Remove coating off washers

[Jeeper75]

Hey everyone, I would like to remove the zinc finish off of quite a few washers before welding on them. What kind of methods are you using? To time consuming to flap dish each one.

I have heard you can dump them in vinegar and wait a day or so and then just wash them off. Will that work? Not in a hurry, just want them to be bare steel. Thanks

 

[Captain Spaulding]

I don’t know pricing, but you can get plain finish washers so you don’t have to worry about it. I got some a few years ago at Fastenal.

 

[Marctrees]

https://www.google.com/search?q=rem....69i57j0l5.10584j1j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[PoorOwner]

disc or belt sander, hold with pliers you don't mind nicking up

 

[metlmunchr]

Muriatic acid, about 1 part acid to 4 parts water. Will strip them clean in a couple minutes of immersion.

 

[Marctrees]

REMEMBER - Add Acid to water, NOT water to acid.

Marc

 

[david3921]

I use muriatic acid, outside, just enough to cover the item I'm going to weld. It works fairly fast and don't breath the fumes! I've welded conduit this way, dipping it in cup so that about 3" is cleaned. It will start to rust quickly after the coating is gone but the soot from welding kind of slows that down.

 

[kabinenroller]

I use a product made by Davies, it is called lime X. It takes about 30 seconds to remove the zinc. I then normally media blast the part then parkerize it.

https://dwdavies.com/product/lime-x

 

[Lynden]

Phosphoric acid (metal prep) works.

Other ideas here...

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/zinc-plating-removal-any-easy-method-86057/

 

[MushCreek]

I've stripped a number of them using straight muriatic acid. Works in seconds, but don't breathe the fumes! Do this outside, as muriatic acid fumes will rust everything in the shop. The only way I could get the large washers I wanted was in hot-dipped galvanized, so I stripped them.

 

[Ehcrain]

White vinegar works in 24 to 48 hours, fewer precautions than stronger acid if you have the time.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

I scuff them some where a weld might go, conduit I never clean, keep head out of fumes. If this was an ongoing event would stop by the bolt house and buy plain.

 

[rburke65]

I haven’t looked but I’ll bet my paycheck you can buy washers with out zinc coating