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-----Remove scale from hot rolled steel stairs in prep for gun-bluing
March 24, 2010
My name is John Hungerford, I am a general contractor engaged in the remodel of single family residences.
We are cladding some stairs in a residence as part of a major renovation, and the client wants a blue/black finish that he saw in a design studio. We used hot rolled steel.
Is there an easy way to remove the scale from hot rolled steel? We would prefer not to use bead or sandblast, and sanding is very difficult. We need to remove the scale down to the bare metal in order to accept a chosen finish; a gun blue patina.
general contractor - Westchester, California
March 25, 2010
Hi, John. It isn't clear to me whether these stairs are in situ or are still in your shop. Bringing strong chemicals into a residence is a bad idea because these acids fume and the fumes will corrode everything. Bead blasting might be the better idea. But the steel can be pickled with muriatic acid to remove the scale. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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John,
You can use steel cleaning gel. This gel does not attack the metal surface - only heavy heat oxides will be cleaned. It is also good for welding areas.
Contact us for more information.
Anna Berkovich
(ed. update July, 2025: sorry, Anna has retired)
March 27, 2010
Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.