Best way to get coatings off steel?

[jimcroisdale]

I've just got my new welder (Clarke 151en from weldequip - works great and was packaged like you wouldn't believe, and I should know - I used to work for UPS and i've killed a box or two in my time....) and have been having my first attempts. The welding went well, from what I can tell. I feel that with practice and help from all on here i'm gonna be ok. Get him with the confidence....

What DID annoy me however, was that all the steel I've got to play with is painted or powder coated or somesuch. It quickly becomes apparent that you've got to remove this from BOTH SIDES of the steel (cough, cough, *gets headache*....) and this is a right pain. I've got a wire brush attachment for my drill but this takes too long and makes loads of mess.

Suggestions?

Cheers guys (and gals),

Jimbob

 

[oddball90]

angle grinder used carefully. Don

 

[shenion]

I use a die grinder with a 4" cutoff wheel. If you have a compressor, these are inexpensive.

I have used a wire brush/drill and found them to be ineffective.

I picked up some very stiff hand brushes. They work well.

If you have a Propane torch, heat the metal and the paint brushes right off.

 

[jimcroisdale]

Yeah, I suppose. What about inside the ends of tube or box section though?

 

[Alex]

I've found the wire brush drill to be quite good for rust, not sure about paint.

 

[jimcroisdale]

Yeah. The wire brush is great at removing anything textured like rust or flux or bubbled paint (or egg of frying pans....) - it seems to be able to get good purchase. But on smooth things like paint it kinda just polishes it up!

Im gonna have to buy some virgin steel! The place where I work has an account with Baco/Blackburns, so I might phone the lovely Shirley and ask he to chuck some odds and ends on the next delivery! Smooth, shiny, polished.... *drools&....

 

[Alex]

My local steel stock holder thinks its fine for the metal to have rust over it, they say 'Its the way we store it' and I say store it properly. Anyway I make sure I pick out the best of the bad bunch.

Glad you got some good stock holders where you are.

 

[Superbad]

I've got a wire brush attachment for my drill but this takes too long and makes loads of mess.

na,forget that Jimbob,angle grinder and one of these

works a treat

 

[jimcroisdale]

Aha! I looked at one of those originally when I got my angle grinder but they were £20 which put me off a bit. However, I think that may be a small price to pay.

 

[jimcroisdale]

My local steel stock holder thinks its fine for the metal to have rust over it, they say 'Its the way we store it' and I say store it properly. Anyway I make sure I pick out the best of the bad bunch.

Glad you got some good stock holders where you are.

Well, to be honest I don't really know if they're any good yet but I'm gonna find out soon. I want to build a kart out of square tube 20-25mm. What stuff do I need, and what should I ask for?

Once I know, I can take the plunge....

 

[boombang]

Those things are harsh as you like - will strip most things off metal in seconds.

Just when they start loosing wires it gets painful!

Got through two doing the rebuild on my car which hurt the wallet a fair bit.

Oh and biggest tip is to make sure you don't catch anything in them. I always wear a hoody when working on cars (hood so I don't rest my head in anything and handy front pocket for tools) but the toggle got caught. Thankfully it pulled straight out but on my other hoody I've take the cord out as precautionary measure.

BTW I only wear hoodies when work on cars...

EDIT - DEFINATELY wear good quality goggles, not safety glasses or anything that isn't properly certified. Also long sleeves, gloves and overalls are worthwhile. Guy I know had to have one of those metal wires removed from his eye and was very lucky not to lose that eye. One of the guy at work got a piece of metal in his eye from the other side of a room and has lost some sight.

 

[Superbad]

£20! that's alot,£13 from screwfix with p&p. £6.99 without.

 

[weldequip]

Less than that from me for the original, Italian ones, not those Chinese things from Screfix & Silverline - they're like ninja throwing stars with all those bristles flying off!!
weldequip

 

[Superbad]

Oh and biggest tip is to make sure you don't catch anything in them. I always wear a hoody when working on cars (hood so I don't rest my head in anything and handy front pocket for tools) but the toggle got caught. Thankfully it pulled straight out but on my other hoody I've take the cord out as precautionary measure.

bloody'ell! you're mad

Guy I know had to have one of those metal wires removed from his eye and was very lucky not to lose that eye.

Jesus! Heck that's a powerful tool,and to not wear eye protection is insane

One of the guy at work got a piece of metal in his eye from the other side of a room and has lost some sight.

That's a damn shame

 

[Drains]

Poisonally, I don't like the wire brushes much, they do a fine job of polishing rust, but don't get it back to the metal. (disagree if you want my dears, but they are great for cleaning back for painting, and that's all - even then, i'm not so sure...)

I've spent plenty of time picking pieces of wire out of my overalls. I don't like 'em!

But for cleaning back to fresh shiny steel without tearing it all away, i would heartily recommend a flap disc or a fibre disc with backing pad, both on an angle grinder.
They will remove plenty of stock if you are heavy handed, but a light touch leaves a nice shiny surface, ready to go.

Oh yeah. Ask weldequip for prices. He's the only seller via the internet who doesn't seem to be a thief! Some of the prices out there are astounding!

 

[jimcroisdale]

Weldequip, if you remember I asked you if you sold other tools and you said you just did welders! If i'd known you did bits for grinders I wouldn't have spent my money at B&Q. How much are your 115mm grinding and cutting discs, if you sell those?

 

[Cappy]

But for cleaning back to fresh shiny steel without tearing it all away, i would heartily recommend a flap disc or a fibre disc with backing pad, both on an angle grinder.

Second this, I used to use the grinding discs (lightly) but the flap discs are much much kinder.

 

[lexi]

Nothing beats the disc in the left of Simondrains pic. It`ll take off paint rust and even grind welds down. You`ll need a few. Garryson ones are good

Alex

 

[weldequip]

Member's Abrasives Bundle???

Weldequip, if you remember I asked you if you sold other tools and you said you just did welders! If i'd known you did bits for grinders I wouldn't have spent my money at B&Q.

Err... do you mean wasted your money at B&Q?!
Cheap Power Tools maybe but they really know how to top you up on the discs!
Trouble with Abrasives is the weight, so postage costs can kill the price mail order.
What do you guys think to me putting an 'Abrasives Bundle' together for you?? If it's a reasonable quantity I can 'absorb' the postage costs; say 10xFlap Discs, 10x Ultra Thin-Slitting Discs, 10xGrinding Discs, & a couple of Twist-Knot Wire Brush Discs, something like that?? Something you will all probably be using on an on-going basis. I only sell good quality gear & will guarantee better performance products than the likes of Screwfix & B&Q.
weldequip

 

[Superbad]

Less than that from me for the original, Italian ones, not those Chinese things from Screfix & Silverline - they're like ninja throwing stars with all those bristles flying off!!
weldequip

Poisonally, I don't like the wire brushes much...I've spent plenty of time picking pieces of wire out of my overalls. I don't like 'em!

I've never had such problem...I must have got lucky,and got a decent one
.

Is the disc on the left for angle grinders?