What is the Best Way to Remove the Chrome Off Tools

[Bree]

Is muriatic acid what is otherwise known as soldering fluid?

Tony.

No Soldering fluid is usually a blend of various chemicals.

Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid (HCL) or ordinary swimming pool acid. It is very powerful acid especially in more concentrated forms. Treat it with a lot of respect.

It got the name "muriatic" because it was made from salt and sulfuric acid back in the old days. BTW Sulfuric acid is also pretty darn dangerous so treat them all with respect. A little mistake with these acids can be life-changing.

[Dwight]

You can buy Muratic acid at any store that sells bricks for fireplaces and such. The acid is used to clean the brick after they are set.

Sulfuric acid in low concentration: battery acid in your car's battery.

Oh, . . . and Bree has some good advice on both of them, . . . they will mess you up if you make a mistake, . . . always wear eye protection using them, . . . goggles if you have them, . . . rubber (not plastic, . . . RUBBER gloves), . . . and for what it is worth, . . . wear a pair of jeans you don't want any more. Either of them dropped on denim will make them look like swiss cheese after they are washed (well learned advice from an old Navy battery electrician).

May God bless,

Dwight

[ArtS]

Thanks yawl! I think I'll leave well enough alone! LOL

Art

[wildland]

I thought I would try removing the chrome from one of my craftool stamps this morning and just wanted to share the result with everyone.

The silver blob on the vice is what is left of the head of the stamp. Apparently it was made from pewter. All I used on it was a cheap propane torch that barely melts solder.

[jettrash]

Wow!

[Suze]

oops

Well the rest of us now know how NOT to try this....

sorry about your stamp

[wildland]

It wasn't a big loss. When craftool says that their cheaper tools are made from a softer metal they aren't kidding. I always thought it meant a cheaper grade of steal, but apparently it means lead and tin.

[ChuckBurrows]

more likely zinc - the same thing they cast their cuckles from - I doubt if therr is a pewter alloy that would hold up to the pounding we give the tools....

[ArtS]

Ouch! Thanks for being the Guinea pig!

Art

[swivelsphinx]

You know, I've tried a variety of methods to get the chrome plating off of my pictorial stamps. I find that "weak acids" work well. While I can be impatient, slower is better- you can monitor the progress of the removal without having to worry about dissolving the softer metal underneath the chrome. I use straight white vinegar with ordinary salt at room temperature... about a teaspoon per half cup. Over night (that's 6-8 hours for me) I can see the chrome clearly peeled or in the process of peeling. I'll scrub the pieces down with a little baking soda or baking soda toothpaste. If I see real shiny spots, I rinse the tools off, and chuck 'em back in the solution. I've done this solution hot on the stove, and it works a little *too* fast- I worry about metal loss. Once I feel the chrome is removed, I rinse in baking soda and water, scrub in dish soap then air dry. I found that Rain-X was an excellent product to protect the stamps without interfering with my unfinished leathers.