Removing Scale

[Ron Hicks]

Ive been having trouble removing scale when Ive finshed forging.
I get it hot enough to wire brush it off & seems it forms back about as fast.

Im not really wanting to get iron wraped around my head by a power wire brush.

Thank You
Ron

[easilyconfused]

I've been having problems with that too, but it only seems to be the old rusty recycled metal. I don't notice it when I use new stuff.

[Nick]

You could secure it in a vise and use a wire cup brush on an angle grinder. Then you wouldn't have to worry about it getting ripped out of your hands.

[bruce wilcock]

try wire brushing then wash it in the sleck tub give it a good rub over with your hands ,then back over the fire and get it to just a black heat,and brush again with a smoother brush ,when i used to compete at shoing competitions thats the way i got a deep wire brush finnish more like a blueing , you have got to put some real effort into the brush and polish the job ,then let it cool ,

[irnsrgn]

I would like to remove the scale in my doctors office, it lies everytime I get on it.

[Ten Hammers]

Junior, my advice for that is quite simple. Have a gross and a tare weight. This will require you to take your overalls off in front of Nurse Ratchet but thats ok too. Weigh your overalls ( pliers and everything in your pockets too inc. boots ) and then weigh yourself. You now have ammunition to combat their thinking you have gained weight AND you can just tell them your issue is a gross weight problem. Tare weight is fine As far as scale removal goes ( from forgings ) Bruce covered it. You might also just continue brushing HARD on the item while the scale is still building and continue to brush ( this is a good hand brush ).

[HWooldridge]

I let the piece cool and then sandblast it. Surefire way to remove scale...

[Nolano]

Wirebrushing usually works pretty well for me. If you can, find one of those big bristle butchers wire brushes, those really take the scale off. Also, when hot wirebrushing, try dipping the wires in water. It works better for me.

[mcraigl]

Ron,
Two things I'd add. Gotta brush like heck, and keep brushing til the piece is below a scaling heat. If you need it cleaner than that, pickle it. I use white vinegar because I got little kids around and I don't worry so much about them spilling it or getting hurt. I know there's other faster acids out there, but good old white vinegar works good for me and it's cheap. You can usually get the no-name brand at the super market for a buck and a half a gallon. Then when it's picked for a day or so I use a stainless steel soft bristled brush on it, then neutralize in a baking soda wash, then rinse with clean water.

[dennis_hl]

I've used borax in the slack tub for larger pieces. How much to add, couldn't tell ya. Keep adding til it works? I heat the iron to a hot red heat and quench. The scale pops right off, of course don't do this with high carbon steel. However, I preffer vinegar as most of my work that needs de-scaling is small enough to fit in a 5 quart icecream pail.

[evfreek]

Hi Ron. In my understanding, brushing with a wire brush while hot is only useful for removing huge buildups of flaky scale so as not to let it get pounded into the work or allowed to abrade the surface of a precious anvil. My striking partner adds that brushing scale off thin flat pieces is like removing an insulating layer and quickens reheats.

For the purpose of finishing a piece, a hand wire brush is not really aggressive enough. It is hard to beat a power wire brush, but there are ways to make them safer. There is a great article by Peter Fels in a California Blacksmith magazine about power wire brush safety. He is a super friendly guy and is fun to talk to. His website may be reached through the California Blacksmith Association website.

I have heard (and found) that power wire brushes do not really produce as good a finish for painting like pickling, sandblasting or vibratory tumbling. I seldom use a power wire brush, and have had one, fortunately minor, accident. It was due to stupidity, and it is pretty avoidable. I took a high school metalshop class, and although the power wire brush is scary, other tools are responsible for the lion's share of the accidents.