cleaning welds in stainless steel

[dannyweld]

You posted the same time as I was writing

hi, i checked out your work, very nice, i like it, i do a bit of airbrushing etc myself, below is an example.
yes, the pickle will seriously erode the mild steel. on bright mild the result is streaky and ugly, but on hot rolled the result is uniform and could easily used to artistic merit,
you say you want to blue some steel..

 

[Shox Dr]

I work with SS all day long. It all depends on the grade of SS.

your questions.

grinding is fine use, just dont use one that has been used on ferrous metal before hand.

Dont grind/cut/weld etc etc ferrous metals where the sparks may come in to contact with the SS.

Flap wheels are fine (see above)

"only use dedicated stainless steel wire brushes"

Good idea, (same goes for Aluminium)


'You have to remove the oxide layer of the welds as this leads to rust streaks.

Only applies if you have used a ferrous type rod.


As for Paste, it's good but don't get it on you, it burns like mad.



One more thing, if you put too much heat in to the metal you can change it's properties, causing it to rust

 

[Bullyterrier]

No I want to remove the colouring. I usually use a flap disc to clean up after a weld, but I was wandering if pickling paste would work. A few days ago I made some roses and I was going to clear coat them and leave them shiny. But I have to clean the welds where I welded the leaves to the stalk etc. I might end up heating them up and plunging into old oil to blacken them, which case it wouldn't matter. Sometimes I actully rust stuff by placing in salt water for a day, so perhaps the pickling could come in handy there.

 

[dannyweld]

No I want to remove the colouring. I usually use a flap disc to clean up after a weld, but I was wandering if pickling paste would work. A few days ago I made some roses and I was going to clear coat them and leave them shiny. But I have to clean the welds where I welded the leaves to the stalk etc. I might end up heating them up and plunging into old oil to blacken them, which case it wouldn't matter. Sometimes I actully rust stuff by placing in salt water for a day, so perhaps the pickling could come in handy there.

yeah, i have coloured steel in oil, looks nice. do you use bright mild or black (hot rolled). if its bright and you want to get the area you have just welded shiny again you could try wire brushes. i always have a few close, a couple of hand brushes and a couple fitted to drills and grinders. a brush fitted to a bench grinder is great, a stainless brush is great for cleaning up stainless welds, but be careful, watch your fingers.

 

[chunkolini]

Ahem, I wasted a load of pickling paste trying to derust a mild steel harow plate.

Chunko'.

 

[Bullyterrier]

Danny,
I use mainly 0.8 mm bright mild steel, problem wire brushing it leaves scratch marks.

 

[dannyweld]

hi, how about brass brushes, if you could visit somebody that sells brass maybe they could help. i dont think you can get hot rolled sheet that light, which maybe would work cause the surface is scaley and hard. i have used flap brushes myself, the scratches from the belt sander collect dust which sits under the powder coating. watch this chunko, even with clear. the flap route is far from perfect though, it takes time and good flaps are expensive.

 

[hotrodder]

If you brush the weld with your stainless brush while it's still hot the heat tint is removed FAR more quickly/easily than once it's cooled down- none to very little effort for the usual golds and blues, takes a little longer if the welds are a burnt dull grey though

Pickling pastes... there's a few different flavours around but you really need to be careful with it. Many contain hydrofluoric acid!!