When processing hard metals, various kinds of difficulties can arise.
For example, I broke a tap when I cut a thread in one of my “adapters”. A lot of time and effort had already been spent on work, and therefore I decided to get a broken tool.
This article is about how to etch a broken tap.
Content:
Read also: Cooking jelly at home: 20 delicious fruit recipes and blanks for the winter
We take out the broken tip of the tap
Tool steel is resistant to mechanics, but not to chemistry
Tool steel is a very durable tool. This property is imparted to the tool by hardening, but because of this, it becomes brittle - you always have to sacrifice something. For this reason, drilling it will not work in any way - another method is needed.
The tap is stuck inside the product
This method is suitable for all those who have had a similar story - when a thread was cut in responsible small products. We will use etching technology.
Step #1 - reagent preparation
Reagent composition
We will pickle tool steel with citric acid. In a stainless steel container suitable for the size of the workpiece, pour 2 tablespoons of citric acid and add a glass (200 ml) of tap water.
Step #2 - Etching Process
We place the preparation in a saucepan
In the container with the reagent we place the workpiece with the stuck tap.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat
We put on fire. The temperature will act as a catalyst, i.e. accelerating factor for a chemical reaction. We bring the water to a boil and reduce the fire as much as possible, which is needed only to maintain the temperature. It is not necessary to boil the workpiece throughout the pickling, since this will not affect the result and time in any way, but only the water will boil faster.
After some time, it will be possible to notice the course of a chemical reaction - the active formation of small bubbles in the area where carbon steel is located.
Visualization of the chemical process
The etching process takes a lot of time: about 4-5 hours. Therefore, periodically you need to check the presence of water in the pan. If necessary, add water, and also add a small amount of citric acid.
Adding a Reagent
To reduce the evaporation of water, it is recommended to close the pan with a lid.
Step #3 - Removing the Tap
Metal corrodes with acid
After 3-4 hours it will be possible to visually notice the destruction of the tap.
Tap successfully removed from workpiece
There is no need to wait for the complete dissolution of the metal in acid. You can and should try to remove it mechanically - hit from the opposite side of the workpiece.
Read also: Lemon: description, care, growing from the stone at home, recipes for vitamin juice and lemonade (Photo & Video) + Reviews Conclusion
It took me exactly 5 hours for the whole process.
In the figure, you can compare the etched tip of the tool with its new counterpart. It also shows the total time in minutes that it took to remove an unnecessary element from the workpiece.
VIDEO: Etching a broken tap with citric acid
Etching a broken tap with citric acid
How to pull a broken tap out of a hole: the easy way
