Shoutout to the old guy at the Kent forge who told me to try vinegar for scale removal

I was having a hard time getting a clean finish on some mild steel scrollwork, and my usual wire wheel just wasn't cutting it. He suggested soaking the piece in plain white vinegar for about 20 minutes before the final clean-up. It worked way better than I expected and saved me a bunch of elbow grease. Has anyone else found a simple household item that works surprisingly well in the shop?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanjenkins8d ago

Tried that trick with some rusty wrenches... worked like a charm.

wendygarcia8d ago

Glad it worked for you. My own attempt ended with me just staring at a wrench that was somehow more rusty than before I started. I think I might have a reverse Midas touch for this stuff, where everything I try to fix just gets worse. At this point, I'm considering just accepting that all my tools are destined to be one solid piece of rust.