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Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Does stainless need re-pickling if blasted?

Q. I NEED TO REFINISH A STAINLESS STEEL CASTING, WHICH HAS BEEN PICKLED. IF I USE A walnut shell media [on eBay or Amazon] BLAST TO REMOVE EXISTING PAINT WILL IT EFFECT THE PICKLED SURFACE?

WILLIAM J SAMPSON
- NASHUA, New Hampshire
2002

A. Walnut shells will alter the surface of stainless steel but before you worry too much about it ask why the casting was pickled in the first place.

Pickling is a relatively quick and low cost way of improving the appearance of the surface of a stainless steel casting. In addition it will give you a passive surface. If you need to remove paint by all means go ahead and use the walnut shells. It will not make the stainless steel rust or look bad and it may impart a pleasant sheen to the surface. If you are not happy with it then get it electropolished. That will make it look much better and will passivate it as well at not much more cost than re-pickling it.

John Holroyd
- Elkhorn, Wisconsin

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