ausfire Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I put together this sculpture of two long-beaked waterbirds just to show that a sculpture can be as simple or as complex as you like. The recipe: One pair of rubbish slip joint pliers ... separated. Two telstra galvanised line hooks ... acid dipped. Four short lengths recycled 6mm rod. One old bike sprocket. P.S. They do stand straight - a bit distorted by camera angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McCoy Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Nicely done ... did I miss the height? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 acid dip for de-rusting ? or for patina -- what kind do you use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Sweet birds, love the simplicity of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 1 hour ago, IronWolf said: acid dip for de-rusting ? or for patina -- what kind do you use I'd say acid dip to remove the galvanizing on the hooks. Ausfire, they look great in their simplicity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 Yes, the acid dip was to remove the galvanising. Zinc + weld = bad headache. Used straight HCl. You have to be quick with the sealant though - after acid treatment the steel rusts before your eyes. Tim, the height is about 400mm. Those hooks are about 100mm - used by Ergon energy to hang glass insulators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Ausfire, straight HCl is pretty strong. Try plain vinegar, it'll remove the zinc just as well, but not as aggressively. Quickly rinse well with water, then a solution of baking soda in water to neutralize the acid, rinse again with water, dry quickly. Use whatever finish you like. The vinegar approach doesn't seem to attack the base metal as badly after the zinc coating is gone, and the rust doesn't seem to form as aggressively either. I used to use a lot of HCl, but now I just use vinegar. May take a little longer, but is easier and safer to use. "Patience, grasshopper...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 11, 2016 Author Share Posted January 11, 2016 Yes, patience is a virtue! I usually find myself half way through a sculpture and the piece I want to use next is galvanised and I want it now! maybe I should plan ahead and have some likely pieces soaking in the vinegar. The fumes off the bubbling HCl are a bit hard on the sinuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Yeah but it clears them right out. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pscampsr Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Very nice piece. I use a white vinegar and water solution to soak rusted / mill scaled parts in to clean them up. Works well and no hazardous materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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