Sonic Cleaning Tank

[doubleboost]

Looking for recommendations.
I need to clean some steam boiler fittings .
Biggest part is the size of a large SLR camera .

It will be stripped to bare casting .
It is a water injector from a Foden steam waggon.
Limescale is the problem with it .
100 years old .

 

[Kram]

Hot citric would strip the limescale in under half hour and wont touch the brass if you keep an eye on it... Once limes cale is gone it will start to eat the zinc so cant be left for a week!

 

[MattF]

Is it @BikerBill who does ultrasonic tanks?

 

[doubleboost]

Just had a look on the Vevor web site they do a 10 litre one .
I will ask to review one .
If you don't ask you will never get .
(shy Bairns get nothing)

 

[Agroshield]

I need to clean some steam boiler fittings .

How precious or irreplacable are the fittings?

There is considerable risk in using an unknown concentration of possibly the wrong acid at the wrong temperature for the wrong amount of time in an ultrasonic bath.

It is highly unlikely you are the first person on the preservation scene to want to do this. The heritage steam people make products for this purpose, which are likely to be a much safer bet:

https://www.heritagesteamsupplies.co.uk/boiler-maintenance/boiler-descaling/dynamic-descaler.html

Looking at the safety data sheet for that one and the other product they sell, one is 9% hydrochloric acid, the other is phosphoric acid.

Looking at the two supplied here:

Acid Descaling Chemical Bundle | Boiler & Heat Exchanger Descales | Feedwater Website

Two Chemical Bundle options comprising of acid descaler, neutralising agent and pH measurement strips. Perfect to perform a Boiler or Heat exchanger descale

feedwater.co.uk

they are hydrochloric or sulphamic.

The point is that there is no citric or acetic acid used in any of these products.

 

[doubleboost]

The fittings are virtually irreplaceable .
They are all made from bronze .
Brass and any chemical is bad news due to the zinc content .
My mate Bob cleans DTI gauges in a sonic tank.
Naturally temp and time will be built up slowly.

 

[Kram]

they are hydrochloric or sulphamic.

The point is that there is no citric or acetic acid used in any of these products.

Hydrochloric is generally more agressive than citric.

Its not the chemical but the correct dose of it. I would be standing over the process and ensuring it works as intended.

I often pickle brass parts in citric, particually after brazing to remove the glassy borax flux. No harm done, if they are left a long time too long, the surface will turn pink but its just the surface.

 

[doubleboost]

Diluted "Cillit Bang"
Is supposed to work well in a sonic bath.
I will be keeping well clear of any acids .

 

[Seadog]

I'd use phosphoric, acetic, or citric acids, because that's what I have. Bronze has little or no zinc in it. Just keep an eye on it, it won't take too long.

 

[winchman]

Whittle Valves in Wigan is the best Valve refurbish place I know of

Whittle Valve Repairs | Wigan

Whittle Valve Repairs, Wigan. 41 likes · 1 talking about this. Whittle Valve Repairs have been specialising in the overhaul, maintenance & supply of industrial valv

www.facebook.com

 

[Kram]

Diluted "Cillit Bang"
Is supposed to work well in a sonic bath.
I will be keeping well clear of any acids .

 

[addjunkie]

Stick it in a bowl of brown sauce. Or lemon juice!

 

[Migmac]

I use Allendale product for cleaning carbs in my US. I know they make a product for cleaning “fragile” metals, might be worth looking on their website

 

[doubleboost]

Stick it in a bowl of brown sauce. Or lemon juice!

I made some brown sauce video somewhere

 

[ukracer]

Just had a look on the Vevor web site they do a 10 litre one .
I will ask to review one .
If you don't ask you will never get .
(shy Bairns get nothing)

They do a 15 litre one as well.

 

[doubleboost]

Got a aqua blaster local? probs cost you a tenner.

I have but I would like to be able to do this "in house " so to say

 

[doubleboost]

Vevor don't do the sonic tanks in the UK
I took the parts to North East Blast off .
They were vapour blasted , all done inside the hour .
I did a bit of video .
The video will be on my youtube in the very near future .

 

[Agroshield]

I did a bit of video .

I look forward to the part where you are massaging your tapered cock with toothpaste to lap it to its seat.

 

[ukracer]

Vevor don't do the sonic tanks in the UK
I took the parts to North East Blast off .
They were vapour blasted , all done inside the hour .
I did a bit of video .
The video will be on my youtube in the very near future .
View attachment 431220

This is my reply from vevor. Lol

 

[ukracer]

Vevor don't do the sonic tanks in the UK
I took the parts to North East Blast off .
They were vapour blasted , all done inside the hour .
I did a bit of video .
The video will be on my youtube in the very near future .
View attachment 431220

Interesting I had a reply from them which seems to say they will be in the UK but it will be a long time. Lol