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Message |
    
Brianshaw
Tinkerer
Username: Brianshaw
Post Number: 8
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 07, 2006 - 08:52 am: | 
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How does one clean (neutralize?) old battery leakage where it has eaten aluminum? Presumably this is old leakage since the flash unit ha probably not been used since 1973 or so. What I see now is erosion of the aluminum battery housing and inside is dried white crust. Should I just scrape it clean or is there a need to neutralize to prevent further erosion of the aluminum? |
Brianshaw
Tinkerer
Username: Brianshaw
Post Number: 9
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 08, 2006 - 09:50 pm: |
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Wow, I'm the only one who has ever experienced this? I'll experiement with a few ideas and let you know how it worked out. |
Wsboyd
Tinkerer
Username: Wsboyd
Post Number: 30
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 09, 2006 - 12:03 am: |
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Try vinegar. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 94
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 09, 2006 - 10:27 am: |
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Any acidic cleaner will do the job ie, hydrochloric acid based toilet cleaners - quite common in the UK. I personally use sulphuric acid removed from old lead acid batteries - a quick dip and all the corrosion is removed, However if you wire-brush/scrape corrosion products off the alloy, all you need to do is wash well in boiling water. |
Brianshaw
Tinkerer
Username: Brianshaw
Post Number: 10
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 09, 2006 - 09:07 pm: |
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Thanks very much! |
Wsboyd
Tinkerer
Username: Wsboyd
Post Number: 34
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 01:53 pm: |
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But try vinegar 1st, it is unlikley to kill or maim you if use incorrectly.
;-) |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 103
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 02:49 pm: |
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if you have a graflite flash, you probably have some concentrated stop solution for developing black & white film, right? that's like vinegar on steroids, and safer than battery acid.
don't make any salad dressing out of it though |
Brianshaw
Tinkerer
Username: Brianshaw
Post Number: 11
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 05:27 pm: |
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Thanks Rick... I'll remember that!
I swabbed the battery case with vinegar and rubbed vigorously with a brass brush. Most of the encrustation is gone.
Thanks, all, for the help! |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 103
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 08:49 pm: |
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When you've worked on a sulphonating plant as a student; pedaled around the works on a grocers bike, with four winchesters of oleum for test in the carrier, working with and reclaiming battery acid becomes second nature. Some cleaners on the supermarket shelf are far more hazardous if used incorrectly. |
Wsboyd
Tinkerer
Username: Wsboyd
Post Number: 39
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 13, 2006 - 06:53 pm: |
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True, but always start with the safer methods & work up if needed.
I worked as a chemist in a waste disposal company,
& in various laboratories over the '70's & '80's, and have seen (& done) some very scary things with very scary chemicals.
;-) |
