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What are some of the techniques you guys are using to remove the scale after you get done forging. The tools I have are a angle grinder and a 2x72 with a flat platten only.

I like to use a piece of brown scotch brite wrapped around a little block of wood or whatever. It only takes a minute or two. Scale can be hard on grinding belts, and if it's really sticking to the steel, your belt will just skate off of it. Only having a flat plate doesn't help you there either. If you had a wheel it would bite into it much better.

I heard you can wipe it down with vinegar and let it sit a couple hours and it will save your belts. I haven't tried that though.

I use a 7" angle grinder. After annealing everything goes to the overhang on the back of the shop, and gets all the scale removed with the angle grinder. Forge scale is some of the toughest stuff around, and if you try to remove with belts....you'll go broke sooner of later. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

I've also tried soaking in vinegar, but that's an overnight thing at best, and usually doesn't soften or remove much of the scale. I have left forged steel in vinegar for up to 5 days, and if came out relatively clean, but that's just too much time to waste when I can do it in in short order with the angle grinder.

I have a tank of corrupted ferric (bronze dust) that I use to descale L6 (nastiest scale of any steel i have ever worked with) takes 2-4 hours and no awefull grinder dust in the air. In our shop we have been trying to lessen the use of angle grinders more and more. they put out a horrendous amount of nasty dust and beat up your hands as well. We cant get away from them entirely but anything we can do to not use one ...

I haven't tried it but I understand that asolution of TSP (tri-sodium phosphate if i remember right)also works quite well and is easily available in the pool care section of most big box hardware stores.

MP

I've always used vinegar, overnight. Like Ed said, it does take time, but overnight usually takes off most of it. I also use an angle grinder with a cup stone on it, but be careful!

I use sodium bisulfate or ph down for pools. You can mix it as strong as you like (it's granular) I think I put about a cup in a 4x18 tube with water. I read it from something Kevin Cashen wrote.

Gilbert

I use muriatic acid in a 1-4 solution.

On carbon steel it will remove scale in 20 minutes. I then dip it in a backing soda water mix to neutralize the acid.

The acid container must be kept outside or it will rust everything in your shop.

I also use the PH Down. Available at most home improvement stores, hardware stores, etc. Is is a dry acid that I mix with water in a 5-gallon bucket. Leave overnight and scrub with scotch brite pad in the morning. Removes most of the big stuff and loosens the rest.

I've tried both a 24 hour vinegar soak & the 5 minute angle grinder approach to remove scale. I'm a fan of the low impact of vinegar - no noise, dust etc... but you lose time. The angle grinder works well but I haven't taken to it as my normal approach.

I've been saving my worn out low grit ceramic belts for this task instead and find it the most convenient.

Does sandblasting work for this?

Expanding the shop currently and it seems like it would be a great approach for scale removal.

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Does sandblasting work for this?

Expanding the shop currently and it seems like it would be a great approach for scale removal.

sandblasting works pretty well, depending on the setup. that's what i do most of the time. i've also gone the PH down route mentioned above.

I use a 36 grit belt <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//rolleyes.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />

Bob

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sandblasting works pretty well, depending on the setup. that's what i do most of the time. i've also gone the PH down route mentioned above.

Jeremy,

What type and size of grit have you found works well?

Mike

Don Fogg started me using sodium bisulphate. I'm mostly doing one or a few blades at a time. I use a plastic silverware holder (for a kitchen drawer). The size of the cubbies are right for short and medium knives and I don't have to have a lot of solution to submerge the blades. My mixture is 1/2c. sodium bisulphate in 2 cups water. Keeps in a small glass jar. I scrub the blade with a steel brush now and again and this seems to get the scale off quicker. Every once in a while I add more sodium bisulphate to the jar... a tablespoon or so. Two or three hours is about the amount of time it takes... depending.

Kevin Casey uses sodium bisulphate and water in a long PVC tube to descale damascus billets at different points in his feather damascus making.

Mike

I've been using sodium bisulphate for 15 years. 4" pvc tube with a clean-out cap on top.

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I've been using sodium bisulphate for 15 years. 4" pvc tube with a clean-out cap on top.

That is how Kevin Casey built his, too, Karl... about 4 feet long.

Mike