I just welded parrots and need to clean them... (PIC)

[NADERHANNA1719]

Hey Guys,

I just made three copper parrots, and I had a buddy of mine tig-weld them for me. Now, I need to clean them, what's the best way to get off all the black stuff? Surely, I'll need to use sand paper, but I figure a solution might do a lot of the initial work for me. I heard about Citric Acid, I also heard vinegar, which is better and what are the doses? Also, do I have to neutralize these when I'm done with baking soda, and if so, I need doses again? Also, how do I make sure that these solutions don't impart any off-flavors on my out-coming spirits - if they it was a still, I'd do a sacrificial alcohol run.

Your help is much appreciated! I tried posting the pics, but didn't know how.

Best,
Nader

[Yummyrum]

Citric and vinegar take ages ...... 24 hours and more .....never been a fan of vinegar soaks .
Sulfuric acid is the go . Add 1/5 acid to 4/5 water and it will get rid of your gunk in about 1/2 hr .

Just rinse it off and if you can scrub it with a staino scrubber it will be the shiniest parrot you ever seen .

[NADERHANNA1719]

I don't think we got sulfuric acid in these parts. Are Citric Acid soaks bad? I can wait a day. What's the dose?

[Pesty]

The best way to remove the carbon is directly after the weld. Once it cools it’s like what you have now.

I did some 1250f and 1400f silver soldering and it carbonized my copper as well. I ended up just scrapping the piece after cleaning it was more of a PIA than the part was worth. I’ll stick to low temp silver solder as it just leaves a pretty rainbow that wipes off with 200 grit.

[OtisT]

Do you have a pic? Are these SS or Copper, and are the black spots just discoloration or burn-thru from the weld (bubbled up and rough)?

Edit: . Oops. I just reread where you said Copper. Disregard my post.

[Mack76]

if your going to braze copper with silver solder or tig weld you need to purge it with nitrogen or argon gas. the oxygen in air is what causes the black oxidation.

[jog666]

Given I havent welded copper but all the soot I deal with in aluminum welding, a simple brush will take it off. I have small stainless brushes but rarely clean the soot off (grinder or blow gun gets it).

[cob]

zap, and CLR both work well

[NADERHANNA1719]

I had them tig welded not silver soldered. The welds are smooth, but they're covered in a coarse black coating, on both sides of the material, so it's not only on the outside, but burned through onto the inside. They're really rigid and well-built. It would be a shame to scrape them. I'm gonna hit them with a wired brush disc attached to a drill today, and I'm gonna use a steel-brushed pipe cleaner for the tube. Then I guess I'll give them a citric acid / water bath.

Do I have to neutralize the citric acid with a baking soda / water bath when I'm done? Also, does citric acid impart off-flavors that might get carried over into the spirit like vinegar?

[MechEngineer_81]

last time I TIG welded copper I used some 3m polishing wheels to remove the blackening on the outside, basically the same as I would with SS. took a little longer with the copper but worked about as well.