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issatree
12th June 2015, 08:24 PM
Hi All,
I have some 45 - 50 year old Very Heavily Galvanised Steel Straps.
2 1/4" x 5/16", 2 1/8" x 3/16" & 1 1/8" x 1/4", all in inches, because they were.
I need to clean a lot of the years of ?rap off all of them so they look a lot better, to be used. More or less taken back to what they were.
Is there a solution I can use to clean these Straps up.
Tried the wire wheel on the Grinder, but it only glossed over it. Don't want to use the Angle grinder.

BobL
12th June 2015, 09:14 PM
Hi All,
I have some 45 - 50 year old Very Heavily Galvanised Steel Straps.
2 1/4" x 5/16", 2 1/8" x 3/16" & 1 1/8" x 1/4", all in inches, because they were.
I need to clean a lot of the years of ?rap off all of them . . . . .

What is the crap?

powderpost
12th June 2015, 09:50 PM
Lewis, I use vinegar to sharpen my band saw blades. It is a mild acid and cleans and sharpens well. I haven't used it on zinc, but it should work. Try it on a small section first, and brush with a brass brush.

Jim

Master Splinter
12th June 2015, 09:51 PM
Assuming its the white zinc oxide staining - vinegar or oxalic acid. And only brush with nylon bristle brushes.

issatree
12th June 2015, 10:24 PM
Hi BobL,
It is just many many years of being in the air 40ft up, most likely a bit of sea mist & what ever else might grab it.
That's the best I can do.

BobL
12th June 2015, 10:49 PM
Hi BobL,
It is just many many years of being in the air 40ft up, most likely a bit of sea mist & what ever else might grab it.
That's the best I can do.

OK so it will be a mix of ZnO and ZnCl2
I'd go with the vinegar.
It might make it a dull grey but it should buff back up to a reasonable shine if you wanted it to.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=330812&d=1415449930

issatree
13th June 2015, 12:27 AM
Bob,
This Galvanising wood most likely be at the least 1mm. or more thick. In the past I have tried to weld it but you just have to take off so much to get to the Steel.
Like I said, it has to be 45 - 50 yrs old. Well I've been Retired 25 yrs this month, & I've had it all that time, but laying under some Cypress Trees + they were Xarm Straps, & goodness knows how long they were in the air.

bsrlee
13th June 2015, 02:24 AM
If it was tree sap or such I was going to suggest paint stripper and the nylon brush or scourer, but it its just metal oxides then the mild acids mentioned above should do the job, just neutralise (baking soda?) when finished.