pkrankow Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Two days ago I took down a 228D Coleman lantern that I bought at a flea market. I dropped all the parts into a container of vinegar to strip the varnish that had built up since 1953(date of mfg stamped on font of this lantern) and today I reassembled the lantern with parts that looked almost new. The lantern operates like new now. My results were way better than lacquer thinner or carburetor cleaner. I came up with an effective container: a large plastic coffee can, filled with vinegar, using a string across the lip to vent and the lid snapped on tight. Good for parts up to about 6 inches long. I have a 5 gallon bucket ready to go, but have not needed that large of a container so I haven't added vinegar to it. So to date I use vinegar around the shop to remove zinc remove scale and rust remove varnish What other uses have you found? Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Etching pattern welded billets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 cleaning off sticky AcraGlass that got where it wasn't supposed to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 making heavy rust on steel cleaned with muriatic acid :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan W Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I'm now convinced that it would be a good idea to keep a container of viniger in the shop. What do ya'll think about using it to clean out an old gas tank on a generater? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Probably work wonders, and there is no argument about safety (unlike using thinner) with adding some rattle material. I like using BB's, but other people like small nuts and bolts. Just count what goes in so you know you got it all out. You can follow up with thinner or denatured alcohol to make sure all the water is out after. I would remove it from the motor so there is no risk of water moving into the motor. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Clad Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 So, vinegar works well to remove scale? How long does it take? This is very interesting! Soon I plan to build a tumbler for large stuff, but for small items vinegar sounds like it would work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted April 20, 2010 Author Share Posted April 20, 2010 So, vinegar works well to remove scale? How long does it take? This is very interesting! Soon I plan to build a tumbler for large stuff, but for small items vinegar sounds like it would work. I let sit for about 24 hours, then wash in ammonia and water to neutralize the vinegar, which is easier than baking soda, then wash with soap and water and a wire brush. A stiff nylon brush would likely be enough. I have left stuff in for as long as 7 days by accident, and there was obvious etching, but no real harm done. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 On scale removal, it helps to take the piece out every few hours and scrub with a bristle brush. Cleaning off the loose oxides helps the vinegar penetrate and work faster. I only recently learned that vinegar is great for uncured epoxy cleanup, and much safer than the usual solvents like acetone. I see BIGGUNDOCTOR beat me to that one. Citrus juices (probably also citrus cleaners) should work as well. The acidity is the key. Rusty vinegar will blacken woods that are high in tannins, like oak. It seems to be a fairly common technique on antique knives. You could do faux bog oak this way. If you're working with a lower tannin wood, you can add tannins by soaking the wood in really strong tea, walnut husks, etc. (Or you can just use tannic acid. It's readily available on the Internet.) More info here. That guy uses quebracho bark powder to make his tannin tea, but regular ol' store-bought tea also seems to work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted April 20, 2010 Author Share Posted April 20, 2010 On scale removal, it helps to take the piece out every few hours and scrub with a bristle brush. Cleaning off the loose oxides helps the vinegar penetrate and work faster. I admit a certain level of laziness Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 I admit a certain level of laziness Phil Well, I said it helps. I didn't say it's necessary, or that I routinely do it. But for the really motivated ones out there... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 Time required is a function of how much scale, how strong the vinegar and what temperature it's working at. Generally I toss it in the bucket and get it out the next day sometime and wash it with a wirebrush under the hose bib and spray it with WD40 before it's even dry. I left an old adze in it for a week once and you could clearly see where the body was made of wrought iron and they had welded a thin pad of steel to it to be the cutting edge---I lent it to a Mat Sci proff at the university here to show his classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat pete Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 vinigar is great...if you wanna remove mill scale or just regular scale from the forge it rocks... I keep a 5 gal pail and I put a plastic plant pot ( cheap ones from a green house) and I tie nylon cord to lift the "basket" out of the vinegar...i tried wire but it deteriorates...duh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Clad Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 Wow! This is great!! You all can probably guess what I'm going to buy tonight on my way home from work. All these years and I never knew about using vinegar. I learn something here every day. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Good point, Gerald, and good post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted April 21, 2010 Author Share Posted April 21, 2010 I've heard of the borax bloom, good to know there is a simple cure. I also like the vinegar over muriatic because of safety around children and pets, and the fact that iron doesn't rust around the sealed bottle either. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Gerald, about the accidental drinking thing....Recently my wife decided to clean out the kettle with vinegar and didn't think to tell me. So I get up the next morning and stagger into the kitchen, notice that there's plenty of water in the kettle and proceed to make tea with it. It was much more effective waking me up than regular tea as only one sip had me sitting bolt upright with bulging eyes. She found this amusing. (and yup I'm glad it wasn't HCl!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John NC Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 Drop a handful of copper scraps in a pint of vinegar and let it sit for a week or more, then use that solution to patinate steel. Wipe it on, let dry, then neutralize. It gives it a sort of gray/gold tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forgemaster Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Another use for vinegar while in the shop, putting it on ya fish and chips at lunch time. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted April 27, 2010 Author Share Posted April 27, 2010 Another use for vinegar while in the shop, putting it on ya fish and chips at lunch time. Phil Fresh only I hope, I prefer a nice malt vinegar instead of plain white vinegar. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Roy Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 What is the shelf life of vinegar in the shop? What amount of surface can you treat with a given amount of vinegar? I"ve only ever seen the 1/2 quart glass bottles at the grocery store. Is it available in industrial strength and quantities? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 Bigger grocery stores have plastic gallons. If the store has a canning section, check there too. In a closed bottle shelf life is indefinably, or at least years. I don't know how far it goes for cleaning scale. A quart will strip most of zinc off of 8 inches of 2 inch galvanized water pipe, about 75% in my sample of 1. Acetic acid 5% is store vinegar, "glacial" acetic acid is pure acetic acid. The focus of this thread is on the grocery store variety because it is common, available nearly anywhere, and rather safe in the shop and home for a number of reasons, especially when compared to muriatic acid (Hydrochloric acid). Gerald's post earlier has a lot of good detail in it. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 I also use it to wash up with after I am through working for the day. I just dip my hands in the baking soda solution and scrub the grime off with a brush, the rinse with vinegar and water. I use this for bathing and cleaning my hair too as soap play havoc on my skin most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 A place like Sam's Club will sell it by the box of two 1 gallon plastic bottles cheaply! Don't pay extra for fancy vinegar as for our use it's a commodity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 Anyone ever used this stuff? The wife brought some of this home for weed killing. 20% acid, contains aloe, whatever that means. She didn't think to get the MSDS for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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