Bright Idea

[Scottie-TX]

Tell me not to do this before I do it with a valuable piece: My most recent project - the clock santa brought me. The post mount. The four post mount for the keyhole slotted movement? I mean it was grungy - corroded somewhere between green and black. I immersed it in "LYSOL" bowl cleaner - active ingredient HCL - hydrochloric acid. Returned to it 30 min's later and it turned out bright like new with only minimal effort with 0000 steel wool. Tell me why I shouldn't use this for a heavily corroded movement plate or even as just a general cleaner for any movement, wheels, levers, etc. Now forget the safety stuff. I'm not drinking it. HCL? Bright idea? or as ARJAY would ask, "brigh ideal?"

[Scottie-TX]

Tell me not to do this before I do it with a valuable piece: My most recent project - the clock santa brought me. The post mount. The four post mount for the keyhole slotted movement? I mean it was grungy - corroded somewhere between green and black. I immersed it in "LYSOL" bowl cleaner - active ingredient HCL - hydrochloric acid. Returned to it 30 min's later and it turned out bright like new with only minimal effort with 0000 steel wool. Tell me why I shouldn't use this for a heavily corroded movement plate or even as just a general cleaner for any movement, wheels, levers, etc. Now forget the safety stuff. I'm not drinking it. HCL? Bright idea? or as ARJAY would ask, "brigh ideal?"

[4piet1]

hello scottie, iff it works it's ok but take care. after use of acid you have to neutralise it good so the acid cannot harm the metal anny more.i don't now enough abbout chemics but you have to be shure that the acid can't harm your metal annymore and i don't now if water is good enough to remove the acid.also take care off your eyes and wear gloves.
and don't do it with valuable pieces :smile:
greetings piet

[Mike Phelan]

Hi Scottie
Cannot see a problem. I have used nitric and chromic acid before for similar reasons.

A good wash should finish it off - all that occurs is a mixture of copper chloride and zinc chloride, both of which are soluble.

If you want to do it quickly, rinse it in a weak alkali - washing soda or bicarb, then rinse.

HTH

[John Hubby]

Either Lysol or SnoBol bowl cleaners work very well to remove very heavy corrosion from brass. I agree with Mike that you should rinse with a solution of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to neutralize the acid, then rinse with boiling hot water and dry.

John Hubby

[RJSoftware]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">or as ARJAY would ask, "brigh ideal?" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmm, pick on Arjay day...

You know, your killing that old wonderful pantina. Some people (like me) dig that old brown brass.

Take for example the other day at flea market I was looking at an old darranger. Rusted dirt caked barely recognizable. If I cleaned it up it would dissinegrate cause the dirt was holding it together. But the dirt makes it interesting....

RJ

[jspinnler]

Hmmm....

I wonder if Lime-A-Way would work? http://static.flickr.com/38/99776672_bb3a9e7bc6_o.gif Makes the shower drain really shiny LOL.

[DG]

Hey Scottie,

Seems like you've struck upon another innovative approach to clock repair! I'm particularly impressed with your fastidious approach to bowl cleaning. I just stick mine in the dishwasher...

Denis

[Scottie-TX]

DG, I thought that might bowl you over. "JS", what is the active ingredient in "lime away"? Thank you - all of you for your candid replies. I didn't even get one "Har har". BONG must be asleepl. ARJAY, there are a lot of places for PANTINA and I don't care where you have yours but my PANTINA will never be on ANY movement part. PANTINA on a pivot or pallet is not a pretty thing.

[shutterbug]

Scottie - I hate to be the only damper on your parade, but you have to know that if your toilet bowl cleaner does not work, you may have to flush the clock :biggrin:

[Scottie-TX]

Well, O.K. I feel better now - one "Har-har".

[Mike Phelan]

I wonder if we have all gone clean round the bend, now? :eek: :wink:

A call on Google gives Pantina as a cosmetics company and Darranger a Japanese pistol or a horse.
:confused: I'll never get me 'ead around these USA terms! :confused:

[Chris Radano]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I'll never get me 'ead around these USA terms! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Mike, we have so many dialects here, Scottie has his own language. You should know that by now. Try "patina".

[trevor thomas]

Mike you should know the old term .We are two nations separated by the same language. It all adds t't fun.We even speak a different language on t'other side o'thill sithee agin Trev

[Joe Collins]

In Scottie's defense, he was not the one who started "pantina" he only amplified it.

