Question for 'Black Country Folk'?

No problems this side of the channel. My local supermarket sells 30% hydrochloric acid for just over a euro a litre.

Russell (from France)

Do you mean the mill scale on 'black' bar? Dilute hydrochloric acid will do that, among other things. Probably salt solution in vinegar if you've got enough time.

Or maybe the black varnish on some 'black iron' pipe?

Cheers Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Coke works pretty well too.

Regards, Tony

Which type do you mean Pepsi or Coca Cola ;-)? I am trying to remove the mill scale and I have heard about Coke being used to clean engines but not about cleaning steel. I can remember the factory tea, if it was spilt on to the floor, it would leave a clean patch. Every day you learn something new.

It's a bloody expensive way of buying phosphoric acid though...

Mark Rand RTFM

Don't recall being able to buy the unadulterated variety in Tesco's though ;-)

Regards. Tony

It is dilute phosphoric acid plus several hundred spoonfulls of sugar and assorted other crap - the phosphoric seems to do a nice job of cleaning up steel. Found a pair of needlenose pliers on a beach a couple of years back that had a heavy layer of rust - an overnight soaking cleaned them up a treat.

Regards, Tony

On or around Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:00:45 +0000, Mark Rand enlightened us thusly:

not if you buy cheapo own-brand diet cola.

's quite good for cleaning the bog, too.

Would that be by direct or indirect application ??????

AWEM

Minimum order £50, but there's lots of other fun things on the site :-)

Mark Rand (Usual disclaimers) RTFM

What a weird site! First it tells you that there will be a 10-14 day delay in supply so that they can work out what you plan to do with the chemicals, and somewhere else it promises next day delivery. But in case you can't think of any legit uses for the potassium nitrate, etc. there's a list of suggestions as to how you can use their chemicals...

To think that back in the 1950s, I could get the bus to Flatters & Garnett opp Manchester University, and buy more or less anything my pocket money could pay for, even signing the poisons book occasionally.

Take a U-tube, pour in water to a depth of about 2 cm. Now very gently add

0.88 ammonia down one of the limbs - ~1cm worth. Even more cautiously, add conc. sulphuric acid down the other. Now try pouring the concoction away - safety glasses, gloves etc. are recommended.

I guess an order for Pot. Nitrate and flowers of Sulphur might be a biot too obvious

Regards, Tony

On or around Mon, 4 Dec 2006 22:39:59 -0000, "Andrew Mawson" enlightened us thusly:

direct, I'd not actually drink the stuff.

Generally speaking, the cleaners which are suitable for removing limestone scale etc in toilets and bathrooms contain both phosphoric and hydrochloric acids. And this is precisely what is wanted in cheap supply. Again, firms like B&Q flog stuff for cleaning crap from limestone, cement, brick and whatever.

If you really get desperate, bung the lot in brown sauce or tip your dud battery acid into a plastic container.

They all work!

You can also remove redundant mothers in law with caustic soda. Chopping them up into useable bits is the difficult part. The ideal Christmas present for desperate fathers in law?

Norm

On or around 5 Dec 2006 08:39:47 -0800, "ravensworth2674" enlightened us thusly:

I know someone who buys cheap generic cola to clean the bog 'cos it's cheaper than toilet cleaner.

Is that what they are calling Vin Ordinaire these days??

Regards, Tony

Thanks for all the information. I'll now stick 'em down the loo (we don't use 'bog' down south) and have a Hot Curry. Should come out like silver.

John Ambler Sussex, UK Return E-mails to snipped-for-privacy@skiprat.net