TIL a weird trick with a wet rag for stubborn forge scale

I was trying to clean up a big, flat piece of mild steel for a tabletop project last week and the scale just would not come off with my usual wire wheel. Out of frustration, I grabbed a soaking wet shop rag and draped it over the hot steel right after pulling it from the forge, maybe 1200 degrees. Let it sizzle for about ten seconds, then pulled it off. The scale cracked and flaked off like crazy when I hit it with the hammer, way easier than before. Has anyone else tried something like this, or is it just a weird fluke that worked for me?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_murphy6d ago

So you draped a wet rag on the 1200-degree steel, but did you try it on anything thinner that could warp?

wadefoster6d ago

Tried it on a thinner piece once and ended up with a metal potato chip... warped so bad I could have served dip on it. My usual trick is just making more work for myself, honestly. The rag thing works great for thick stock, but now I keep a dedicated "warped projects" pile in the corner.