Joe

[burnz]

Correct spelling for both-
1. patina

2. Derringer---from the man Henry Derringer--responsible for the small fire arm of his invention. Now days --seems everyone refers to all small, hand held fire arms as Derringers.

[trevor thomas]

Guess we all know what we all mean ,just lots of typographical errors,but it keeps us all ammused cos we all do it .LOL and we dont have TIME to "rectify"(thats a word for Scottie and MIke)Trev

[Mike Phelan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by burnz:
Correct spelling for both-
1. patina

2. Derringer---from the man Henry Derringer--responsible for the small fire arm of his invention. Now days --seems everyone refers to all small, hand held fire arms as Derringers. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ah, but there appears to be also a small pistol called Darranger here! (http://www.evike.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=W&Product_Code=GP_MARUSHIN_DARRANGER_S&Category_Code=NEWARRIVALS)

[Mike Phelan]

Originally posted by trevor thomas:
Mike you should know the old term .We are two nations separated by the same language. It all adds t't fun.We even speak a different language on t'other side o'thill sithee agin Trev
Very true, Trev! I worked for 22 years across the hills - things like 'tha's geet reet wishat', 'I'm a gate' and 'robuts' took some figuring out!
As did my journey to West Yorks from my original home in the West Country - I used to wonder what happened to the currants in the teacakes and why everyone's fireplaces always needed repairing!
I can understand Scottie, tho' :biggrin: Must be all us old radio freaks.

[Joe Collins]

Hi Mike,
The Darranger in the advert is just the Japanese misspelling of the Derringer's name. While the pistol Derringer, actually Henry Deringer, invented was a single barrel muzzle loader the name was applied to small cartridge pistols similar to that one.
Just a note of history, President Abraham Lincoln was shot with a Derringer. Look here:

http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln10.html

And here:

http://www.littlegun.be/derringer/a%20a%20image%20derringer%20gb.htm

Joe

[Mike Phelan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Joe Collins:
Hi Mike,
The Darranger in the advert is just the Japanese misspelling of the Derringer's name. While the pistol Derringer, actually Henry Deringer, invented was a single barrel muzzle loader the name was applied to small cartridge pistols similar to that one.
Just a note of history, President Abraham Lincoln was shot with a Derringer. Look here:

http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln10.html

And here:

http://www.littlegun.be/derringer/a%20a%20image%20derringer%20gb.htm

Joe </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Wow - thanks, Joe. I usually learn something on every visit here. I really must get on with that mainspring winder project........

[rison123]

Scottie,

I am trying your idea using the lysol toilt bowl cleaner today. I wanted to know, do you use it straight or do I need to mix with water to create the hydrochloric acid. I know the active ingredient when mixed with water creates the acid. Wasn't sure if it I needed to add water to create the action or is there H2O in the actual solition itself.

Regards
Tom

[Scottie-TX]

Straight for me - straight out of the bottle, undiluted. This may be the only time a straight beats a royal flush.

[rison123]

I tried it straight, prior to your response. Results are pretty darn impressive. I had cleaned this piece in the ultrasonic and it came out some what stained/blotchy. Now it's a solid brass color. A little elbow grease with the simichrome and it will look wonderful :) Thanks agin for the input.

Regards,
Tom

[Bill Ward]

Hydrochloric acid attacks copper slowly, but more rapidly in the presence of oxygen, forming copper chloride. It attacks zinc quite rapidly, forming zinc chloride and bubbles of explosive hydrogen. Prolonged immersion of brass in HCl will eat out the zinc in the brass surface, leaving an etched copper layer which sometimes is powdery.
The real danger to clocks is that HCL also attacks iron and steel rapidly, leaving a pitted surface.
Even the fumes from a TIGHTLY CAPPED bottle of HCl will do serious damage to nearby steel tools, even painted iron. I speak from sad experiance.

[Scottie-TX]

Bowl cleaner: HCl, 20 per-cent.
We're not throwing parts in battery acid or 100 per - cent HCl solution.
Charging a battery, electrolysis, and many other reactions produce Hydrogen gas. VERY explosive.

[wow]

Scottie, you're my kind of guy!....A clock renegade. I use my old-time solution of 4 oz. of acetone, 4oz. of amonia, 2oz. of oleic acid, and 1 gal. of water to clean such movements. An overnight soaking or a couple of hours in the ultrasonic in this solution will do wonders.