Archive for The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum The Original Toy Steam Forum Established 2006 The biggest, most popular global steam forum around! Accept NO imitations! We have a growing community of regular posting members who chat about all aspects of toy and model steam.          The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum Forum Index -> Off topic board The Denying Dutchman Reusing vinegar As someone who buys and sells quite a few engines, I use lots of vinegar to descale all those boilers. As usual I use it once and then throw it away. Quite a waste, especially when descaling large boilers. About a week ago, I think, I saw a weed killer recipe on the net using vinegar as the main ingredient. I tried it and it works quite well, it even killed my wifes flowers. So next time when you descale a boiler, keep the vinegar and go kill some plants! 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of white vinegar 12 ounces (341.1 grams) approximately of salt for every gallon of vinegar 1 tablespoon, more or less, of dishwashing detergent will work as a surfactant Use a regular spray bottle to spray the leaves of your victims. Stitch1615 I make pickles with it. Just strain the large pieces and,,,,,,, MODmanMax Most boilers are soft soldered with lead/tin solder. When you descale you will also be removing some heavy metals. Heavy metals like lead hang around in the environment and in the cells of your body if you ingest them. I would not be putting that stuff on my garden or in my body. Play it safe and tip it down the drain so long as your drain goes to a sewerage plant.   Dean W Re: Reusing vinegar The Denying Dutchman wrote: 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of white vinegar 12 ounces (341.1 grams) approximately of salt for every gallon of vinegar 1 tablespoon, more or less, of dishwashing detergent will work as a surfactant The amount of salt alone in that mixture will kill plants.    That contains over 300% more salt than sea water, and sea water will kill most all plants that grow in regular soil. I do use vinegar more than once for descaling boilers.  After a few uses it quits working, but it's good for more than one shot. loose nut 45 Re: Reusing vinegar Quote: I do use vinegar more than once for descaling boilers.  After a few uses it quits working, but it's good for more than one shot. I have used it up to three times then it seems to have little or no effect and it goes down the drain. The Denying Dutchman MODmanMax wrote: Most boilers are soft soldered with lead/tin solder. When you descale you will also be removing some heavy metals. Heavy metals like lead hang around in the environment and in the cells of your body if you ingest them. I would not be putting that stuff on my garden or in my body. Play it safe and tip it down the drain so long as your drain goes to a sewerage plant.   Maybe you've got a point, but as a weed killer it's still much less toxic than commercial available weed killers. And the odds of indigesting lead particles when spraying plants is next to zero. Lead fumes from soldering are definitely more hazardous and while soldering it's not a question if you inhale lead fumes, but how much you inhale.        The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum Forum Index -> Off topic board Page 1 of 1