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Just finishing up my table (will have pics soon). 2x2 tubing came from the mill looking jet black and it gets your hands covered with black crap. Asuming this is the "mill scale". Am I going to have to flap disk this whole thing if I want to paint it? That would take some serious time. Anyway, can't wait to show U guys the fab table.~RocklandMillermatic 211
Reply:A good thinner will clean it up.  The black is loose carbon/mill scale/oil.  Sand blasting after wiping down would be best.My name's not Jim....
Reply:It is covered in oil. the guys at the metal supplier suggested thinner too. Just want paint to stick.~RocklandMillermatic 211
Reply:Clean it before you cut/weld/ handle it. The oil keeps you from marking it easily and also when burns is bad smoke and much harder to clean up. The oil keeps it from rusting in storage. Get it off before working it. I keep rubber gloves and thinner with rags to clean it up before I get it in the shop. Makes a mess of good leather gloves and jackets.
Reply:I use rubbing alcohol. I de grease all my new metal with thatMiller diversion 165Miller mig 211Hypertherm pm 30Milwaukee 6230 14 inch chop sawMd 45 mag drill (RIP; fell on its head)New MD 45! Thanks to the esposa!Finally got an O/A setup
Reply:If the scale is not flaking off, your paint will be fine.  But the oil is there to keep the metal from rusting in transit.  Clean it off with acetone or another solvent before you paint.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:I clean my new steel with paint thinner,(have used gas) then prime it before working with it, that way I know it will stay rust free till it's ready for paint. Just grind off the primer in the area to weld first, and wire brush the burnt stuff after welding and reprime. It's way easier to clean and prime when it is in long straight pieces rather than after it's all cut and welded together.
Reply:I second acetone. Does a good job, is widely used, and evaporates fast with no residue. Also less of a health hazard than lacquer or paint thinner and many other solvents.
Reply:I use MEK to clean steel,doesn't dry so fast when cleaning like acetone does and a stronger solution and easily bought at local stores like lowes and home depotLincoln Ranger 8 225Lincoln 180 ProMigMiller Maxstar 200DXInternational Ironworkers Local 70930+ years and counting
Reply:used acetone on my project today. I will be doing this in the future like you guys say..."before it's all welded up". I like the primer idea too. I'm finding as a newbe that there are quite a lot of things that I only need to mess up once to learn my lesson and will probably never do again. you can read and read all day long on the proper methods, but till you go out and make a mistake....thats when you learn.~RocklandMillermatic 211
Reply:Another option for the future is to buy the tubing primered.It doesn't cost that much more, and you don't have to deal with the oil....and the primer is thin enough to weld over.