Welding Coupons - The Fast and Easy Way!

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I want to share something I tried today to help others make there test welding coupons / pieces faster and easier.If anyone is like me, the fun part of learning to weld is the actual welding.  But you still need to make the welding coupons / test pieces. I am now learning TIG and as everyone knows....clean, clean, clean.  I usually don't get as much practice as I want because it takes too much time to clean the metal and sometimes I cheat because I am tired of flap discing / grinding the mill scale and rust and the end result is not always good when I weld, so I blow my learning curve.I have a lot of mild steel laying around from projects and most of it has some kind of surface rust and dirt which takes time to clean and if it is in channel or tubing, forget about getting the inside clean.I knew there had to be a faster and easier way.  I went to Home Depot and got some Muriatic Acid, followed the instructions and now I just drop the parts in I want to weld, grab a cold beer and wait 5 - 10 mins and the end result is bare metal inside and out.  It kind of looks like it was sand blasted because the acid etches the metal.The only thing I noticed the acid did not remove paint or grease, but all the rust and dirt was gone.Today I made up about 40 parts to weld in under an hour which are 100% clean and all I did was drop them in the acid, grab a beer and wait a few minutes.  Normally this would have taken me a couple of hours and I would have only been grinding the actual weld area.  The nice thing about the acid is it cleans the inside also, so you do not have to worry about the weld pulling contaminates in from the back side and screwing up your weld.After that I diluted the acid on the parts in water and then tossed them into my parts washer to prevent rusting. I have not weld anything yet from the acid cleaning because I did not have time today.  But I am sure I will get good results now that the metal is clean to the base.A word of caution.  This is a real acid you are working with.  You need to understand how to handle this, have correct ventilation, not to splash it on yourself and how to dispose of it correctly.  If you are unsure about working with acid, please do not try the method I described above.Build a Barstool Racer at BarFlyRacers.com!
Reply:Just remember...when diluting, always ADD ACID.  Do not add water to the acid or you could have most undesirable results.  If you plan to dilute it, measure out your water, then pour the acid into the water slowly, not the other way around.Contact me for any metal polishing needs you may have, my avatar is a pic of a standard, painted fire axe that I ground, sanded polished and buffed to a mirror finish.
Reply:Great post I am welding a small motorcycly intake for a client and it need to be cleaned and welded in the morning. Steel Thunder Welding LLC. St. Thomas VI USAMM350PBOBCAT 3MAXSTAR 150 STH375 EXTREME PLASMA6.5 HP COMPRESORDEWALT 18, 24, AND 36 VOLTO/A TORCH SETAND SO MUCH MORE I DONT REMEMBERALL IN MY 2005 2500HD EXTENDED CAB L/B
Reply:Originally Posted by offrdfun73Great post I am welding a small motorcycly intake for a client and it need to be cleaned and welded in the morning.
Reply:lye make a good cleaner for many parts at once.  Crystal lye can be found at hobby soap stores. Also, you might find it in plumbing sections as drain cleaner.  Will take care of grease and oil.  It is just a nasty as acid, just on the other end of the pH scale.
Reply:I ran some test welds and the metal burned so nice.All I did was take the parts from the parts washer, dry them off, clean with acetone and a quick flap disc.  Nice clean arc and some nice beads on mild steel...Build a Barstool Racer at BarFlyRacers.com!
Reply:malich, what effect, if any, does the beer have on your welding?America Needs AMERICA'S Oil!!!"Global warming is the greatest scam in history ...There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril."--John Coleman, Founder of The Weather Channel
Reply:Hmmm... good question.  I think I may have a more steady hand and I tend on tuning out the surrounding noises and focus in more on the puddle.  Basicly more relaxed.I have done some of my best welds while having a few beers.  Build a Barstool Racer at BarFlyRacers.com!
Reply:For aluminum, I use a product called "ZING". It's used by boat dealers for cleaning algae off pontoons.You can buy it by the gallon from a boat dealer or sometimes... direct from the manufacturer in 55 gallon qtys.The best things in life all come on a stick!