[TheForge] Re: File Making

[Jerry Frost]

I JUST and I mean last night, read that phosphoric acid 
will leach the zinc out of brass leaving "pure" copper. 
This was for a really weak rust converting solution 
made up of molasses and water too. I imagine there may 
be enough phosphoric acid or phosphates maybe in the 
river to do what you describe.

Water, the real universal solvent.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.



From: "Andrew Vida" <osan at netlabs.net>



> Well, SOMETHING happens to metals in salt or brackish 
> waters.  When I was in Jersey City 3 years ago, I 
> used to go down to the Passaic River. I found a load 
> of bronze decking nails at the shoreline.  They 
> looked beautiful with a golden brown patina.  They 
> looked like they may have been manufactured in some 
> closed die process.  hen I attempted to bend one, it 
> fractured and appeared to possess zero elasticity.  I 
> was surprised to find the insides to be pure- or 
> near-pure copper with very large grain structure.  I 
> cannot for a moment imagine that this was how the 
> nails came off the line.  Therefore, chemical 
> activity must have altered the composition and 
> internal structure of these nails.
>
> -- 
>
> -Andy V.
>