Empathy List Archives

MC

Marty Campanella

Thu, Jul 1, 2010 8:07 PM

I have a couple of brass heads left over from zinc pencils where I can't get
the remaining zinc out and thus am unable to screw in a new pencil.

Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc?

Marty Campanella

Bay Pelican KK42

I have a couple of brass heads left over from zinc pencils where I can't get the remaining zinc out and thus am unable to screw in a new pencil. Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc? Marty Campanella Bay Pelican KK42

T

tbehan6468@aol.com

Thu, Jul 1, 2010 8:40 PM

I run a phosphoric acid/water mixture thru my heat exchangers and was told to
remove the zincs before circulating the mixture. Based on that, if you happen
to have phosphoric acid around you can probably use that. Or one of the
commercial products that contain it.
But hopefully there is an easierr way.

Tim Behan
Monk 36

-----Original Message-----
From: Marty Campanella baypelican@gmail.com
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Thu, Jul 1, 2010 4:07 pm
Subject: T&T: Removing remaining zinc from brass head of a zinc pencil

I have a couple of brass heads left over from zinc pencils where I can't get
he remaining zinc out and thus am unable to screw in a new pencil.

Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc?

Marty Campanella
Bay Pelican KK42

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I run a phosphoric acid/water mixture thru my heat exchangers and was told to remove the zincs before circulating the mixture. Based on that, if you happen to have phosphoric acid around you can probably use that. Or one of the commercial products that contain it. But hopefully there is an easierr way. Tim Behan Monk 36 -----Original Message----- From: Marty Campanella <baypelican@gmail.com> To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com Sent: Thu, Jul 1, 2010 4:07 pm Subject: T&T: Removing remaining zinc from brass head of a zinc pencil I have a couple of brass heads left over from zinc pencils where I can't get he remaining zinc out and thus am unable to screw in a new pencil. Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc? Marty Campanella Bay Pelican KK42 ______________________________________________ ttp://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/trawlers-and-trawlering To unsubscribe or modify your subscription options (get password, change email ddress, etc) go to: http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/options/trawlers-and-trawlering Trawlers & Trawlering and T&T are trademarks of Water World roductions. Unauthorized use is prohibited. =

K

Keith

Thu, Jul 1, 2010 9:47 PM

You can try using a small flat chisel or old cheap slot screwdriver and
hammering a slot into the soft zinc. You may be able to get enough hold on
it to unscrew it. If that doesn't work, get some muriatic (hydrochloric)
acid from a pool owner friend, add acid to water, half and half and it'll
dissolve the zinc overnight. Be careful working with acid. I just did this
with a bunch the other day.

Keith

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are
evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.

            Albert Einstein

-----Original Message-----

I have a couple of brass heads left over from zinc pencils where I can't get
the remaining zinc out and thus am unable to screw in a new pencil.

Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc?

Marty Campanella

You can try using a small flat chisel or old cheap slot screwdriver and hammering a slot into the soft zinc. You may be able to get enough hold on it to unscrew it. If that doesn't work, get some muriatic (hydrochloric) acid from a pool owner friend, add acid to water, half and half and it'll dissolve the zinc overnight. Be careful working with acid. I just did this with a bunch the other day. Keith The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. Albert Einstein _____ -----Original Message----- I have a couple of brass heads left over from zinc pencils where I can't get the remaining zinc out and thus am unable to screw in a new pencil. Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc? Marty Campanella

RA

Rudy and Jill

Thu, Jul 1, 2010 10:29 PM

Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc?

Marty, if you don't want to bother with the chemicals, drill the zinc out and chase the threads with a tap. I also chase the threads on the zinc in order to have them screw in easier.

This method requires a little more effort than using chemicals, but if you do it this way and carry the tap/die with you, you will be able to do it again, anywhere that you find yourself when the zinc needs to be replaced.

All of the zincs that I've done this with have had standard SAE, coarse threads. The one that I did yesterday, originally was a 3/8 x 2 inch zinc and required a 5/16 tap and die. I usually do it in a vise, using a drill motor to run the bit, or by holding the brass plug with pliers and using a drill press.

But yesterday, I clamped the plug in a pair of vise grips and used a hand turned (egg beater type) drill. First knocked the sharp tip off the zinc with a screwdriver and hammer, started drilling with a small drill, kept increasing the size of the bits until the hole was large enough that the tap would run down through the threads. Had a very pleasant 15 minutes doing this in the rain... who said that yachting wasn't fun?

Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl

> Any secret formulas that will dissolve the zinc? Marty, if you don't want to bother with the chemicals, drill the zinc out and chase the threads with a tap. I also chase the threads on the zinc in order to have them screw in easier. This method requires a little more effort than using chemicals, but if you do it this way and carry the tap/die with you, you will be able to do it again, anywhere that you find yourself when the zinc needs to be replaced. All of the zincs that I've done this with have had standard SAE, coarse threads. The one that I did yesterday, originally was a 3/8 x 2 inch zinc and required a 5/16 tap and die. I usually do it in a vise, using a drill motor to run the bit, or by holding the brass plug with pliers and using a drill press. But yesterday, I clamped the plug in a pair of vise grips and used a hand turned (egg beater type) drill. First knocked the sharp tip off the zinc with a screwdriver and hammer, started drilling with a small drill, kept increasing the size of the bits until the hole was large enough that the tap would run down through the threads. Had a very pleasant 15 minutes doing this in the rain... who said that yachting wasn't fun? Rudy Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl

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Removing remaining zinc from brass head of a zinc pencil