Removing Chalk from Bar?

I got a Texas Power Bar for Christmas in black oxide. I know that chalk retains moisture and it might not be the best thing for that to stay on my bar so people have been telling me to wipe it down. What is the best way to do that and actually remove the chalk from the knurling?

I have no idea but I would try a wire brush.

If this is a bad idea give it a few minutes and somebody who knows will chime in.

Depending on how deep the black oxide penetrated, a wire brush could scratch it up.

The chalk isn’t going to hurt anything. That is why it has the black oxide finish, to protect it.

Any cleaner or solvent should take it off if you really want to. Soapy water and a sponge is probably the easiest. If it’s really stuck acetone will take it off without damaging the oxide.

See an answer from someone who knows

Thanks Tedro

I have never had a problem with chalk on a bar , SS or black, also unless your bar sits in a area with a lot of moisture then i don’t think its a big deal.

Wire brush works well, if you’re concerned about wearing off the black oxide, get a stiff nylon brush from a hardware store (or use a toothbrush).

I’d probably use an air compressor

[quote]Its All U wrote:
See an answer from someone who knows

Thanks Tedro[/quote]

You were right man.

Every single PL meet I’ve ever been to has had a wire brush. We have one in the gym too. Hell, afaik you cant’ actually run a comp without one!

[quote]Hanley wrote:
Its All U wrote:
See an answer from someone who knows

Thanks Tedro

You were right man.

Every single PL meet I’ve ever been to has had a wire brush. We have one in the gym too. Hell, afaik you cant’ actually run a comp without one![/quote]

Yeah, the combo of chalk and baby powder makes later attempts with a dirty bar difficult, to say the least!

[quote]Hanley wrote:
Its All U wrote:
See an answer from someone who knows

Thanks Tedro

You were right man.

Every single PL meet I’ve ever been to has had a wire brush. We have one in the gym too. Hell, afaik you cant’ actually run a comp without one![/quote]

Do those bars have a black oxide finish? If so, are they carbon steel or stainless? A wire brush will scratch up black oxide. If it’s a stainless bar, it doesn’t really matter because the finish is purely cosmetic. If it’s carbon steel, the finish is there to protect against corrosion and the bar will rust in spots if it gets scratched.

The nylon brush that someone else suggested will be fine to get most of it off.

Don’t use a wire brush, over time it will damage the bar. Acetone won’t be needed unless you are using resin (aka rosin).
A stiff plastic brush will be fine if the knurling gets clogged, otherwise I’d tend to leave it.

Most power meets do use a wire brush, but they need to clean the bar quickly, not leave it wet AND they have to deal with chalk and resin. Over time the knurling gets reduced in sharpness.

Stiff nylon brush will get the job done.

I use a brass bristle brush on my Texas Power Bar.

I’ve done it with a wire brush on an old bar and it definitely scratches it up, but a brass brush is soft enough that it will clean it without damaging it. You can pick one up at any hardware store for a couple of bucks.

Thanks guys. I think I actually like the toothbrush idea if it comes to that. My basement has a dehumidifier in it so it isn’t really humid, I just thought that a lot of chalk held moisture and would rust the bar.

It had a couple small spots of rust on it when I do it, most just rubbed off with my finger but a couple spots on the sleeves didn’t come off that easily so I got worried.