For all furnace processes discussed in the following recipes, items entering the furnace must be carefully cleaned to remove fingerprints, shop oils, and any other contaminants. Per our cleaning specifications; part, coupons, fixtures, and weights all need to be cleaned and protective wrapped until ready for the furnace cycle. This cleaning is important regardless of type of furnace being used. If items are not clean, then dirt, oils, and other contamination get carried into the furnace. Cleaning is usually done chemically in tanks, but sometimes parts are sand blasted, pressure washed, or wiped with hand cleaners. I prefer a light chemical etch in tanks.

You need to always wear clean (cotton or rubber) gloves when handling cleaned items because hand oils are a contaminant. These foreign elements contaminate the furnace and later deposit back onto the surface of the part during subsequent furnace loads. Any baked-on contaminants are expensive to clean off. Do you really want a permanent record of your fingerprints on the part?