Are there any acid dipping places left?

[Zeke]

My restorations have brought me some antique wrought iron furniture pieces. This is designer stuff and I'm thinking sandblasting is too rough, soda might not get the rust and scale w/o a lot of time in the booth ($$$) so I remember acid dipping cast iron engine blocks and just about anything else up to a full size car (not something I'd do to a car). In and out 20 minutes, neutralized and phosphate coated if you wanted.

The place I use to go to in Santa Ana is long gone.

Longest piece is a low table 6 feet long, 18" wide. And really intricate but stout. I did the weld repairs and now it needs to be refinished. The thing is, this would be ruined if someone powder coated it. No value at all in doing something like that.

This is not that close but a good idea of what I am dealing with.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Why not get some muriatic acid at your local hardware store and dip it yourself Milt? It's too bag you can't ship that, I would Cerakote it for you with a plating level thickness.

[Tobra]

Then he has a bunch of muriatic acid to dispose of though.

[gtc]

I would think a plating shop would have an electrolysis tank big enough to strip it for you.
I've seen people make their own electrolysis setup with a bucket or barrel, not sure what you would use for a whole table though.

[Tobra]

Yeah, anyplace that does chrome would have a tank, I would think.

Can you neutralize muriatic acid and dump it? Probably not in California.

[cabmandone]

I think I'd talk to a blasting shop. They'll know what media to use to get it where you want it to be.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Then he has a bunch of muriatic acid to dispose of though.

baking soda. neutralize. down the drain.

better, get a funnel, pour it back into original containers, put in garage to save for next project.

[look 171]

Will those dip and strip paint places work ? There's one in LA near didger stadium and the one I use are in Azusa.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I wouldn't take it anywhere personally, "shops" of all kinds, even good ones, are famous for ruining things.

If the base metal is magnetic, you might be OK taking it to a shop, but no one cares about your cool, unique antique more than you.

When I get any kind of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati stuff in for plating, it's tested with 5% HCl solution holding onto it with a hot water bath next to the acid. If you can find someone who will take that kind of care, have them do it.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

baking soda. neutralize. down the drain.

better, get a funnel, pour it back into original containers, put in garage to save for next project.

Baking soda and blasting soda are not the same. I used BS once on 911 CDI box and it turned out sweet. Didn't look 'restored' at all, just like new. However, the cloud I made with that stuff looked like I was burning leaves in the back yard. It clogs a vacuum in minutes and what a freakin' mess.

And, once used, it's not crystal like anymore, just pulverized powder with little to no cutting action. Way too weak for major rust.

Leesee, if the thing is rusty, that ferrous right? If it's ferrous, it's magnetic. Whatever that has to do with anything.

As I think about it, if we have to blast, I'd start with walnut shells. They won't pit the metal.

One more thing about the use of muriatic acid: It's not what the dip tanks have and unless you can control the process as in even distribution and time in the tank, you will do more harm than good. The tanks use phosphoric acid which when neutralized with a salt solution leaves a phosphate coating which will protect the newly stripped metal from re-rusting. Zinc and other metals can be added in the process furthering the protection.

This would be ideal for the table as that can be the final finish only adding some coats of tung oil or similar and heating a bit. Antique iron was often gilded, which to most means with gold foil or leaf, but silver, brass, copper and bronze are used as well.

Or were.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Milt, the baking soda is in answer tobra's concerns. HCl is an acid, baking soda is a base. Mix together and they neutralize each other making them environmentally harmless.

[john walker's workshop]

Fine glass bead, walnut shells, plastic media all should produce a nice unabused surface.

[Evans, Marv]

I think the walnut shells are a good idea. Maybe have them try it on an obscure spot as a test.

Oops. Shawn had good suggestions too.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Milt, the baking soda is in answer tobra's concerns. HCl is an acid, baking soda is a base. Mix together and they neutralize each other making them environmentally harmless.

but...

the acid will react with the paint/coating/corrosion and to some extent with the metals in the piece

thus there will be a wide variety of rxn products and their toxicity will be ???

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Milt, the baking soda is in answer tobra's concerns. HCl is an acid, baking soda is a base. Mix together and they neutralize each other making them environmentally harmless.

It's hard to guage ph without calculation, litmus paper(Cheapest option), or ph meter. Should generate some heat too. So I would be cautious using a home depot bucket.
Ppe-goggles/face shield.
Very DIY friendly. Just take the precautions.
I use NaOH instead of baking soda. but that's what I have on hand. I also dispose neutralized in containers. In Phoenix the water treatment is strong that they'll allow you to dump antifreeze down the drain! LOL

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by RWebb

but...

the acid will react with the paint/coating/corrosion and to some extent with the metals in the piece

thus there will be a wide variety of rxn products and their toxicity will be ???

Hey hey hey hey.
Don't be throwing in those rxn products!


They'll be a very small fraction of the total make up. So it should be okay to burn.... LoL

[Cajundaddy]

The greens pretty much wiped out all the acid dip shops and plating shops in CA. They were all legitimately hazardous but could have adapted their processes to meet EPA regs. They were regulated out of business in the 90s.