What do YOU use for heavy soot and carbon build up on surfaces?

Well, after three treatments of "fume free" with a treatment of "Brasso" before the last....
I'm still not satisfied with the stove. The "fume free" works, but having no stinky lye based stuff about at the moment, I have no way of comparing them. Excuse me whilst I go back to rubbing and scrubbing....

 

anyone try one of these? http://cgi.ebay.com/AIR-ERASER-MICR...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439dc463ec

 

Would not buy anything from someone with a seller's name like his. Just a tad superstitious.

Ron

 

Hi, A few words of caution:

Go easy on the hot citric acid baths and other corrosive "cleaners". These substances attack the metal of the burner, rather than carbon coatings, which are pretty inert.

The reason that the acid or strong alkali solutions shift the surface deposits is probably because they attack the interface layer immediatey below the carbon coating. Small gas bubbles will also be be generated at this metal/carbon interface and this causes the carbon to detach.

If you over-pickle, the acid will continue to corrode the brass of the burner. You will get preferential removal of Zinc for the surface layers and the characteristic red appearance, of a copper-rich layer.
The braze areas will be preferentially attacked and in extreme situations, penetration of the joints will occur, leading to fuel leaks when you later try to use the burner.

By heating acid baths you are accelerating the rate of the corrosion reaction exponetially. Remember, a few degrees of increased temperature can double the rate of reaction.

Happy fettling, but use pickling solutions with caution.

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Hi nagant, there is a special place in Hell, reserved for people who use any sand-blasting kit on stoves or stove components....

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

I knew that would get your attention Kero

 

I've had wonderful results with straight white vinegar. I just soak the parts for 30 minutes, then rinse in the sink with tap water and scrub a little with an old toothbrush...BUT...they never go back into the vinegar a second time...30 minutes, that's it. The rest is elbow grease.

Lye is in drain cleaner. It is EXTREMELY nasty stuff. The crystals burrow down into exposed flesh, much worse than acid. I wouldn't touch the stuff. I actually burnt a hole in my cornea when a blob of Easy Off oven cleaner dripped and splattered. I was wearing safety glasses too!
The Doc said if it had been a little closer to my pupil, I would have been blind in that eye. That was enough for me!
NO LYE!!!
(pun intended)

 

After some scrubbing with an "SOS" pad (soap/fine steel wool) I finally got rid of most of the serious ugly carbon build up. Polished with "Brasso" so-
Before-



After-



I still hate that I had to resort to "steel wool" or "wire wool" and haven't looked for "brass wool" yet. I suppose the "brass wool" would be the least of the evils?

 

I wonder how the previous owner got it so black? Reckon they put kerosene in it? Or would priming with Coleman fuel do that?

 

Hi Bob,
I think they cooked, fried bacon, fried ???, dripped grease and whatever else off the bottom of the pan and NEVER wiped the stove off. Even I clean my beater Coleman suitcase every now and then.

 

Hi Randy, very nice job on the 123! Brass wool is pretty easy to find. I get it in 3 pack from Ace hardware. Much gentler on brass if you need to use it.

 

Thanks Rick! I'll grab some next chance I get.

 

I just tried vinegar and super fine sandpaper, 600 grit wet sanding the type you would use for automotive work and the soot came off relatively easily.

 

Traffic film remover

http://www.trafficfilmremover.com/

 

Yes, I have one of those and useful on burner heads and crevices of the stove but not on the fount. It really removes stubborn black gunk that has accumulated over time. Basically its a small sand blaster. Its sold at Harbor Freight for around $20.

For stubborn baked on grease I use oven cleaner. Again use with caution as it is very caustic. Requires the use of chemical gloves***********WARNING*******

Ron

 

how do you use it ; have access to TSP at the site am working at now;....anyone else used it?, thanks in advance, cheers
Lou

 

Micro polishing pad in a Dremel-type drill with Autosol as the cream abrasive/cleaner.
Shifts everything easily and leaves a mirror finish on the brass.