Old poster re-appears....

Congratulations on your work, it all looks good, and not a thin slot screw in sight

Problem 1 I cannot help you with though I would at least try a soak in todays equivalent of "Trike"

Problem 2 I thought that "Rustins" Clear Metal Laquer was still available. I have 1/2 a bottle if you cannot find it. I am in Cheltenham.

Going to the show tomorrow.

Richard

Richard,

In article , Richard Edwards writes >On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:24:28 +0100, Bob Unitt > wrote: >>I have two problems :- >>

Can't abide them, they engender nothing but discord. :-)

I don't know what constitutes the modern equivalent of "Trike". My initial encounter with Triclorethylene was at my first job as a pale and callow youth in the 60's. The factory I worked in had a big hot-tank of trike accessed from a set of wooden steps (no hand-rail). Nobody had bothered to tell me that breathing trike fumes through a burning cigarette was a bad idea (phosgene ?) - fortunately, when I passed out, I fell backwards off the steps rather than forward into the tank...

My wife has subsequently suggested Coca-Cola or HP Brown Sauce - I'll report back in due course.

I don't know how I managed to miss this when I google'd - must have got the search-terms wrong. It would appear to be readily available from any number of mail-order places, but I'll try the local hardware shops first.

It's advertised as being suitable for copper, brass, stainless steel etc., do you happen to know if it works on mild steel as well ?

Thank you for your kind offer, but it looks as if I'll be able to get it fairly easily.

I'm not very far away - Hereford.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

You could try 'brake cleaner' or 'carb cleaner' from a motor factors.

Tim

ordinary brake fluid will dissolve some surprising things .. or maybe try cellulose thinners, or xylene (all available on eBay)

-- Peter Fairbrother

....especially large areas of paintwork on the body and bonnet of a brand new car......if some prat leaves the reservoir cap off - DAMHIK. :(

In article , Chris Edwards writes

Oops...

Reporting back after a few simple experiments...

I tried Coca-Cola, table salt dissolved in distilled vinegar and HP sauce.

The Coca-Cola did nothing.

The salt dissolved in vinegar slowly attacked the brown discolouration so it could then be removed by wiping gently with a paper towel.

The brown sauce behaved similarly, but to a lesser degree.

Adding a little brown sauce to the salt-and-vinegar mix seemed to speed things up. This mixture also cleaned up brass components without visible damage.

Problem solved, and the solution(*) is even organic !

(* - deliberate pun)

Hi Bob,

Yes, I remember you. You've been here more recently than 5 years ago, because I didn't come to the group back then. Anyway, welcome back!

You very kindly offered to help me make a left-handed BA screw for an air raid siren I was restoring. I'm afraid that, like you, I haven't made a lot of progress with projects recently. I couldn't find a company that would make a replacement rotor for the siren at a good price, so the project has stalled for the moment. However, hopefully it will be resumed when I have more cash.

I would try white spirit, and if that doesn't work try paint stripper. I don't believe either will harm the metal.

Best wishes,

Chris

In article , Christopher Tidy writes

Thanks.

I remember now - do you still need the left-hand screw ?

A mixture of salt and vinegar worked in the end - but I now have a rather smelly workshop...

Be careful with paint stripper and brass. If it's the 'Nitromorse' (methylene chloride?) type it will probably discolour the surface by whipping the zinc out and leaving it noticably copper coloured. It's not 'mechanical damage' s it's only a couple of microns deep, but you will see the colour change. DAHIKT

Rgds Richard

It's not the methylene chloride that damages brass, it's the caustic soda (sodium hydroxide).

Cliff Coggin.

I haddn't realised there was causic soda in Nitromorse, makes more sense now.

Cheers Richard

There isn't.

There are now two types of Nitromors, Superstrip and Surestrip -- and neither contains caustic soda. The formula(e) for Nitromors has changed many times over the years, but I don't think it has ever contained caustic soda.

Caustic soda is of course a superior paint remover, far better than Nitromors if the base material is compatible :)

A formula I once developed for stripping wooden furniture:

mix, add water with stirring, to medium paint consistency.

Paint furniture with mixture, wrap in wet newspaper, cover with clingfilm. wait 2 hours - then remove everything, including old paint.

Wear rubber gloves, apron, eye protection, and so on - caustic soda is .. well, caustic. It'll burn holes in you if you let it.

-- Peter Fairbrother

There isn't.

There are now two types of Nitromors, Superstrip and Surestrip -- and neither contains caustic soda. The formula(e) for Nitromors has changed many times over the years, but I don't think it has ever contained caustic soda.

Caustic soda is of course a superior paint remover, far better than Nitromors if the base material is compatible :)

A formula I once developed for stripping wooden furniture:

mix, add water with stirring, to medium paint consistency.

Paint furniture with mixture, wrap in wet newspaper, cover with clingfilm. wait 2 hours - then remove everything, including old paint.

Rinse, or preferably hose down with water.

The wood may have turned a grey/black colour, but it will regain it's natural colour in about three days if left in air and roomlight.

Wear rubber gloves, apron, eye protection, and so on - caustic soda is ... well, caustic. It'll burn holes in you if you let it.

-- Peter Fairbrother

Those apostrophes are gone for ever though. If only we could collect the redundant ones and cash them in for air miles or summat.

As a boy, many many years ago, I decided to remove heavy smoke blackening from camping equipment which had been used for cooking over an open fire. I bought caustic soda crystals from the local hardware store and made up a solution which I had in a large old metal bath perched on a table. At some stage I dropped a pot and as I straightened from picking it up, my shoulder caught the table and brought the whole lot over me.

I was the only one at home at the time and it was fifty yards from the old air raid shelter, my shed, to the kitchen and a water supply. In the short time it took to get there, the skin on one of my palms became detached as I tried to turn the door handle. I stripped off all my clothes and leapt straight into a bath, which probably saved a nasty fright from turning into a major accident. Even so, sixty years later, I still have a line of scars around an ankle where a few undissolved crystals had lodged in the top of a sock.

I endorse all Peter says! :}

"It's", as the possesive of "it", is not incorrect.

The Guardian style guide thinks so:

its possessive form of it: the dog is eating its bone

BugBear

I've got a nice round scar on my leg from playing with potassium chlorate and concentrated nitric acid. Not very much at all, but far too far away from water...

I think it used to be called education. I suspect that it was far more efficient than the class wearing goggles and lab coats in order to watch a video.

Mark Rand RTFM