Cleaning bath - standing rigging?

[billknny]

Originally Posted by stainless guy

Stainless pickling paste atox 71e is hydroflouric acid. Works very well

Use sparingly on buffed components as it will remove the shine

Wow....

As somebody who is rather familiar with chemistry and chemical hazards, recommending HF to the general public as a useful tool I consider highly irresponsible. No boat owner has the proper protective equipment on hand to handle that s--t.

That stuff is NASTY! Even in a professional laboratory we avoided using it unless there was absolutely NO alternative. What it can do to human skin is truly horrifying.

Don't even consider it!!!

If you are still thinking about it, google "hydroflouric acid skin contact" and look at the photos. Don't do it before lunch!

[boatpoker]

take a look at this photo album of salt corrosion.
Salt Corrosion

Be carefeul !

[ronstory]

The suggestion is for pickling paste, not full on HF acid. While I wouldn't want to use it as hand lotion , it's much more benign and manageable .

https://www.chemetall.com/Documents/...-eng_final.pdf

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by jhulmer

Sure Sound Like a Chemist!

With absolutely no insult intended towards Gordo (indeed, a compliment)...


... He paid attention in high school chemistry.




---




The one exception to vinegar + baking soda = dumb is kitchen drains. The generation of CO2, once the chemicals soak into the clog, physically breaks the clog apart, pushing from the inside out. This is nothing to do with the current topic.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by ronstory

The suggestion is for pickling paste, not full on HF acid. While I wouldn't want to use it as hand lotion , it's much more benign and manageable .

https://www.chemetall.com/Documents/...-eng_final.pdf

It probably does work well to remove rust from SS. It actually has more nitric acid than HF and would use heavy gloves, protective apron and eye protection (goggles) if using it. Not certain if it produces fumes when reacting w/rust (assume it would), but would use it in well ventilated areas and a respirator. I own these items to safely do the work, but would not recommend for the common person to use w/o the proper training.
Antox 71 E Plus safety data sheet



Bill O.

[jhulmer]

Originally Posted by ronstory

The suggestion is for pickling paste, not full on HF acid. While I wouldn't want to use it as hand lotion , it's much more benign and manageable .

https://www.chemetall.com/Documents/...-eng_final.pdf

I use pickling past all the time on stainless with HF in solution with other ingredients. It is worthy of, safety glasses, a carbon respirator in low ventilation areas, and gloves. But, I don't hesitate to use it because it works very well.



https://www.mcmaster.com/8554t11

[Knotical]

Reviving an old thread...

I read about how to clean wires, can someone please suggest how to clean turnbuckles?

They are not rusted/corroded, just dirty from crusted salty deposits. I was thinking of cleaning them with warm soapy water, am I wrong?

Also, should I use lanacote or tefgel on the threads before putting on the turnbuckles?

Thanks.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by navdi

Reviving an old thread...

I read about how to clean wires, can someone please suggest how to clean turnbuckles?

They are not rusted/corroded, just dirty from crusted salty deposits. I was thinking of cleaning them with warm soapy water, am I wrong?

Also, should I use lanacote or tefgel on the threads before putting on the turnbuckles?

Thanks.

Try the soapy water first. If not satisfied, try a mild acid as mentioned upthread. Oh... you don't say what material the rigging screws are made of. If bronze, perhaps some Brasso or equivalent would shine them up for you.

As for thread lube, neither lanolin nor Tef-gel are particularly good high pressure lubricants. I use a marine grease, designed for such applications... most of the big lube vendors have such in their catalogs.

Jim

[slug]

Originally Posted by andreas.mehlin

I have all my rigging down....any good suggestions how to give it a good clean from rust stain? Put it in a bath with some acid etc?

What you need to do is passivate the stainless

First degrease then acid treatment



Nitric acid is the common treatment

Critic acid can also be used

The trick is no grease or contaminated on the stainless or the acid can’t work

Brief description https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/h...ss-steel-parts

I have never done this on coils of standing rigging

Normally you clean the fittings and inspect

Ten years is about the working life of standing rigging

[thinwater]

Slug is the first one to nail it.

Citric acid has replaced nitric and chrome 6 as the passivizing agent of choice by ASTM (A 967) and the chemical industry. Spotless Stainless, Stellar Solutions, or brew up your own.


Other acids with remove the rust. Citric will do more to keep it away.



Heat helps (warm the bath).

None of which is to say that the rigging is not just too old.