La gib Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hi guys. How do you clean your work once you have finished forging. I use a wire wheel on a grinder but it does not get into the nooks and cranies. I don't usually use a wire brush when the work comes out of the gas forge. Should I, would that help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Yeah, use a wire brush. Also, soak your item in vinegar for awhile and it will loosen up the scale. There was another thread on this same topic, just not too long ago. Do a forum search and you should be able to find that info. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 tumble most of it... wire wheel is kinda dangerous to use (i consider it the most dangerous thing in the shop) as tou can fling things with um and the handheld wire cups can eat you!(dont ask how i know)..the tumbler is a required tool if your doing a lot of items and even if your not they are handy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Vinegar and a handheld wire brush should do it. 24 hours in vinegar with 2 or 3 brushings and then wash in a water and ammonia solution. Dry aggressively with a heat gun or torch and oil or finish. I also like those stiff bristled plastic stripper brushes, they may be even better than wire brushes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm going to be building a tumbler from an old med. size propane tank. Otherwise I use wire wheel and a torch to clean where the wheel can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenbeast Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 does the torch 'pop' off the scale? i've only this evening given the vinegar a try, even after 30mins using the wire cup brush was much easier. I've left some stuff in over night to try tomorrow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
son_of_bluegrass Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I've found that a soak in vinegar (overnight or longer) loosens the scale enough it can be blown off with my compressor. I try to avoid wire wheels. I do occasionally use a nylon (I think) bristled wheel I found at a jewelry supply place. ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm not sure what horrible things have caused such caution with the wire wheels, I use mine every day, buffer mounted and grinder cup versions ( I do prefer the twisted cups for the grinder ) I can touch and brush against mine without gloves and it hardly does anything to my skin, I would fear a belt sander more than any wheel. Also the finish you get from taking a piece to the wheel hot can be very nice and scale wont stand for more than a second. Even for getting into hard to reach places I use them: Edit: I do keep my safety glasses on from the walk over from the anvil though I have only ever been hit in the legs with random slag~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm not sure what horrible things have caused such caution with the wire wheels, I use mine every day, buffer mounted and grinder cup versions ( I do prefer the twisted cups for the grinder ) I can touch and brush against mine without gloves and it hardly does anything to my skin, I would fear a belt sander more than any wheel. Also the finish you get from taking a piece to the wheel hot can be very nice and scale wont stand for more than a second. Even for getting into hard to reach places I use them: Edit: I do keep my safety glasses on from the walk over from the anvil though I have only ever been hit in the legs with random slag~ Ive had the hand held snag my shirt and tor it up (and a bit of me with it) belt sander only gets your fingertips... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drq Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I've got an old cement mixer I got off a friend sitting outside my shop under an eve. I just throw the parts in with a bit of gravel, soapy water and whatever and leave it run for a while. Parts come out clean and de burred. Its a pretty nice option if your doing lots of little parts. I ran a plasma table for a while and it worked great for small plasma cut parts too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I like pickled and oil. I pickle in vinegar for overnight or longer, then a quick bath in dilute ammonia and on to dish soap with a nylon brush. The ammonia may be unnecessary with the dish soap, but the nylon hand brush does a good job if teh pickle was successful. Wire wheels...if they grab the part it can be painful on many levels. Make sure of how you are holding the part, never have fingers trapped, if the part can snag make sure your body is clear, wear PPE, (face shield recommended) if you wear an apron make sure it is tied back proper, if you wear gloves make sure they are well fitted and not loose (bare handed is safer than loose gloves) They have their place and are highly effective. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La gib Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 The wire wheel on the grinder makes me a nervous wreck; I’m usually waiting for something painful to happen. On one occasion a piece of work just disappeared from my hands it’s a good job it went away from me as it was so quick. I’m glad it didn’t hit me So today I will acquire a large amount of white vinegar. I have a large plastic food container with a lid that should fit most of my work as it is quite small It just happens that I have an old cement mixer from when our house extension was built. I will dig it out later and give it a try. I will use gravel as a medium in the mixer for a while to see how that works. I will get some photos of my shop later and let you all see where I work. Cheers Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Maybe its because I'm a farrier and I have to use wheels to buff my hoof knives every day and I learned how to use them a bit more than most. Also I use a 30$ harbor freight buffer and if I apply too much pressure... it stops lol I still get proper rpm but if something snags mostly the buffer just slows or stops I dont think I've shot a knife into the floor in about two years lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Using a coarse wire cup wheel on an air angle grinder is one of my methods, hot and cold. Clamp the work on the table or in a vise and go to town...If you get into trouble with a small air grinder It's far more forgiving than an electric... The hot method gives a fine finish and makes ground welds disappear.....Loose clothing can kill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal L Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I use and old Makita two speed sander/buffer with a wire cup. Put is on the slower buffing speed...not near as scary as an angle grinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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