I am practicing techniques for an upcoming build of Don Stith's 1792 Contract Rifle. While I have Aqua Fortis (Wahkon Bay), I was intrigued with a past thread on the use of vinegar and iron. I created a batch with 5% cider vinegar and 0000 steel wool (I added heat to perhaps speed the action). It appears that some builders use and are pleased with this approach, but I would like to hear from those that have what techniques, secrets, successes or failures they may have encountered. Is heat necessary to react it? If necessary, is the heat applied after the solution has dried or is still wet?
Even though the stock wood is beech, the color you have sugggests that you had a very iron-rich solution. When you saw the stock turn gray that was your indication that you were getting ferrous oxide forming as the acetate left the stock. You could have applied straight vinegar to redden the color or used hydrogen peroxide. Either would have caused a shift towards ferric oxide and given you a redder color.
When you use a vinegar/iron stain you are in control of the color. Yuo can get anything from black to red by manipulating the chemistry a little. With a nitric acid/iron stain you have much less control; you get just reddish brown.
Best Regards,
John Cholin
Ask them for a jarful of the turnings from their drum and rotor turning lathe
If they are under 10" I can do this at home. Wonder how much scrap rotors go for at the junkyard.Why go thru the trouble of traveling to and from a junkyard, buying a scrap rotor, turning it yourself and ending up with something that is free for the asking at any shop?
I don't know if it makes a difference, but most brake parts are made from ductile iron or pearlitic iron which is different from common grey iron. I used to know the difference, something about free ferrite in the metal. We machine lots of both and the chips are worth almost nothing. I don't think the cost of the scrap even pays for getting it hauled away. If anyone walked into my shop and ask for a couple pounds of scrap turnings, I'd give them for free. If anyone is using turnings from a machine shop, wash them first. They will have coolant on them from the machining process. Ours is water soluable.
Bill
Mine turned grey and I used a wipe with peroxide to clear it up. I have a question about the container. If I used a brass/copper(not tinned) container would it have any change on the mix and color?
Ronnie