer qualifies as 'model engineering'!

Brian
14 February 2017 at 20:28 #284283
Roderick Jenkins
Participant
@roderickjenkins93242
Interesting. Several people in conversation have referred to this site as the Model Engineers Workshop forum.

Rod
14 February 2017 at 20:48 #284288
John Rudd
Participant
@johnrudd16576
Posted by Dod on 14/02/2017 20:18:08:

A question on a Model Engineers Workshop about a model gasometer, – whatever is the world coming to ?

I retracted my thoughts on the grounds of civility…..

Edited By John Rudd on 14/02/2017 21:04:51
14 February 2017 at 21:05 #284291
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
John,

I may be mistaken [it has been known], but I think maybe Dod was being clever with the word 'Gasometer' … as being curiosly pertinent to this forum.

MichaelG.

.

Composed just before you retracted your comments.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 14/02/2017 21:06:36
15 February 2017 at 11:34 #284402
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
When you get your Gasometer built, show us a photo, this sounds an interesting model.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 15/02/2017 11:35:09
15 February 2017 at 11:37 #284403
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Ian S C on 15/02/2017 11:34:20:

When you get your Gasometer built, show us a photo, this sounds an interesting model.

Ian S C

.

+1

MichaelG.
15 February 2017 at 11:41 #284404
Martin Kyte
Participant
@martinkyte99762
Is it scratch built of of a particular prototype.?

Martin
15 February 2017 at 11:42 #284407
Martin Kyte
Participant
@martinkyte99762
"sorry or of"

Martin
15 February 2017 at 11:58 #284410
Martin Connelly
Participant
@martinconnelly55370
What you need is something like a pebble/stone polisher used for jewelry. Put them in a closed tub with a suitable polishing medium and rotate slowly for a time. The problem is finding the best polishing medium. Say for instance plenty of 10mm squares of fine emery paper might work or small pieces of sandstone. Mount a suitable tub in a lathe chuck with a slow rpm and leave to tumble while you do something else. You don't want to tumble too fast as they will stick to the outside of the tub due to centrifugal forces. You may need some feature in the tub to "stir" the parts to get good tumbling effects (like the inside of a tumble drier or cement mixer often have plates on the inside of the drum).

Tumble and vibratory polishing is used in industry.

Martin
15 February 2017 at 12:24 #284414
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Walnut shell should polish with minimal wearing of sharp edges, but it is possible that the items could damage each other.

Dilute citric should work and in an ultrasonic bath woudl be even quicker.

Neil
15 February 2017 at 12:47 #284416
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
You could research old time polishing of needles (sewing). There is a preserved water powered needle factory in Redditch that is well worth a visit.

In simple terms bundle up wires all together loosely lathered in grinding paste mixture wrapped in canvas like a tool roll but not too tight. Roll it back and forth so the wires rub against each other. Works for needles and you know how shiny they are.
15 February 2017 at 13:43 #284422
Rik Shaw
Participant
@rikshaw
+1 Neil. Citric acid crystals from the chemist, mix in warm water then dunk the bits. I pickled some ball bearings for the handles on my Harrold Halls advanced grinding rest like this before I silver soldered them on and I found that fifteen minutes was enough to turn them from shiny to a matt grey.

I was puzzled when the pharmacist asked what I was going to use it for. It seems that drug dealers use it for "cutting" their wares.

Rik
15 February 2017 at 15:55 #284444
Steve Crow
Participant
@stevecrow46066
Posted by Martin Kyte on 15/02/2017 11:41:50:

Is it scratch built of of a particular prototype.?

Martin

It is "inspired" by the recently demolished Hornsey No1 gasometer, next to the East Coast Mainline between Hornsey and Ally Pally. Until it was criminally torn down last year to make way for unaffordable housing, it was considered the oldest geodesic structure in the world. It is even said to have inspired Barnes-Wallis's airship designs.

I wanted to build a gasometer suitable for 2mm scale model rail (2mm to the foot) but even at that scale it would be huge so I've had to compromise.

The one I'm building is 140mm diameter and 125mm high and has 12 columns (Hornsey No1 has 20)

I dry assembled it and it looked so good in its bare metal state that I decided to polish and lacquer all the brass parts, build it on a display base and put it in the living room to gather dust.

It's all ready to assemble now, I just need to clean up the 72 diagonal braces.

I will post pictures soon.

Steve
15 February 2017 at 16:19 #284450
Martin Kyte
Participant
@martinkyte99762
Brillig.

I think they did list some of them.

regards Martin
15 February 2017 at 16:27 #284453
Steve Crow
Participant
@stevecrow46066
Posted by Martin Kyte on 15/02/2017 16:19:04:

Brillig.

I think they did list some of them.

regards Martin

The Victorian Society tried for years to get Hornsey listed to no avail.

I think the one in Bethnal Green has been listed and there is one in Carlisle.
15 February 2017 at 16:50 #284460
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 14/02/2017 20:28:05:

Interesting. Several people in conversation have referred to this site as the Model Engineers Workshop forum.

Rod

As this is the forum for BOTH Model Engineer AND Model Engineers' Workshop so that name is technically as correct as calling it the 'Model Engineer Forum'.

Neil
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