I have always had good luck with soaking things in burned motor oil for a month or so.
That being said... I had issue with my brake drums earlier this month. Penetrating oil, heat, and hammer taps did not work. Because I had a broken lug in the brake housing, I had decided to just replace the drums if they broke. I then applied my grandfather's advice and used a bigger hammer. 18 lbs and a full swing. The drums came off as pretty as you please and did not break!:D

I use pb blaster and marvels. stand by marvels have always replased 1 qt in every oil change in my cars. Engins have out lasted the body.

I've used PB, Kroil, liquid wrench as well.

My non-scientific testing has shown me that the acetone/ATF mixture that I posted above works better than any of them. The tests I linked to above were orginally run by Machinist's Workshop magazine. I don't know how well the rusty parts were setup of course, so their tests may have been very skewed.

One example from personal use: I bought a sandstone grinding wheel from a junkyard. It looked like it had sat out in the rain/sun for countless years. Someone had previously had a metal frame around it that was bolted together. Rust was caked over everything. I hit it with the acetone/atf mix and then let it sit for half an hour or so. When I went to pull it apart, the nuts spun off the bolts using a box wrench, just as though I had just put them on.

going to have to give it a try ...bet that would be good to clean your rifle bore with also

I've used liquid wrench, WD-40, diesel oil mixed with lacquer thinner, and my current favorite is a product called Mouse Milk (google it, there's a website)--used extensively in the aviation industry and from my experience is pretty good.

Re my WI find: actually it was such high grade stuff that a knifemaker didn't like it as it didn't have enough "character" he wanted the old cruddy wagon tyre stuff!

I suggested he heat it up and twist it to get more character in the etch. Don't know if he tried that.

BTW should I mention that the 100+' was *free*? They were getting ready to bulldoze down the 1880's adobe house that cistern was built for and they told me I could have the rod if I wanted it...

Finnr said:

And another variation!!!! I use Marvel Mystery Oil!! give it a good soak and things usually come loose.

Same here Finnr--- works just as good on threads as a stuck motor!!!

 

Thomas Powers.... One inch round wrought iron with no character.... HMMMM... are you looking to un-burden yourself of that old pile of junk?

Oil of wintergreen on rusted nuts is what we used on firemain piping on ships. There's probably better stuff now.

ATF fluid always feels extra slippery and I can imagine the acetone is a good cutback.

Excelsior,

Ted

For freeing stuck/ seized threads, I use light oil 3 in 1 what have you, and whack it with a hammer, like to soak for as long as possible. I like to give the bolt head oor nut a good tap wit a hammer to assist loosening and penetration. Also like to apply heat, as much as possible!! Not enought to melt steel, but enough to make the steel threads in question " creep", basically use the co-effecient of expansion to get the threads unseized.

I live in the northeast, so get peices of WI that have been in or around the ocean for 125 years. I have started with a 1 inch rod, and ended up with a 1/4 inch rod after the "puff rust" came off in the forge. I have also seen cheap Stainless corrode quickly (months to failure) in the salt water, pretty entertaining!

Acetone and atf mmm that sounds like a winner.

I had a blower that I used ALL the most popular treatments on over a period of time, about 2 weeks. Then a friend recommended alcohol and dry ice. Set it in a cooler and dumped the dry ice over it then poured enough alcohol to physically contact the small internal parts. 6 hours and it cranked as soon as I grabbed the handle. WD 40 in all the crevices to displace latent water as it rewarmed.

Rust Reaper uses oil of wintergreen, it's available here.

I use the heat and cool method. Get it darn hot and quench as quickly as possible. There is a chemical reaction that gets rid of the rust. Nobody has mentioned straight water yet. It will "soften" rust, believe it or not. Next time you have a pair of pliers or tongs that are really stiff, swish them in the slack tub and work them back and forth, and keep dipping as needed. In a about a half a minute, they will usually move like new. Try it before you doubt it. As a chemist friend told me, why try to shove some huge fancy chemical chain into a crevice when water is one of the smallest compounds out there.

I have had pretty good luck with a mixture of acetone, brakefluid and WD 40 in equal portions.I have also used a can of tri flo that works good.

DJH; thanks for the laugh

Thomas the WI hoarder!