Subject: Pickling

From: Ron Brown <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 08:59:22 -0400

I've checked the FAQ's and didn't find any references to 
pickling solutions for silver soldered parts. I'm soldering
some tiny brass and copper parts, which would get lost in
a gallon of solution. I'm not keen on having strong acid
solutions around my machine tools, either. Does anyone know 
of a safer, more environmentally safe pickling solution? A
Canadian friend told me that he's heard of a citrus pickling
solution used up there, but he doesn't have any details.
Can anyone help on this?

Ron Brown
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Kurt Rieder)
Date: 27 Sep 1996 03:09:05 GMT

Ron Brown ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I've checked the FAQ's and didn't find any references to 
: pickling solutions for silver soldered parts. I'm soldering
: some tiny brass and copper parts, which would get lost in
: a gallon of solution. I'm not keen on having strong acid
: solutions around my machine tools, either. Does anyone know 
: of a safer, more environmentally safe pickling solution? A
: Canadian friend told me that he's heard of a citrus pickling
: solution used up there, but he doesn't have any details.
: Can anyone help on this?

Years ago, the US Army studied the weakening if brass cartridge 
cases due to zinc depletion during pickeling (used for cleaning
practice range ammo cases) and concluded that only citric acid 
solution would hencforth be allowed for pickling.  About a Tbls.
citric acid crystals in a pint of water works very well on 70/30 
brass.

---

From: [email-masked] (Steve Rayner)
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 11:28:28 GMT

I switched over to pickling vinager, some time ago.  It works just as 
well as sulphuric acid.  You could also use citric acid from your local 
homebrew store.  Citric acid goes bad in about 3 months though.  My 
present pickle bath uses an restaurant ice cream tub with lid ( Free ), 
and the vinegar has been in use for 2 years.  Vinegar does a superior job 
of descaling steel too.

In a previous article, [email-masked] (Ron Brown) says:

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>From: Ron Brown <[email-masked]>
>Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
>Subject: Pickling
>Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 08:59:22 -0400
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-- 
Steve. 

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