Rust remover

[Sam Salvati]

Hello, I don't post too often in here. I was wondering, I want to get my old trenton down to bare metal, all it really is is rusty. Would soaking it in vinegar for a couple days work? Is there some form of rust remover that won't harm the metal?

[HWooldridge]

Naval jelly is good - buy it at Lowe's or Home Depot and follow the directions.

[Sam Salvati]

Strips it right down to bare metal?

[Glenn]

That topic was in a Blueprint last week or the week before. It should post soon. Photos attached show the before and after.

See Blueprint BP0448

[HWooldridge]

Strips it right down to bare metal?

Rust, yes - paint, no. Sandblasting also works well and takes off anything that ain't nailed down.

[Sam Salvati]

COOL, thanks Glenn, HW. I'll try the naval jelly.

[keykeeper]

Sam,

HHmmmmm, let's see.........

1-Get out the angle grinder, a cup brush, and a dust mask.
2-Unleash the primal urge to kill rust with a power tool.

(Blow nose repeatedly when finished, as the mask doesn't catch it all.)

Works for me anyway!!

aaron, rust destroyer at-large

[Sam Salvati]

:D I wanted to try something that would strip the rust OFF completely, right down to bare metal, darn near etch the thing:D.

[johnny99]

Apprentice man do a search on electrolitic (sp?) rust removal.
Basically you submerge the iron in a water soda solution, and run a weak electrical current through it. Sort of electroplating in reverse. It's supposed to work great. Removing every bit of rust and no metal at all.

[awemawson]

Yes I am a big supporter of electrolytic rust removal - it is simple and very effective, using no hard to find chemicals or equipment. All you need is a battery charger, some washing soda, and a plastic (or atleast non-conductive) container. Have a squint at:

Rust removal FAQ

[Bear]

Hi sam,
There are many rust removers out there. I like Evapo-rust because it only removes the rust and not the rest of the steel. You just soak whatever it is you need to remove the rust from in it and it does it generally in only a few hours. MUCH better than naval jelly and some of the other liquids which if left in too long will eat all the steel.Here is the link:Evapo-Rust Rust Remover Home


Sean

[Sam Salvati]

Cool thanks Sean, i'll look into it. I really want a shiny looking anvil:D.

[FredW]

That same method for electrolytic rust removal can be used to cut steel also using salt water. It is kinda neet to watch.

Fred

[johnny99]

Fred, are you talking about electro discharge machining, or electro etching like the knife makers use to mark their blades?

[easilyconfused]

I've reclaimed many rusted up pipe wrenches and crescent wrenches with the electrolysis method. Works good enough that my dad has started trying to use it too. He never does that.....

[Sam Salvati]

Electric rust remover? Can you post a diagram of a setup for that?

[easilyconfused]

It was posted on the previous page. Really simple to set up and use too.

[Mills]

AM, plastic tub put baking soda in it and fill with water. using tie wire, copper wire, coat hangers etc create a skirt inside the tub but NOT touching the item to be derusted. have insulation wherever it might physically touch the tub because sometimes your chosen anode gets really hot. have a place to hook up the negative lead of the battery charger. Set the item into the tub and have a place to hook up the positive side to it. Hook up battery charger, pop a top, watch the bubbles. if bubbles don't form on the item switch the leads.

This would work great for an anvil or wrenches. This method is linear. for example if you were derustifying pipe, the outside would be cleaned up and the inside would just be wet. To clean the inside you would need to run the anode through the center. There are several different websites that can walk you through it as well as the info on this site.

A word of caution if you want it to go faster so you hook up a bigger battery charger it will happen quicker. Rust comes off quicker the anode and cathode get hotter more smoke and fumes. Shoot, go large enough you could launch the anvil right outta the tub! 2-10 amps is quite fast enough for me. I tryed the 50A boost and generated a lot more than what I was capable of handling.

[habu68]

Word of warning, the bubbles given off by the anode and cathode are oxygen and hydrogen the same fuel used by the space shuttle. It is explosive in an enclosed enviroment.:o

[Glenn]

Mills from everything I have read anything drawing over 4 amps is too much. Remove some of the positive electrode from the water to lower the amp draw. DO NOT let the electrodes touch the work piece. More is not always better. It did not rust over night and should be given time to work "the magic" and clean things up.

The TV had a program on about the same process being to remove the sea crud, shell growth, etc from sunken artifacts. They said that it can some times take several YEARS to remove crud. Slow is the way to go.

Most projects only took 2-3 days. The gears I showed in the photo were pulled from the bottom of a creek after being there for who knows how long. Pressure washing only broke loose some of the encased crud. A week in solution did the rest.

[BobStrawn]

Rootbeer, Coke, Lemon Juice, Citric acid, all have done well. electrolysis is better, but a bottle of lemon juice does a great job. Evaporust is a commercial product that may be even better than electrolysis.

Bob

[Bear]

another electrolysis link
article-electro

[cutter]

I uh ... had a little adventure with an old vise one time that I found rusting away on a horse farm.

1. Here is how it looked when I found it

2. and then how it looked after 44 hours in the de-rustifying tank. Still had to be wire-brushed but the residue fell right off.

3. Here is how it looks after being treated with Permatex Rust Treatment. I like a dark finish that still looks like iron.
Of course, it took a couple of years to get it open but that's another story, or two.:D

[welder19]

This place has a lot of great products for rust removal and prevention.
Eastwood Company: Auto Tools, Body Repair, Classic Car Restoration, House of Kolor Paint, Powder Coating

welder19

[Glenn]

Blueprint BP0448 shows how to remove rust from metal.