remove discoloration from stainless after welding

Jan 05, 2004 6 Replies

Here's the project:

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How do I remove the discoloration from welding without damaging the scratches that are in there?



thanks, chris


I use Citrisurf. A citric acid based pickling solution applied with electricity.

It works very well and is much gentler than Nitric/Hydroflouric Acid based pickles.

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Just how is it applied? Bath or brush? Work + or -? TIA.

Ted

Have you tried just a plain scotch brite pad you can use with a small grinder? We power brush our welds in food processing with these.

-- "Pay peanuts.....expect monkeys."

That's splendid. I previously went to praxiar and was unable to purchase the nitric acid in small quantities because of the hazardous shipping problems.

--chris

Kind of a brush.

I use a 7 inch piece of copepr tube with acrylic tube covering the last

5 inches as a handle. The exposed end is hammered flat and a 1/2" x 4" strip of scotchbrite pad is wrapped around the end and held in place with a plastic ziptie.

I replace the scotchbrite pads every few minutes as they wear out.

My power supply is a 36 volt DC machine made for electro-etching. It puts out about 4-5 amps max.

It works great.

There is a really fancy unit sold by Walter Abrasives of Canada that actually pumps the citric acid electrolyte out to a scotchbrite covered wand. It is aclled Surfox.

Do a google search for "Walter" and "Surfox".

You are always so informative. Now I know that when I'll start to work with stainless, I'll just can use my lab power supply to clean the welds. Thank you.

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