I've been struggling with getting good scale removal with vinegar. I'm using a high carbon steel wire, tempering it with a slow heat and cool, bending it to my will and then re-hardening with a torch. The pieces (intricate sculptures) are small so I've been using a mixture of vinegar and salt in a mason jar on a cup warmer to pickle. Even when I leave them in the solution for an hour, the scale won't come off evenly. I recently purchased some Sparex #1 but was disappointed to see on the can that for high carbon steel, you have to use it with electrolysis, and I'm hesitant to use a dangerous chemical. After the vinegar bath, I rinse, then neutralize in baking soda, rinse again. Then I usually soak them in Liver of Silver to darken them because I like that patina better. Once patinated, I seal them with Renaissance Wax.
Are you using regular cooking vinegar or the stronger cleaning vinegar? Is your vinegar in a crock pot or other container? Do you always have to finish the scale removal by had with a wire brush? Some parts of my sculptures are too tight to get into.
Has anyone tried Sparex #1? Any other suggestions?
