In article ,
Grant Erwin wrote:

mlcorson wrote:

I recently brought home a good length of 1/4" copper stranded rope. The
stuff is just like rope being made of very thin copper strands. Very
pliable...to a point. When I found it at the junk yard and it was
pretty dirty, greasy and green tarnished. I thought no problem, I'll
pull my immersion in weak solution of Muratic acid trick on it to
clean it up. It has not worked. The copper has a red tinged dust or
coating between the fibers I can't seem to remove it easily. I've used
scrothbrite down the whole length of it with ok results on the surface
areas, but the internal areas still look dingy. Any Ideas for a total
rehab? To get it back to shiny copper. I was going to use it for a
finished sculpture item. I bought it cheap, so it dosen't really
matter, but sometimes its just easier to purchase virgin materials.
This stuff is pretty unique in my opinion. Thanks

Better make sure you thoroughly neutralize that thing after dunking in acid.

Muriatic is a bad choice. Sulfuric or nitric would work better. Back in the
'60s
we used to heat pennies in nitric acid in chemistry lab and they sure cleaned
up
sweet.

GWE

Ferric chloride would also work.

--
Jedd Haas - Artist - New Orleans, LA (Currently exiled on the NJ shore)
http://www.gallerytungsten.com
http://www.epsno.com