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  1. #1
    Member Array outlawsteveoaos's Avatar
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    [foil] acetone bath problem,

    so i did the acetone bath over night and when i pulled it out of the tube i was kind of surprised. for one a putrid smell came from the tube after i uncapped it, and the acetone turned brown. when i pulled the blade out, there's these black spots all over it. and towards the tang end there's a weird yellow/orange stain.

    normal? not normal? can i remove these spots?

    help????

    outlaw steveo aos

  2. #2
    Senior Member Array penguin_2000's Avatar
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    Those spots would be rust. I noticed in your other post you said you used nail polish remover as your source of acetone. Nail polish remover is something like 5% acetone. The rest is mostly WATER. Next time go to home depot and get industrial strength acetone. It is closer to pure acetone. Better luck next time.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Array wpotere's Avatar
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    Also, if you use straight acetone, there is no need to leave the balde in it that long. I typically let mine soak for about a half hour and then remove it. After that cleaning is easy.

  4. #4
    Member Array outlawsteveoaos's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wpotere
    Also, if you use straight acetone, there is no need to leave the balde in it that long. I typically let mine soak for about a half hour and then remove it. After that cleaning is easy.
    awsome, i'm trying a spare blade from the club now w/ acetone i purchased at our local hardware store.

    i've got a lot of acetone now that'll probably last me awhile, but can i use the same bath for a couple of blades?

    outlaw steveo aos

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by outlawsteveoaos
    awsome, i'm trying a spare blade from the club now w/ acetone i purchased at our local hardware store.

    i've got a lot of acetone now that'll probably last me awhile, but can i use the same bath for a couple of blades?

    outlaw steveo aos
    yes, but you're probably using a copper or galvanized steel tube. both of which will corrode with acetone and either turn green or some other bizzare color. i would dump the used acetone each time. to clarify yes use it for multiple blades but don't keep the used acetone by corking the end of the tube for future use.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Array wpotere's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by outlawsteveoaos
    awsome, i'm trying a spare blade from the club now w/ acetone i purchased at our local hardware store.

    i've got a lot of acetone now that'll probably last me awhile, but can i use the same bath for a couple of blades?

    outlaw steveo aos
    As was stated above, yes you can. I went to Home Depot and bought a 1/2" lead pipe (the length of the blade) and had it threaded on both ends. I then bought two lead caps and some sealing compound for the threads on one end. Put the compound on one end and screw the cap on. Fill it and soak your blades. When you are done, screw the cap on the other end for storage. Easy enough.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by wpotere
    As was stated above, yes you can. I went to Home Depot and bought a 1/2" lead pipe (the length of the blade) and had it threaded on both ends. I then bought two lead caps and some sealing compound for the threads on one end. Put the compound on one end and screw the cap on. Fill it and soak your blades. When you are done, screw the cap on the other end for storage. Easy enough.
    lead pipe? i know they don't sell it in harware stores in the states. lead pipes let lead leach into the water running through them so nobody sells them anymore

  8. #8
    Posting Hound Array Purple Fencer's Avatar
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    I've got a couple of 1 1/2" copper pipes I use. I can get betwrrn 5 and 9 foil blades in them, depending on the cant in the tang.

    The bottom of the pipes are nto threaded, but I put on a copper clip cap and had a plumber solder the joints shut to prevent leaks or evaporation. The top is threaded and I fould a galvanized theraded cap for the top.

    Re repeat use of acetone...as long as it's doing the job I'd keep using it. The onlyh time I dumped the stuff in one fo the tubes was when there was sime gunk in the bottom discolering the blades (I think it waqs some tip tape that had fallen in somehow).

    When it gets low, I just add some.

    As far as dumping the old stuff, check with someone...it IS classed as a posibly hazardous material.
    Need fencing equipment? See me at H.O.M. Fencing Supply

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  9. #9
    Senior Member Array Robert Smith's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Purple Fencer
    Re repeat use of acetone...as long as it's doing the job I'd keep using it. The onlyh time I dumped the stuff in one fo the tubes was when there was sime gunk in the bottom discolering the blades (I think it waqs some tip tape that had fallen in somehow).

    When it gets low, I just add some.
    Same here. I only need to do one blade at a time, so a length of steel pipe wide enough for a single foil blade suits me. After a good few blades, they start to come out with a white film on them, which I guess is reconstituted crazy glue dropping back out as the acetone evaporates. I suppose, if left long enough, the level of glue dissolved in the acetone would impair the acetone's ability to take up more, but apart from having to run a knife through the tip threads to clean out the sedimentary goop, there's no downside to constant reuse. Maybe the topping up to replenish lost solvent helps.

    Up to now, I've been rewiring using plain enamelled wire, and the enamel appears to be unaffected by the acetone. But I'm trying wire wrap as a less scratch-prone alternative, and have yet to dip a blade with wire wrap. It seems there are two options for wire wrap - teflon coated or kynar coated. The stuff I bought is teflon - 1,000' 30 AWG for around $12 plus s&h from johnny_toroid on ebay, which I believe is not affected by acetone. Kynar, I don't know. Would that be a problem if left overnight?
    Robert Smith
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  10. #10
    Senior Member Array wpotere's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smeric28
    lead pipe? i know they don't sell it in harware stores in the states. lead pipes let lead leach into the water running through them so nobody sells them anymore
    Sorry galvanized steel....

    and

    It is a 1"

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