Slime pickle and pool supplies

OK, it happened to me, too. I have now gone through two batches of
Sparex, both of which turned into the most revolting, almost
opalescent, plumey guck. Never had the problem with Rio pickle. I
thought I must have mixed the dam’ stuff wrong, though it’s tough to
make a mistake…it’s like making KoolAid…assumed it was my
inexperience…or the glazing on my crock/pickle pot had crazed and
was leaking something into the pickle. It still works ok, though it’s
impossible to SEE the piece that’s immersed in the muck. Well, drag
out the baking soda and off to the pool supply store. What, exactly,
am I looking for at the pool supply store??

Amy Karash
Fine Craft BeadWork
610-354-5349 voice
610-354-1503 fax

A question to you all.

Since I work in a garage, and since even in Victoria it can get cold
in winter, about 4deg C, and since I have only two power points;
Sparex, which requires heat, is useless for dissolving copper oxides.
So I use battery acid, or sulphuric acid. And in a pinch, I’ll use
hydrochloric acid. Both work really well to remove fire scale from
copper. Any reason why I should stop?

Sulphuric acid in the form of battery acid is pretty cheap too.

I do not use nitric acid. It can be very dangerous because it is such
a potent oxidizer. Where a face mask if you must use, at least that is
my advice.

And thanks Peter Rowe for filling me in on the mercury

David

Sulfuric acid can be mighty mean, too. It can give you serious
burns.
And if you splatter even a little bit on your clothes, next
time you wash them they will come out with holes every where the
splatters were. I would not recommend Hydrochloric, either! Sodium
bisulfate is much “milder” and less harmful to you, your clothes, and
your equipment.

margaret

Margaret, Sulferic accid is the cheapest way of cleaning. (10%
sollution) But you should now what you are doing. In lot of books they
say that you should rinse you picled subject unther streaming water.
but it is better to dip the subject after picling into a washing soda
solution ( a handfull in 2 liters water). and wipe it dry with a
cloth. Otherwise you get brown tools. Use alway copper or titanium or
plastic tweesers.

Martin N