Cleaning tarnished stainless exhausts

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Gio
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#31 Post by Gio » Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:58 pm

randomsquid wrote:
Gio wrote:I'd like to know what's wrong with blued pipes, I think they look very nice!
I agree, but my pipes are browned rather than blued and they look a bit gash.
pig iron are they?

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randomsquid
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#32 Post by randomsquid » Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:24 pm

Gio wrote:
randomsquid wrote:
Gio wrote:I'd like to know what's wrong with blued pipes, I think they look very nice!
I agree, but my pipes are browned rather than blued and they look a bit gash.
pig iron are they?
304 supposedly. Definitely on the cheap side. I might borrow some Scotchbrite from work and rub them a bit, see what happens.
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BikerGran
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#33 Post by BikerGran » Fri Mar 16, 2012 2:20 pm

There I was, cleaning my sink - my stainless steel sink (oh yes, even we wine-swillin', free-ridin', outdoor livin' bikin' trikin' birds have to do mundane stuff like that) - with a wonderful product called 'Shinysinks'. And I thought, I wonder if anyone has tried ussing this for cleaning stainless exhausts?

I'm generally not very big on using branded products as there's mostly something cheaper that does the job - but this stuff is amazing! It removes all the usual discolouration from tea slops etc AND limescale, and leaves the sink looking like new!

Of course I don't know what's in it - the only ingredient that's listed is the one which could be harmful to people and that's Citric Acid Monohydrate.

They also make a product called Cook Brite for which the blurb says
Mirrored stainless steel pots and pans are hard to clean, but take on an unbeatable sheen with Shine Brite. This remarkable cream is specially formulated to clean and polish the highest grade of stainless steel.

It is particularly ideal for removing blueing or rainbow tinges caused by mineral or salt deposits in cooking, white spots from hard water deposits and yellow-brown tinges. It also cleans brushed steel items such as kettles or toasters.
Makes you think - but who'll be the bravest and first to try it on theior precious exhaust?
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fatboy
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#34 Post by fatboy » Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:21 pm

You? :smt003
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Gio
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#35 Post by Gio » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:41 pm

fatboy wrote:You? :smt003
Nah, I can't ever remember Bobby with a CLEAN bike :smt031

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BikerGran
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#36 Post by BikerGran » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:02 pm

Absolutely right Gio - it's for riding not washing!

But even if I did - there's no stainless on my bike! Or chrome, apart from a couple of rusty engine bars!
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#37 Post by D-Rider » Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:34 am

BikerGran wrote: - there's no stainless on my bike!
.... you should start taking decent cutlery to your rallies :smt002
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longracinginc
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#38 Post by longracinginc » Sun Mar 25, 2012 5:32 am

on stainless, use exra fine steel wool and brasso household cleaner. It works great. use some rubber gloves though. it will turn the worst tarnished stainless pipes look like new!

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mangocrazy
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#39 Post by mangocrazy » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:16 pm

longracinginc wrote:on stainless, use exra fine steel wool and brasso household cleaner. It works great. use some rubber gloves though. it will turn the worst tarnished stainless pipes look like new!
Brasso good, steel wool bad. If you use steel wool (of whatever grade) you're leaving minute amounts of mild steel embedded in the pipes. The first time any water gets on the pipes, rust will start again.

In industrial production of stainless components it's an absolute no-no to get mild steel in any format near stainless. That applies equally to steel drill or angle grinder brushes/mops.

Substitute Scotchbrite for the wire wool and you're good to go.

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#40 Post by Kwackerz » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:40 pm

mangocrazy wrote:
longracinginc wrote:on stainless, use exra fine steel wool and brasso household cleaner. It works great. use some rubber gloves though. it will turn the worst tarnished stainless pipes look like new!
Brasso good, steel wool bad. If you use steel wool (of whatever grade) you're leaving minute amounts of mild steel embedded in the pipes. The first time any water gets on the pipes, rust will start again.

In industrial production of stainless components it's an absolute no-no to get mild steel in any format near stainless. That applies equally to steel drill or angle grinder brushes/mops.

Substitute Scotchbrite for the wire wool and you're good to go.

Well pointed out

*makes a note*

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Samray
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#41 Post by Samray » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:07 pm

Bronze wool and stainless steel wool are available and overcome those problems.
In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.

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#42 Post by MartDude » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:07 pm

Well, it's done.

Used Optiglanz - thanks, Andy, for putting me on to that - then T-Cut metal polish, by hand, and finished with polishing mops, in a drill, and rouge, guided by a fabricator friend who's particularly good with stainless. With its new stainless spring tabs (also down to the fabricator friend), it looks better than when new.

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#43 Post by D-Rider » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:18 pm

Your shoes could do with a shine ......
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#44 Post by MartDude » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:36 pm

D-Rider wrote:Your shoes could do with a shine ......
:smt016
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#45 Post by D-Rider » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:47 pm

.... yes, you made a good job of it :smt003
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