Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 21
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Armadale
    Posts
    887

    Default de rusting really rusty iron

    Ok,
    I have a whole bunch of hand made Planes and old farm thingys.
    branding irons, cream cans, sythes and stuff.

    Its all badly pitted and rusty but not so deeply corroded that it cant be recovered I would think.
    Whats the best way of getting them presentable. just for display purposes.

    Astrid

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Lindfield N.S.W.
    Age
    63
    Posts
    1,644

    Default

    Try electrolysis - it can make good metal out of the rust.

    All you need to know is in this article from the HTPAA website

    Using acid (citric or acetic) dissolves the rust, losing the chance to restore the metal. Similarly, using friction (wire brush, emery cloth, etc) just scrubs the rust away. This tends to make the pits bigger!
    Cheers

    Jeremy
    If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    723

    Default

    For the chunkier stuff where a precise surface isn't required and there's a lot of rust to shift and you are in a hurry....hydrochloric acid (brick cleaning acid from the hardware store) works a treat. Dilute it 10:1 (add acid to water, not the other way around!) and chuck it in. Mind the fumes, they are nasty. Check on it every ten minutes or so. It will attack the iron, but its a very very slow reaction compared to the rust.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Minbun, FNQ, Australia
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1

    Default

    Have you seen these links in the Best of?

    http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ead.php?t=8243

    http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ead.php?t=8242

    http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=29549

    There are also some more threads about rust removal & rust prevention on tools but I can't find them in a hurry.
    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    1,174

    Default

    I wouldn't recommend HCl, unless you sit there and watch it. I have been gone 2 minutes and it has gone too far. Also some of the thinly rusted iron will be being eaten while teh thick rust is still there. Using HCl also requires a thorough wash in water afterwards and apply a protective coating, otherwise it will start rusting again

    What I use all the time is phosphoric acid. I have used raw phosphoric but I now use a proprietary product called Rannex because it is already mixed in the right proportion and it is dead safe - it won't dissolve any iron, just the rust, it actually converts rust (iron oxides) into Iron Phosphate.

    Rannex is Phosporic acid, water and detergent to act as a wetting agent. The directions on the bottle are pretty well spot on. You can soak items in it but you can't reuse the solution again after that. Painting the items is a better way to go, you just let it dry and that's it. If some rust remains repeat the process until there is no rust. The iron is left sans rust and with a blue black protective coating of iron phosphate that does not allow the iron to rust for some time. This can be sanded off if you want shiny iron.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Armadale
    Posts
    887

    Default

    Thanks everyone,
    I'll take the easiest option because there only old farm things and because I'm too idle to do it properly.
    cheers
    Astrid

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    0

    Default

    I know of people that restore old cars, the wheels and other bits and pieces useing Molassis (watered down). They keep it in a big plactis drums 200L and just let the items have a sit in there for a few days... I have a feeling that the Molassis may have some Urea in it also, may have to search some more or perhaps someone else here knows the process also??? But i do know that it doesnt attack any of the good metal and does a very nice job.
    It's Ripping Time!!!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    adelaide
    Posts
    0

    Default

    i use elcheapo brown vinegar depending on the amount of rust a day or so and a bit of a scrub with soapy water and its back to bare metal. use it on old chisels and plane blades etc but cant see why it wouldnt work on bigger things just more vinegar

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Armadale
    Posts
    887

    Default

    Thanks Tanii51

    thats what I was looking for, Im selling this stuff for about $15 a piece so dont want to spend hours doing it up.

    Astrid

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Well, if you are using vinegar you might as well add kitchen salt (sodium chloride). It combines with the vinegar (acetic acid) to produce a weak solution of hydrocloric acid, which works better as already explained.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    596

    Default

    Thanks Tanii. I've just tried vinegar for the first tiime and it worked
    Jim

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    1

    Default

    Get a couple of tubs of citric acid powder from the supermarket, dilute in a bucket of water, and leave the items there for a week. Then scrub with steel wool/wire brush.

    This works GREAT for old files - renews them.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    adelaide
    Posts
    0

    Default

    thanks frank n ernest ill give it a try ( theres always something to learn eh)

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Queensland
    Posts
    613

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by derekcohen View Post
    Get a couple of tubs of citric acid powder from the supermarket, dilute in a bucket of water, and leave the items there for a week. Then scrub with steel wool/wire brush.

    This works GREAT for old files - renews them.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    G'day Derek, I have used vinegar to de-reust lightly rusted stuff before but had not thought of files.

    Just some info, does vinegar work as well as the citric acid?

    How do you overcome the "flash" rusting, which of course leads back to the original problem, after cleaning up the metals?

    Do you coat the files with anything?

    Regards,
    Bob

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Garvoc VIC AUSTRALIA
    Posts
    3,208

    Default

    wash the vinegfar off immediately in soapy water and coat with oil or crc etc.
    Regards, Bob Thomas

    www.wombatsawmill.com

Similar Threads

  1. Rusting of sub-floor nails.
    By Binks in forum FLOORING
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 10th September 2006, 07:18 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •