Can you identify these anomalies?

What's to keep you from putting a little copper sulfate in your cleaning bath? It will spontaneously deposit a very thin layer of copper on the steel, protecting the surface. If the container is stainless steel it may be coated, too -- but I'm not sure about that. If that's an issue, test the container with a drop of copper sulfate solution on a noncritical place like the lip of the container.

I should have said, "in the absence of anything else it will deposit copper". If you've got soap in the cleaning bath the CuSO4 probably will form a copper soap compound ("soap scum") and drop out of solution. Baths that use alcohol or acetone would be all right. I'd guess that a nonionic surfactant like SC80 or Tween would be compatible, but would test before using it on something I care about.
 
Can you use a solvent based cleaner/degreaser and skip the dish soap and water baths?
 
Mitch Alsup said:
I have seen rust form in as little as 4 minutes.
Click to expand...
I'm talking half that now or maybe in just a minute. I researched the issue and aquired a product called Holdtight 102. I will be trying it out tomorrow and am hopeful it eliminates the flash rusting. It also cleans at a microscopic level so that's an added bonus.
 
Cadillac beat me to it. My old muzzle loading buddies always told me never clean a black powder rifle with hot water or you'll have instant flash rust in the bore. For the single guys that cleaned theirs in the bath tub, they could use hot water but would leave it in the tub until the water and steel cool then take it out and dry it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top