Muriatic Acid

[bloke]

I have a small item that needs to have it's chrome plating removed, and I'm not in the mood to try to file or sand it away.
(It's actually a L-O-N-G guard wire from one of those tall upper bows from one of those ancient Olds GG contra's...It's more narrow/delicate than King sousaphone guard wire, and comes closer to matching original Holton "concert" tuba guard wire.)

Muriatic is a dilluted form of hydrochloric.

Typically, it takes about a 25% - 30% solution of hydrochloric (in water) to strip away chrome plating.

Conveniently, the strongest muriatic offered for sale is just about that strong (without mixing with water).

Does anyone know which brand of muriatic Home Depot or Lowe's actually stocks, and how strong it is?

I HAVE found that Jasco is 20%, which might (??) barely be strong enough to work...but don't know if that's a brand that either big-box actually stocks on their shelves.
Online chats GUESS that Klean Strip might (??) be a bit stronger than that.

I guess I should just invest in the 2-hours round-trip, but I was just wondering if anyone might actually KNOW (or be able to search on the web better than I can).

...I'm not finding very good hints on their websites.

oh, and...YES, I WILL be careful. I've done this before, am VERY aware of the dangerous fumes, have ALWAYS done this outdoors, and - when completed with a stripping task - donated the leftover to a swimming pool maintenance company (as they use it to clean concrete, as well as to lower the pH of swimming pool water), so that I wouldn't have something somewhat dangerous (albeit not flammable) just sitting around here for years...

bloke "If I find that it is ALSO ~nickel~ plated - underneath the chrome (sigh...) I'll send the nickel-stripping part of the job to Anderson (along with some other work). ...I just do not wish to (additionally) be buying any nitric acid..."

[iiipopes]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Crossco-1-G ... /204126448 31%
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SMART-2-Gallon ... id/3678586 31.45%

[bloke]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Crossco-1-G ... /204126448 31%
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SMART-2-Gallon ... id/3678586 31.45%

Thank-you so very much !
If in stock locally, either should do nicely.

[the elephant]

A swimming pool/hot tub company will sell it, too. You use a lot of it if you have an in-ground pool.

[bloke]

A swimming pool/hot tub company will sell it, too. You use a lot of it if you have an in-ground pool.

' a very good point...
I had to buy a special type of water-diverter valve (for a project related to the ponds), and that's just where I had to go, as even a really large plumbing supply place didn't carry them.

If I can't find just what I need at open-early-to-late-every-day big-box, I'll certainly go back to where I bought that valve.

[iiipopes]

A swimming pool/hot tub company will sell it, too. You use a lot of it if you have an in-ground pool.

I should have thought of that: cleaning the pool tile grout as well as a pH balancer if the water is too alkaline.

[the elephant]

I should have thought of that: cleaning the pool tile grout as well as a pH balancer if the water is too alkaline.

[Dan Schultz]

Uh... Joe. Chrome is a multi-step process. Copper, nickel, and chrome. The muriatic acid will do a fine job of taking off the chrome but you will be stuck with the nickel. It won't touch that. You need to find a plater who can do a reverse-electrolysis process to take care of getting that off without damaging the brass.

[bloke]

Uh... Joe. Chrome is a multi-step process. Copper, nickel, and chrome. The muriatic acid will do a fine job of taking off the chrome but you will be stuck with the nickel. It won't touch that. You need to find a plater who can do a reverse-electrolysis process to take care of getting that off without damaging the brass.

yes...nitric (which we haven't kept around the shop in decades - so probably Anderson for that)...mentioned in the first posting of the thread...thanks
(the rub: Anderson eschews stripping chrome, so I'm going to do that part.)

To me ALL of this is worth the trouble no NOT feel lumpy King sousaphone guard wire against my quadriceps, when playing.