Not logged inAmerican Welding Society Forum
Forum AWS Website Help Search Login
Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / Cleaning stainless steel
- - By Harman (*) Date 08-14-2015 19:39
I want to clean black marks left on stainless steel after spot welding without changing the finish of the product. I guess we cant use abrasives as it would change the finish.

Any other recommendations?
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 08-14-2015 20:38
Hello Harman, I believe that you can utilize a chemical/electrical cleaning system. Can't remember the manufacturer, however, it utilizes an electrical box of some sort and a ground clip and a holder that has a sponge attached to it that you dip into a chemical solution and then wipe it over the spots that you are speaking of. I am sure others can provide a specific manufacturer and name for this process, sorry I can't remember it right now. Good luck and best regards, Allan
Parent - By Milton Gravitt (***) Date 08-14-2015 23:10
Harman if you go to Search at the top of this page and put your question in you fine what you need. Allan is dead on and I have seen it done a lot but don't know nothing about it.

    M.G.
Parent - - By PlasmaHead2 (***) Date 08-15-2015 01:57
Electro-chemical cleaning, or something along those lines.
We have a surfox unit at work, uses a phosphoric acid mixture and a (reletivly) low level current with a pad covered tungsten electrode. Both pad and tungsten wear out after a while, pads first. It's supposed to be able to polish and etch logos and such but we just use it to remove oxide's.
I have also seen a "tigbrush" or something along those lines in person before. It used carbon fiber bristles and a similar amount of current and another phosphoric acid mixture. It worked a Lot faster but produced a slightly nasty smoke... wouldn't want to deal with that for any length of time without some forced air ventilation.
Either unit will take the color away if thats all you're after.
Parent - By Stringer (***) Date 08-17-2015 02:57
Yes, that's right. Walter Surfox. Expensive as a new welder and that's kind of what it is. DC current angers the acid. A product called "Derustit" is an agressive acid sold in plastic gallon jugs will work over time, but often just cleans the weld and not HAZ. Any welding machine turned down very low can effect the same result as the Surfox (stick an acid soaked sponge in a rod holder) but is somewhat unwieldy. None of these methods are friendly to humans.
Parent - By MRWeldSoCal (***) Date 08-21-2015 15:45
would pickle paste work?
Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / Cleaning stainless steel

Powered by mwForum 2.29.2 © 1999-2013 Markus Wichitill