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Cleaning Stainless Steel tube before manual carbon arc brazing

I am building a canopy frame for my boat. I am using 16 mm OD, marine grade, stainless steel tubing.
The heat source is an (old) hand held torch that lets me create a plasma flame between two, copper coated, carbon rods powered by my Arc Welder.
The joining medium is flux coated brass rods (which work very well on ordinary steel).
a) Is this feasible?
b) If it is what is the best way of cleaning the tubing?
NB. If the answer is Nitric Acid, where do I get it and what strength do I need?

Geoff Clayton
Retired Mechanical Engineer interested in boats. - Porthleven, Cornwall, United Kingdom
January 7, 2011

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