What is Pickling and Oiling?
It might sound a little strange to hear that steel can be pickled, a process you might normally associate with preserving food. But with steel, the pickling process is accomplished by chemically treating the steel to remove stains, rust or residue/scale that has formed on its surface. These impurities can cause the steel to rust or degrade.
Once the pickling process has been completed, the surface of the steel is then treated with a lightweight oil that remains on the steel until the final finish is applied. This is done to repel water and any moisture from the air that can cause oxidation of the bare steel and act as a rust preventative.
Additional Benefits of Pickling and Oiling Steel
Besides removing surface dirt, stains, scale and rust, pickling steel gives the steel’s surface a consistent cosmetic appearance that would be desirable for clear coat applications. Pickling also makes the surface cleaner and smoother than it would be if it were shot-blasted before the finishing process. This creates a superior surface for e-coat and powder coat finishes. It also allows for a better surface for applying paint and a superior finished look.
Liberty Uses Pickled and Oiled Steel
Pickled and oiled steel can be used for a variety of purposes because it has remarkable workability. It is a better steel for items that require strength. It excels in applications where the steel is cut, rolled, punched, bent and folded. This type of steel is often used when constructing items that require superior strength, including:
- Light poles
- Guardrails
- Shelving
- Racking
- Gas cylinders
It is only natural that Liberty Safe would use pickled and oiled steel as our go-to for gun safe steel. The unibody construction we use to manufacture our full-sized gun safes requires cutting, punching, bending and folding to form the body of our safes.
Liberty uses only the best pickled and oiled gun safe steel to build safes that are designed to last a lifetime.