A coated nickel base superalloy single crystal turbine airfoil, blade (1), which is subject to gas turbine engine operation, can crack during refurbishment by a stress corrosion mechanism when exposed to certain corrosive media. The rapid thermal cycling that occurs during typical gas turbine engine operation results in high, non-uniform stresses across the airfoil, producing large localized residual strains in the article at ambient temperatures. Exposure to a corrosive environment, such as during coating removal or agressive cleaning, can produce chordwise cracks in a large number of the airfoils exposed. Such cracking is avoided by subjecting the articles to a preliminary stress relieving heat treatment which reduces the residual strains to a level below which cracking will not occur, prior to exposure to the corrosive media.