Re: Fixture cleaning

Any alkaline cleaner will etch and damage aluminum, it is just a matter
of how fast. Alkaline solutions dissolve the oxide layer that seals and
protects the aluminum, which then reacts with water to release hydrogen
gas bubbles. The hotter and more basic or alkaline the solution the
faster it goes. All the machine dishwashing solutions I can think off
offhand are alkaline, as are TSP solutions.

Try a scrap piece of the copper and tungsten your jig is made from in a
pot of simmering Calgon or Cascade and see if it survives. If it does,
try your dirty jig. You could also add some lye (couple of tablespoons
per gallon as a start) to the Cascade to make it even more alkaline
which will help it slowly dissolve the crud.

This is Usenet, so I have to say "be careful and use proper protection".

--
Regards,
Carl Ijames carl.ijames at verizon.net


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