No registration or passwords; no pop-up ads -- just aloha, fun, & answers.
(as an eBay Partner & Amazon Affiliate earns from qualifying purchases).
Home /
T.O.C.
Fun
FAQs
Good
Books
Ref.
Libr.
Advertise
 
Help
Wanted
Current
Q&A's
Site 🔍
Search
pub  Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989



-----

How to remove welding scale without using de-rusting or sand blasting process




Q. How to remove welding scale without using derusting or sand blasting process?

Manish Dhyani
- New Delhi, India
2005


A. With a hammer and chisel, or a wire brush would be the simplest and most basic way unless I am misunderstanding. Sorry, but I think your question is a bit too vague, Manish.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey



thumbs down signIf you don't have answer then please keep mum rather criticizing someone. No question is vague. Maybe someone has solution to my problem which you don't have.

Manish Dhyani [returning]
- New Delhi, India



Ted's answer sounds to me like a perfectly reasonable answer (perhaps the ONLY reasonable answer) to a simple straightforward question. What's your problem, Manish?

Bill Reynolds
Bill Reynolds [deceased]
consultant metallurgist - Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
We sadly relate the news that Bill passed away on Jan. 29, 2010.



Mr Mooney is correct, your question is far too vague for anyone to give you a sensible answer. What material are you descaling? What is your current process? Why is it now not acceptable? What is the final use of the part?

Without this sort of information any of the experts that contribute to this site could write a book on descaling methods, both chemical and physical.

Sorry to have to contradict you Manish, but much more information is needed.

Brian Terry
helicopters - Yeovil, Somerset, UK
2005



Well, I think it is too vague! You fail to mention if it is gas, arc, tig, mig, laser or electron beam welding. You also fail to mention if it is on hot or cold rolled steel, chromolly, cheap stainless, high nickel stainless or titanium.

Finally, you do not mention if it is a tiny or a massive part.

In answer to your question, the only methods that I am aware of are chemical and mechanical. You appear to rule out chemical, so that leaves mechanical. You ruled out sand blast, so that only leaves shot blast and manual. You did not like Ted's manual, so that leaves shot.

The quality of a response is directly proportional to the quality of the question.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida



sidebar 2005

Even though I apologized, I was still feeling shame on myself for an inadequate and embarrassing letter some days ago. Though not the same situation, reading this correspondence made me feel a little better. Impossible not to hurt someone's feelings ever. Thanks, Ted for this educational and at the same time, amusing site.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico



You have contributed tremendously to this site for many years, Guillermo, and myself and many readers greatly appreciate it. You are right that it is impossible to never offend anyone :-)

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey



Q. We are manufacturing electronic control panels. (Enclosures)

material : CRC sheet

current process : 9 tank hot spray phosphating system
degreasing/degreasing/water rinse/water rinse/activation/phosphating/water rinse/DI rinse/DI rinse

I know very well that without adding/using a descaling stage in my current process, I can't remove the welding scale. But this is not my problem. My problem is that is there any other solution to solve this problem which is both cost and time effective.

Manish Dhyani [returning]
- New Delhi, India


A. Hi there,

Maybe you should look for an answer in the kind of welding process you are using. MIG is an option, it can diminish scale. Look better in preventing the problem.

Saludos.

Guillermo Castorena
jobshop plating - San Luis Potosi, Mexico
2005


A. Being new to this site, I couldn't help but feel that you guys are a little unfair to Manish. Manish asked about removing "scale", a byproduct of metal/steel being heated and cooled causing an oxidized byproduct called scale. The couple of responses regarding using Mig or Tig to reduce the "scale" makes me think that you are confusing scale with slag - a byproduct of most welding processes-which use a flux coating on the welding wire, namely, "stick welding".
Having said this, if you remove the chemical or sand blasting processes, all you have left is mechanical, i.e. power brushing followed by an alcohol based cleaner (fast drying) to wipe away the minute particles. Then you paint either clear coat or color to protect the base metal. Never introduce water to clean as this will cause the rusting process rather quickly thereby defeating the whole purpose. Did I misunderstand the question?

Boyd Delk
- Cleveland, Georgia
2007



thumbs up signThanks, Boyd! You're probably right that my response confused slag with scale, as well as that I should have asked for more detail more diplomatically.

I appreciate that Manish's most recent posting includes some good detail, and I apologize that I hurt his feelings. But the people asking questions outnumber those who answer them by a hundred to one, and if this forum is to be useful, or even survive, I can't bite my lip and post questions that I know from experience will remain unanswered; rather, I must prod for clarifications; for me to "keep mum" when questions draw no response isn't really an option. Thanks again, and please continue to participate.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey



Q. We are also looking for the solution for this problem. To use the wire brush is possible on object in 1 plane but for the welding beads especially in all 3 dimensions and that too in 3000 nos. this may not be possible. Rather if you are using pretreatment process then there are some chemicals available which can be added in your degreasing tank. But rust problem still remains especially in box section.

Ajay Sangit
- Pune, Maharastra , India
October 23, 2012



October 12, 2020

WELDING SCALE REMOVAL:
- Mechanical: already answered (hammer, chisel, wire brush)
- Chemical: to immerse the object into an ultrasonic bath (inconvenient: rusty).
.
ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION:
- Modify your manufacturing process. Ex: use induction brazing instead of welding.
.
(Mr. Ted, thank you to teach me the humility).
Regards.

Jose Castellanos
- Minneapolis, Minnesota




(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories:

 
Jobshops
Capital
Equipment
Chemicals &
Consumables
Consult'g, Train'g
& Software


About/Contact  -  Privacy Policy  -  ©1995-2024 finishing.com, Pine Beach, New Jersey, USA  -  about "affil links"