aaronbear Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Hi everyone just wondering if you have any ideas on tools and stuff for cleaning the hard to get at area's on your piece after you have finished forging, the wire wheel on your bench grinder does most of the job very well but what about the nooks and crannys it cannot reach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagedude Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 You need a sand-blasting cabinet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Marine Tooth Brush. aka small wire brush. Or even better, chuck it in the blast cabinet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nett Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 An acid pickle bath works well, and is a cheap alternative compared to a bead blaster cabinet. Stainless steel toothbrushes are handy, in fact they are indispensable. Keep an eye out for the stiff wire brushes, the soft ones won't even clean the foul mouth of a Jarhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aspery Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I like to pickle my work in a very weak acid bath. I don't wire wheel or shot blast. I use white vinegar from the supermarket for the acid - I think it comes in at 5% acid - so fairly weak. A couple of days in there and it's as if it had been polished down to base metal. I have no problem leaving small or delicate bits in this bath because it is so weak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakwoodironworks Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Mark, What do you do to your metal after you remove it from the vinegar bath. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blafen Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I would think a bath in water with baking soda to neutralize the acid then dry and oil the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hammer Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Use a tumbler with small media... I actually use nails for media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogvalley Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Rinse in water, or for large pieces with lots of nooks and crannies, I pressure wash then dry as quickly as possible. If left to air dry slowly there is a slight surface rust that shows up. After the pickle bath and rinse/dry, I usually brush with wire on a wheel or by hand to polish a bit. I have a blast cabinet, but rarely use it. Tumbler or pickle or just plain wire brush are my first choices. Of course, who said you gotta clean all the nooks and crannies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aspery Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Mark, What do you do to your metal after you remove it from the vinegar bath. Mike I generally just wipe of the vinegar with a rag and give it a rinse with a baking soda/water mix -if I think it needs it. As stated, I'm very careful not to let the piece air dry in anything other than a California summers day. I wipe/spray the piece with alcohol if I use the baking soda/water mix (as an evaporative) and that seems to cure the instant rust issue. All scale is gone and you are down to a silvery-gray base metal which may need to be heated to get it a little darker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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