Rust Remover for Tool Restoration

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Electrolysis is by far the cheapest and easiest with the added advantage that you can leave the stuff in it almost for ever without any detrimental affect. The process stops when there is no more rust, and stops and rust from occurring whilst in it. Any phone or computer DC changer will do. With acid, it eats good metal as well as the rust, where as electrolysis only targets the rust. We use it all the time when restoring machines
Deema is of course quite correct, but it does very much depend on the acid. Phosphoric is used for this as it readily attacks rust, but works much more slowly on sound steel. So yes it would damage it eventually, but you would have to leave it in there for a long time. As an example i once forgot about a thin pressed steel fuel pump cover, and ended up leaving it in for about a week without any really detrimental effect, so the hour or less it will take to remove every trace of rust certainly isnt going to do any harm.
 
If you ncan submerse the item I fully recomend the citric acid, i have used it extensive ly , afterimmersion I rinse it off and then neutralise any residule any acid that may still be present by immersing it agian in a Bicarbonate soda (alkali) solution followed by another rinse
 
So - I have made a start on the process of cleaning all the small parts.

Now the plain steel parts are fine, stick them in a jar in the ultrasonic cleaner and they come up lovely in 10-20 mins or so.

However.... Two Questions:

1. For some reason a select few parts of the machine are blackened steel, obviously this restore rust remover in combination with the ultrasonic cleaner does remove the blacking (I think it is also called blueing). Now that they are cleaned etc I was planning on coating with some of this (MetalGuard Ultra 250ml). Is there any reason that I should go to the (considerable) effort of re-blacking these parts, or would coating them with some kind of metal protection like mentioned be sufficient.


2. Some of the parts are what appear to be hot dip zinc galvanized - 90% of these are intact (i.e there is no breach of the galvanised coating), but the odd one is corroded or has parts of the steel showing which have rusted. The rust solution removes the rust, but ovbiously it doesn't have any effect on the zinc coating. Again, is coating with an appropriate metal protection likely sufficient for these parts as well.


Many thanks in advance for anyone's insight!
 
I just use vinegar. Soak it (50/50 water and vinegar mix) for a day or so and then scrub off the sludge. Then a wash in hot water. Dry with hot air gun and oil so rust does not get started again. Its a fairly gentle way of doing it and nothing really harmful going on.
Regards
John
+1 although I just use white vinegar neat.
 
No need to refinish the parts, metal guard or similar will be fine. Don't use WD40, it dries out over time leaving a nasty residue.
Thanks!

I have dipped in metal guard and left to dry, have a long process ahead of me cleaning and then protecting all 600 components or so!
 
You have a product, Restore made in England, that is mixed with water and works much like Evapo-Rust.
https://www.shieldtechnology.co.uk/restore-rust-remover-250ml-i26.htmAnyone tried it?

Pete
They do a liquid and a gel. Both work well. The gel is very useful but doesn’t seem to stay as s gel for long, turning into the liquid version whilst in its container after a few weeks. I complained and they sent me another gel foc that did the same. Saying that, the liquid works well.
 
If you ncan submerse the item I fully recomend the citric acid, i have used it extensive ly , afterimmersion I rinse it off and then neutralise any residule any acid that may still be present by immersing it agian in a Bicarbonate soda (alkali) solution followed by another rinse
I have just found a 1kg bag of citric acid crystals in my workshop! What is the ratio to water for tool rust removal please?
 
So I tried out the 'Restore Rust Remover'. I ended up speaking to Paul at Shield Technologies quite a bit for advice on specifics, but it resulted in me also purchasing an ultrasonic cleaner which I am actually really pleased with. It looks like it will come in handy in the future for cleaning carbourettors and all sorts too.

Anyhow I have cleaned all of the small parts up which are a mix of steel, cast iron, aluminium and galvanised steel, and I am quite pleased with how they have come out.

All coated with the 'Metalguard ultra' stuff, now just leaving out overnight to dry.

Next job will be the main chassis of the machine
 

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