Welding Tips and Tricks

This was brought up in another thread as to how to clean oil off Magnesium parts so I thought it would be welcome here also.

You can buy Blue Gold cleaner from almost any scuba shop but they charge upwards of $100 a gallon for it. I've found it online at thecryoshop.com for about $44 gallon. It's very concentrated so a gallon goes a long way. There's places that sell it in 1 quart containers also, about $20. It's very hard to beat the price that I get it for.

Both Steve and I use it to make metals "Oxygen Clean", meaning no hydrocarbons. It's a very safe product compared to other degreasers. It has an indefinite shelf life as far as I know and you can re-use it if you're just cleaning parts, I put an oil soak pad on the top of the pan when I'm done to pick up what floats in solution.

Len

Len,

Thanks for posting that!

An oil diaper on top of the solution to pick up the freed grease, etc. is brilliant! I've been skimming it off.

Old dog, new trick...
Take THAT, "old wives' tale"!!!!

Our "oxygen-clean" procedure calls for a 10:1 BlueGold/water solution in our hot-tank, at 140*F.

I've achieved a full UV pass at strengths of 50:1 cold, and 100:1 hot. Len is right, it goes a long way for the price, and can be reused (especially if you don't have to certify "oxygen clean").

Steve

Len,
You mentioned Magnesium, how about Aluminum?
Is the cleaning sequence: clean with Blue Gold; then Stainless Steel Wire Brush?

Bruce

Wob,
Yes you can clean anything with it as far as I know. I have a stainless wire brush with a plastic handle that I leave right in the parts cleaner with it. Steve mentioned using it in a hot wash, that's better, but it works cold also.

Len

Wobulate wrote:Len,
You mentioned Magnesium, how about Aluminum?
Is the cleaning sequence: clean with Blue Gold; then Stainless Steel Wire Brush?

Bruce

While I don't recall ever encountering an aluminum tank being in "oxygen service" (Pretty sure that's a "no-no"), we are required to certify every atmospheric vessel to be "oxygen clean", and that includes Argon and Nitrogen vessels built from aluminum.

Be aware, this aluminum is roll-formed (not cast), so is not porous, but BlueGold will allow an aluminum vessel to pass UV inspection.

I won't promise it will get every bit of oil out of every pore, but it is very efficient. It can be used cold, as a hot-soak, or as a pressure-washer detergent.

The sequence is, BlueGold any method with scrubbing as needed/suspected (An initial blacklight inspection will indicate), simple rinse, dry, and blacklight (longwave UV, 50W or more preferred). Lather, rinse, repeat, until all blacklight indications are gone.

Quite amazing stuff.

Steve S

Thanks Len & Steve,
Blue Gold goes on my list of things to get, as well as a black-light.
Since this cleaner is for promoting good TIG welds, does that mean I have TIG C-OCD?
Bruce

I've got a gallon on the way...gotta give this stuff a try.