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Had a simple hull cleaning job turn into a two day fight with a stuck valve
Was on a basic cleaning job for a small ferry in Seattle last week. Got to the sea chest and the main intake valve was just frozen solid, wouldn't budge at all. What should have been a 3 hour job turned into a full 8 hour shift of trying different penetrants, heat, and careful tapping. Came back the next day and it took another 4 hours with a bigger cheater bar and a lot of patience before it finally broke free. The whole thing was just a rusty, salty mess. Anyone have a better method for freeing up those old bronze valves without risking damage?
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oliviaj281mo ago
Read about a vinegar soak working for bronze.
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brian_baker1mo ago
Tried that on an old bronze door knocker last year. Mixed white vinegar with a little salt and left it for about twenty minutes. It took the green gunk right off, but you gotta rinse it super well and dry it completely.
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williamhenderson17d ago
@oliviaj28's read was right, vinegar worked better than I expected last time I tried it.
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