"Scrubber" for storing HCl I'm in need of hydrochloric acid for cleaning parts before electroplating, but I'd rather not deal with the HCl fumes given off by it, as I'd rather keep my workshop contents from rusting.
Given that HCl basically from what I've understood escapes any container it's put in, I had the idea of putting the container inside a bigger bucket and putting something in the bottom of the bucket to react with the fumes give off by the hydrochloric acid.
My first idea was either sodium bicarbonate or lye in solid form, would these react with it or do I need to have the base in liquid form? I'd rather not have my hydrochloric acid container covered in a lye solution.
Inexpensive [about US\$0.30 / liter] marble or limestone scraps, $\ce{CaCO3}$, likely would serve well. You could make an outer bucket with polyethylene netting, so that the pickling bucket would be well below the level of surrounding limestone chips. Coarse netting would not work with powders. Make the neck just large enough to admit the parts.
Better would would be to draw air continuously from above the container through a scrubber stack filled with marble or limestone chips, and possibly vent outside.
Definitely don't use lye, $\ce{NaOH}$, which is perhaps more dangerous than $\ce{HCL}$, as well as hygroscopic! You'd wind up with a puddle of caustic lye solution at the bottom of the outer bucket. And $\ce{NaHCO3}$ would also make a mess, though non-toxic.
BTW, if using large amounts, be careful that a spill into the outer container doesn't release so much $\ce{CO2}$ as to displace air and asphyxiate someone.