Flux remover bath, HCL ok?

[Marek - www.arkobici.sk]

Hi,

I don't want to look like middle age procedure guy but I use HCL - Hydrochloric acid for flux removing. Is that acceptable, cause it looks pretty aggressive fluid. I treat the tubes with double portion of frame saver.

Many thanks for inputs
Marek.

[Jon Norstog]

Marek, list:

HCl or Muriatic Acid is the household cleaner of last resort.  It will clean flux off.  It also will cause rusting.  Even the fumes from it will cause your steel and your machine tools to rust. 

I have used the stuff, but only on the outside of a frame.  Pour some in a plastic bowl and use a bristle paintbrush to apply.  Then wash the frame with water, and watch it bloom with a thin layer of rust!

Better to use a decent flux and don't burn it.  It will soak off with warm water.  An exception is the flux they put on Welco 17 brazing rods.  That stuff is truly nasty and has to be cleaned mechanically or with HCl.

Good luck there!

jn

"Thursday"

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[Marek - www.arkobici.sk]

I mean  I'm not soaking the frame after each brazing, only as you said, when the flux burns.
I'll gret rid of that and will use only warm water then.
thanks
M

[Clockwork]

I once cleaned a chain with Muriatic acid and it got really shinny but every single plate had a crack in it.

[Ethan Labowitz]

Interesting. Wonder if that was hydrogen-induced cracking, which is something I read about more commonly in a welding context. Hydrogen + welding = no good.

[Marek - www.arkobici.sk]

I once let friend of mine Zinc galvanized (zinc bath) two chains but they cracked on each plate too!