Keg cut with carbon arc, is there a way to save it?

[vitords]

First of all, thank you for sharing so much useful content! I've been reading the forums for about 2 years now and I've learned a lot!

Here's my problem: I've got a keg a few days ago that was cut open using carbon arc by some other guy. There was water inside it, so the rust you see in the pictures is actually from the little drops of metal that sprayed everywhere. These drops of metal fall off very easily.
I believe I can get rid of it by sanding, am I wrong? I'm not sure if the stainless steel is damaged.
So... Is there a way to save this keg?

Thanks!

 

[processhead]

It looks like your keg top was cut out with a plasma cutter and then a little smoothing with hand grinder.

I would try to smooth up the rough spots with emery cloth or possibly a fine-cut file. Really just needs to be smooth enough so it doesn't cut you while your in there cleaning up.

As long as the slag isn't fused to the keg surface, it and the rust stains should clean up fairly easily.

The heat discoloration around the cut edge should also be pretty easy to polish out with abrasives/sandpaper.

Definitely no reason to condemn that keg.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Probably. Get a couple of containers of Bar Keeper's Friend at the grocery store (cleaning aisle). Then sand the heck out of the keg and get all of the rust off. Then make a thick paste with the BKF and some water. Then slather that paste all over the sanded areas. The BKF paste will help re-passivate the stainless steel. Leave it on there a few hours or overnight and then take a dry towel and clean it up. Then don't hose it down for about 5-7 days. Then hose it down and you should be good to go.

Not totally sure about the time-frame thing. Someone else might want to chime in for verification.

 

[vitords]

Thanks guys! I'll get to work on it as soon as possible.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Me, I would take a 4 inch grinder with a grinding wheel on it, ( keep it moving around), and take it back as far as the discoloration, that will get rid of the crap on the underside.
Then follow the other steps.

 

[acidrain]

Me, I would take a 4 inch grinder with a grinding wheel on it, ( keep it moving around), and take it back as far as the discoloration, that will get rid of the crap on the underside.
Then follow the other steps.

This

That thing is a long way from emery cloth and bar keepers friend.
Shape it with a grinding wheel.
Smooth it with a sanding disc.
Clean up the sanding marks with a green buff pad.
Then hit it with bar keepers friend... it can definitely be saved.

 

[passedpawn]

Bar Keepers Friend is what you need there. There's remnants of plain carbon steel, and that's causing the rusting. BKF is an acid (oxalic) that will thoroughly clean the SS and allow the protective chromium oxide layer to form.

 

[passedpawn]

This

That thing is a long way from emery cloth and bar keepers friend.
Shape it with a grinding wheel.
Smooth it with a sanding disc.
Clean up the sanding marks with a green buff pad.
Then hit it with bar keepers friend... it can definitely be saved.

Yea, you might be right if there is non-SS attached. That would be a problem that wouldn't go away with BKF.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

If the Barkeeps Friend does not work, search the forum here for "passivating", and there's several good threads about passivating stainless with citric acid.