Subject: Using HCl to degalvanize steel?

From: [email-masked] (Tsunami)
Date: 25 Apr 1996 01:38:38 GMT

My girlfriend is making a chainmail miniskirt out of galvanized steel 
wire, and I was thinking that when she was done, I could dip it in 
hydrochloric acid for a bit to remove the zinc from the surface of the steel, 
so it would be possible to apply a different finish (eg. bluing, 
nickel-plating, etc.)  Would this work, and would the HCl attack the steel or 
tin/lead solder used to close the links?  Thanks in advance for any help.

Tsunami

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From: [email-masked] (J. Kimberlin)
Date: 25 Apr 1996 16:15:11 -0700

>tin/lead solder used to close the links?  Thanks in advance for any help.

HCL will do all of the above, remove the zinc, etch the steel, attack the 
tin.  You may find that the zinc goes away before the solder.  The 
etching of the steel is much slower.  You won't be able to blue the 
solder.  It is possible that the solder will not survive a nickel plating 
bath unless you use electroless nickel (and I'm not sure about that).

JerryK

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From: [email-masked] (CBear81438)
Date: 25 Apr 1996 15:00:31 -0400

A chainmail Miniskirt?!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that's a woman to be reckoned with!!!!!!!!!!<VBG>>

Cecil

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From: [email-masked] (Tsunami)
Date: 26 Apr 1996 15:46:52 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>bath unless you use electroless nickel (and I'm not sure about that).

	I guess you're right that I can't blue the solder (who knows why that 
didn't occur to me), but none of the links are soldered yet, so I thought 
maybe I could silver-solder them, or maybe nickel-plate first then solder, or 
even not bother soldering them at all.  Thanks for the advice.

Tsunami

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From: [email-masked] (JCarducci)
Date: 27 Apr 1996 01:53:01 -0400

I didn't seem to notice if you are going to dip the whole piece or small
portions
at one time. Either way don't smoke while you're doing it. You will be
generating enough Hydrogen gas for quite a party! I'd also suggest 
neutralizing the work in a slightly alkaline bath afterwards then rinsing 
thoroughly. If you can rinse it in a final bath of methanol, which will 
displace most of the water, you could dry it quickly anf minimize rust.
And it will rust most quickly after the iron surface is etched.

jc