removing Zinc from chain???

I can't find any chain around the store's locality that sell good welded made in USA chain that hasn't been deeper in Zinc or Chrome. I don't want to use that bright shinning chain on my traps. I've tried painting over the zinc chain, it won't hold the paint past first catch. Pant rubs right off.
So I'm asking other trapping brothers and sisters, if they have a way that they known to remove the Zinc or Chrome from chain?
Thank You
Scott Barger

Vinegar

Its real easy, take a empty plastic 5 gallon bucket, put your chain in it, cover with water and pour in muratic acid until it starts smoking, stay up wind as it is hard on your lungs if you breath it but after a hour remove chain and rinse with water. it will be rusted soon and ready for dye.

Sure, just put it in a bucket of Hydrochloric acid...will dissolve it like alka seltzer.

Or, electrolysis it off...

Search YouTube for Home Zinc Plating, and use the zinc plated chain as the source of the zinc (I forget if it's the positive or negative side).

Could take a really long time, though, and you may have to do it one link at a time...

Edit: Beaten!

Vinegar is easy, safe, and effective. Just cover the chain with it in any old plastic container. It won't take but around 24 hours.

Vinegar sounds good to me, I hate messing with muratic acid. thanks for the tip.

I got some shiny chain for my tree stand years back to replace a thin cloth strap that came with it, I dragged it behind my truck up and down the gravel road a few times and that took it off. Sure did toss a lot of rocks around!

x2 Done it many times!

~ADC~

Thanks everyone,
Please keep the ideas coming. Where would I going muratic acid to buy, what type of store? I was guessing auto parts store? But don't know?

Its where they sell pool cleaning supplies, but stick with the vinegar unless you can't wait a day for the chain. Its safer and easier to deal with IMO.

~ADC~

Pour that acid on the chain and step back as the fumes can knock you for a loop! Not good to suck in!

Once you've used full strength white vinegar from Walmart for $3.00 a gallon, you'll never mess with Muratic Acid again.

It safe, and quick, and easy, and you won't have a Mini Toxic Waste Disposal problem to deal with afterwards.

Muratic acid is some big time nasty stuff and totally unnecessary to use it.

Just use the vinegar.

24 to 48 hours tops to clean the chain free of chrome, or zinc, or nickel plate.

Then just rinse it, and if you don't want the chain to rust, rinse it in a baking soda bath to neutralize the vinegar's acid.

walleyed

I buy Muriatic Acid at Ace Hardware,,,its with driveway cleaning degreasers, etc,,BUT I dilute it 75% with water and it works in about a minute or 2.
Then pour the toxic waste wherever I don't want grass to grow for a few yrs.

I've used vinegar and muriatic acid.I always neutralize the chain after and neutralizing does not stop the rusting process.I find it rusts faster.I also neutralize both before discarding.

Muriatic acid is quicker for sure but it is nasty stuff. you can get it at a hardware store no problem. I use it to clean steel on rusted bridle bits all the time as it doesn't affect silver real fast. If your not in a hurry I would go with vinegar though.

Thought I would bring this too the top since a lot of guys are working on trap prep right now.

I use vinegar.

Brian

This is what I use too. Strips it right off.

I never could understand stripping the coating from the chain deal. unless it was just for ones own pleasure. if i could get zinc coated traps i would love it.