I am sure everyone has seen the Miracle DIY rust removal processes on Youtube etc..
where they leave incredibly rusty parts in a Vat of Davenports (lets see who remembers) or such the rust simply drops off...

Well for some time I have been doing a few experiments....
So for the first part lets examine the good old Vinegar....
I like this.... I pay just over £2 for a gallon of white distilled vinegar...
it's not hazardous and can be used on your chips afterwards....

I soaked a few things in an old ice-cream tub of Vinegar... with some good results....
I did upgrade to a larger tank and have done a few bigger things with the same degree of success....
Here is a sort of before and after pic of some spanners....

These were some i found in an old tool box and decided to clean them up for this thread.....
I did nothing other than drop them in the Vinegar (which had been used previously)...
I left them for a few hours....
a difference can be seen but..... the process slows mainly because the Rust is converted into something like Ferric Acetate... and the vinegar slowly turns to water (obviously depending on the amount of use and size of parts)
To improve things I then use a toothbrush or green scouring pad to rub the black acetate off the part then redip it for a few hours.....more times you repeat the better the finish...
The reason I like Vinegar is it's not as strong as other acids and so you can actually leave stuff for day, this does not improve things drastically as you still occasionally have to remove the blackened surface...

When satisfied you can simply run the part under tap water and dry it...
However the part will flash rust if it is damp....
A Solution is to create another tank of water + Bi Carb of soda.... and after rinsing put the part in there for a short while... basically I use a large spoon of Bi Carb to a litre or so of water... after 15-20 mins take out and leave to air dry... the surface is coated with an alkali that prevents the flash rust... The level of protection varies... I have taken to placing things on a metal tray and drying with a heat gun..
My reason is I will paint them within a short while....
(There is another process I am experimenting with that I will leave for another day)
The Vinegar will eventually turn to water a cheap ph meter can be brought for a few "" on ebay... and you can simply pour it down the sing or toilet when finished...


I have used this on a variety of parts, from heavily rusted track rod ends (masking off the joint itself) clips and nuts/bolts, various brackets.. even steel backed Headlights...

Without going onto chemistry... you can even increase the action by adding salt, as I believe it converts to mild Hydrochloric acid...

Sure you can use Phosphotic acid or lemon juice.... but this is cheap easily available and a very gentle process... (I will cover Anodic rust removal later...)

Next following on....
Spanners....

modern spanners and tools tend to have a chrome or nickle type finish or made from some sort of chromium alloy.. in ye olden days tools such as TW Superslim, Snail brand or Britool were not all chrome plated...
I know TW Superslim were painted with a black enamel and the end faces were machined to remove the paint...
But does anyone know what finish was applied to various other makes..

Britool
Lister
Snail Brand...
Jenbro (lets see who knows where they were used without using google)
and many more
Were they "Blued"? if so would the heat affect the metal?

Lot of ways to remove rust, I am using electrolysis and works great.

gordinir8 said:

Lot of ways to remove rust, I am using electrolysis and works great.

Click to expand...

Agreed,
I have a bucket of budget cola in the garage for rust removal.

gordinir8 said:

Lot of ways to remove rust, I am using electrolysis and works great.

Click to expand...

That is Part 2

I do tend to use vinegar first then I have started to transfer to a tank of Sodium Carbonate (not Bicarbonate!!) for the electrolytic process...
This tends to be for parts that I want totally spotless.. but flash rust is almost instant.


This is all part of a three stage process I have been looking at and trying to perfect... that then includes Magnesium Sulfate..


Coke simply contains Phosphoric acid... and the other crap in it just complicates it... and Vinegar is cheaper (cheap coke contains less phosphoric acid)

Put away ye olde "magic" potions and get some pure phosphoric acid. Buy it in 5 litre containers and then dilute to suit. I've got an old plastic water tank filled with and approximately 50/50 water/acid mixture and can chuch fairly large items in there; the latest being a 7 gallon petrol-tank.

Phosphoric acid chews up iron oxide and produces soluble iron phosphate. This can be wiped off under running water or in some cases, if you don't have the patience to wait, you can paint over the black or grey surface crust that forms on iron or steel.

For the purposes of comparison; this ancient iron pin (found in the garden and possibly last used to retain one of the last Scottish McVampires) has been dunked in some phosphoric for twelve hours. It has then been wire-brushed and rinsed. You can even see the structure of the hammered layers of iron.

I won't use any other products because this one is very inexpensive, versatile and easily available. Sometimes you will get it from an agricultural supplier but eBay will always be there for you.

fiat500 said:

Put away ye olde "magic" potions and get some pure phosphoric acid. Buy it in 5 litre containers and then dilute to suit. ............

Click to expand...

I agree Phosphoric acid is great.... but the best deal I can find is 81% by volume and 5L costs £69+ about £18 delivery as few carriers will take it....
That is a lot of £££££ sure you will dilute it down.. and ideally you should use distilled water not tap water...

vinegar you can pick up at Asda....and use as is (8%)...

As i said I have a 3 stage process that actually costs pence....
Perhaps I am a tight git......


P.

Bigvtwin996 said:

..
That is a lot of £££££ sure you will dilute it down.. and ideally you should use distilled water not tap water...


Perhaps I am a tight git......


P.

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It actually works beter when diluted....neat acid is quite sticky and a bit too reactive. If you saw the sludgy mess that I've got at the moment after chucking in so many semi-oily, rusty parts you would realise that distilled water is a complete overkill.

I can't comment on your parsimony but you need to do better Googling.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phosphor...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

With a Fiat 500 this lot will last a while but won't be wasted.

fiat500 said:

It actually works beter when diluted....neat acid is quite sticky and a bit too reactive. If you saw the sludgy mess that I've got at the moment after chucking in so many semi-oily, rusty parts you would realise that distilled water is a complete overkill.

I can't comment on your parsimony but you need to do better Googling....
.

Click to expand...

I am still a tight git.....

I have a bucket size container of phosphoric acid which works well as Peter says. I have also made quite extensive use of the washing soda/electrolysis tank method powered by an old mobile phone charger. Also used a phone charger to supply the current for a zinc plating tank.
I do like some vinegar on my carburettors though

Toshi 975 said:

I do like some vinegar on my carburettors though

Click to expand...

I wish I'd remembered that advice recently, but I found that repeated scrubs with a toothbrush using white spirit made a better than expected job on a carb.

I've been sorting through bits and pieces and slowly been cleaning and derusting as I go. So I chucked a random exhaust elbow into the phosphoric the other day. I took it out today and rinsed and scrubbed with a wire-brush and was very pleased with how raw and fresh it looked. Most of it was bare steel and the odd area was coated in grey iron phosphate.

...then I found another one.:bang:

I have also used a little toothpaste and brush on clean but dulled alloy parts to give them a little shine. Think it must be the fluoride or hexachloraphine in the stripes that makes the difference. But don't forget to put the wife's brush back in the holder before she finds out
If you have got any old exhaust elbows then it is well worth looking after them. I once refused to fit a pair of new ones on an engine that I was rebuilding for a lady. She supplied them and they were so poor they would have taken an hour or more each to open up the bores in the castings as they were so bad.

I’ve used white vinegar to restore tools. Worked great. Soaked overnight, then washed off with some wire wool. Then off to be rechromed. Success!