[TheForge] Pickling problem

[James Binnion]

On Dec 5, 2007, at 8:20 PM, Bruce Freeman wrote:
>
>
> Well, something happened unexpected.  The "rust"
> turned into a thick, black layer, quite unsightly.
> "No problem", I thought - I'll just pickle it off.
> Well, a day or more in sodium bisulfate pickle (albeit
> of uncertain strength) hardly touched it.
>


Is the pickle hot?

This sounds like the same crud I get when torch brazing iron using  
Handy Flux which has other goodies in it besides borax, and it can be  
a bear to remove. Sand blasting will remove it but an extended (1 Hr)  
soak in hot (140F - 160F) pickle (citric acid) will remove it as well.  
Putting the piece in a container of pickle in the ultrasonic cleaner  
speeds up the process as well but that is not a standard blacksmith  
studio tool.


James Binnion
jbin at well.com