Re: Chemical Milling...
[Re: polyspheric]
#1569499
01/29/14 10:46 AM
01/29/14 10:46 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 298 Shelton, Ct.
572_HEMI_Cuda
enthusiast
|
enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 298
Shelton, Ct.
|
Quote:
Acid attacks steel just like electro-plating - the material is deposited disproportionate to the surface area. It removes the most material from edges, corners and the ID of holes. It removes the least from flat surfaces, like all panels. This is the very worst thing from a structural standpoint, since the weight loss is minimal until the corners and seams fall apart.
The entire panel must also be neutralized (baking soda, dilute lye) after thorough rinsing with water, or the remaining acid will completely destroy the panel. Submerging absolutely won't do it. Even cars carefully washed sometimes don't completely flush out (direct path from the acid to the exterior). For the final rinse, boiling water from a pressure washer is best.
Sandblasting works OK until your operator forgets to angle the nozzle or turn the regulator down, then you have a washboard instead of a hood. The bondo weighs much more than the weight saved. There is also no such thing as "effectively masking the area" to allow blasting on assembled pieces. It never, ever works, and you can get sand out of it 5 years later.
Good post
Also sandblasting will not achieve what you are looking for. If you have a hood that has rust or bondo you can sandblast or media bast it off, But if you think you can remove weight by blasting the metal to a certain thickness, or to death (which certainly will be the case) it aint happening. Even on heavier parts like a k-frame, all you will achieve is a deeper etch.
|
|
|
Re: Chemical Milling...
[Re: Cab_Burge]
#1569500
01/29/14 05:18 PM
01/29/14 05:18 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,875 communist bloc of new jersey
jamesc
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,875
communist bloc of new jersey
|
Quote:
Back in the day a company called Aero Chem in SO CA used Hydrofloric(not hydrochloric) acid to chemically mill steel for a lot of SO CA racers, the air quality enviormentalist got that banned in the L.A. basin years ago They bought a plant up (in El Mirage) in the high desert later, if you knew someone that worked thier you could get them to still do it back in the late 1980 and early 1990s that company did a lot of the aerospace milling back in the day, the racer stuff was secondary only
it's "hydrofluoric" and imho not something you want to mess with
|
|
|
Re: Chemical Milling...
[Re: MadMopars]
#1569502
01/29/14 09:01 PM
01/29/14 09:01 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 836 Up a holler, down a crick
booger
super stock
|
super stock
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 836
Up a holler, down a crick
|
Lots of places to lose weight if you look around. It may not be the best place to do it, but here's an example:
Chasing bears through the woods drunk with a dull hatchet is strongly not advised
|
|
|
|
|