cleaning stainless steel

[Roger HartParticipant @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….

[Roger HartParticipant @rogerhart88496]

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

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

Nick

[Speedy Builder5Participant @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

[Frances IoMParticipant @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.

[MonomanParticipant @monoman]

Jenolite is NOT phosphoric but is Lactic acid.

[mark smith 20Participant @marksmith20]

If the object is small citric acid electrolysis works.

[martin perman 1Participant @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

[Michael GilliganParticipant @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.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hello Michael

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

Michael Welcome back

Roy

[egaParticipant @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?

[duncan webster 1Participant @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

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello Michael, welcome back.

Dias Costa

[Michael GilliganParticipant @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.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @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.

[Nick_GParticipant @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

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi MichaelG, glad to see you posting your valued knowledge and finding links no one else seems too again.

Regards Nick.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Ah, page 4 of Michael Gs link

ORTHOPHOSPHORIC ACID – That would be the Lactic Acid Monoman was talking about ??
BobH

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Martin P, are you referring to Garryflex blocks?

Martin C

[martin perman 1Participant @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

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Welcome back Michael G.

Mike

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Ditto, welcome back Michael G !

Martin

[Barnaby WildeParticipant @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.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @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]

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