Cleaning vise grips

[davek125]

Hi guys long time lurker here from New Zealand.

I've started a new job welding galvanised steel and I have about 15 vise grips that have accumulated years of anti spatter and galv spray all over them. Some I can't do all the way up tight.

What do you guys think is the best way to clean them up and get all the gunk off them?

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[notlob]

1. Soak for ~ 1 hour in strong simple green solution (50/50 water mix), scrub with brass brush.
2. Fine wire wheel on bench grinder.

 

[davek125]

Thank you I'll try it and let you know how I get on

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[Elsinore13]

Have you tried soaking any of them in paint stripper to get the galvanizing paint off first? I hang a lot of misc. parts up with Vise Grips to paint and often times have to soak a few when they get too much buildup on them. One would think you would use cheap chinesium vise grips for such a job. All good, until one fails and causes more damage than what a whole drawer full of real vise grips cost.

 

[Basher]

Hi guys long time lurker here from New Zealand.

I've started a new job welding galvanised steel...
.
.


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you're doing what...?




hope you're taking appropriate
precautions

 

[Theyeti83]

Vinegar works good for most metals. Soak and use steel wool. Repeat.

 

[davek125]

I wear a 3m respirator helmet, leather jacket and spats for my boots. That pretty much covers it doesn't it?

I haven't tried anything in regard to cleaning the vise grips yet. Also have a bunch of big c clamps that have the threads all gunked up too.

I wasn't sure if paint stripper was a good idea to try to get the zinc spray off...

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[sberry]

I don't see the problem. I knock some BB's off. The rest of that **** keeps more **** from sticking. I really can do most things without spattering them up.

 

[davek125]

I don't see the problem.

With?

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[davek125]

I don't see the problem. I knock some BB's off. The rest of that shut keeps more **** from sticking. I really can do most things without spattering them up.

Yeah you're right I'm probably just being a tidy freak. I like my tools to be clean. I guess it's more the threads being gunked up and being a pain in the *** to tighten that's the bigger problem.

I'm not getting any spatter sticking to them which is a good thing but I don't weld with them in place. I only use them to tack on

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[sberry]

I spray the screw with a drop or 2.

 

[sberry]

I spray the screw a drop or 2.

 

[M_George]

you're doing what...?




hope you're taking appropriate
precautions

For sure... the fumes from galvanized steel are very toxic!!

 

[CR888]

I cleaned up a pair of vice grips recently that had a bunch of surface rust on them. They were quite old and well made. I used a wire cup wheel on a 6" angle grinder, just have to take care with the spring. Came up really nice then sprayed oil all over them and wrapped them in an oily cloth to keep moisture away. Wire cup wheels clean things up fast & strong, opposite way of doing things compared to vinegar soak etc.

 

[Elsinore13]

For rust, collect all your rusty things and throw them into a gallon of Evaporust. Forget about them for a day or three. A light scrub with a gray scotch brite pad to remove the residue, a rinse in WD40 and a dip into some ATF will clean up some ruined stuff. After the floods from Hurricane Harvey, I became a believer in that stuff. I've cleaned hundreds of things in a cat litter bucket filled with a few gallons. Avoid the Rustoleum brand in the lookalike jug, that stuff stinks to high heaven and doesn't seem to be effective at all. My Evaporust is now almost six months old and is finally losing its effectiveness. Great stuff, got more on the way. Still got plenty of stuff to clean....

 

[Wamsutta]

I'd use a wet wire wheel. Wet with WD-40.

 

[davek125]

For sure... the fumes from galvanized steel are very toxic!!

Hence the respirator and leather clothes.
I've been suffering in a hot workshop all day all geared up and sweating like a dog at a Korean bbq.

It's not enjoyable but it's preferable to inhaling zinc and going home feeling like I've got bricks in my lungs... and burns all over my body from the ridiculous amount of spatter that **** throws off.

I reckon they should just use mild steel and hot dip the finished product... welds would be nicer and stronger but what do I know... might cost twice as much for all I know


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[Ole Slewfoot]

A forced air setup might be nice, cool breeze for your face, plus clean air.