Cheap Easy Rust Removal!!!!!

This is SOOO cool.... cheaprustfree

I tried it and it works great. I would have had pics but the digi cams battery died

Wow! Malt Vinager, never would have thought...and it tastes good on fried clams too. Those axles in the before shots look pretty ratty. Amazing.

I will have to try that.. about to pull the suspension on the fiat once the weather breaks

I thought this would involve a shotgun.

Works to remove gun bluing as well.

Pfft, I've been telling folks about this here for years.

Don't bother with expensive vinegars, use the cheapest you can find.

lol, i though it was pretty cool!

Grassroots acid bath. Great tip!

I have used muriatic acid for crud removal, but that stuff is nasty and very dangerous. Sure does work fast, though. Not good for aluminum. The metal goes up in fumes.

hmmm...... how long will the vinegar be useful for?

At $36 a gallon I wouldn't call it cheap, but probably less so than other products.

Can you use other forms of vinegar?

A gallon of generic, store brand, vinegar (the clear stuff) is like $4 or less at the grocery store.

I use it all the time on ferrous stuff. DON'T use it on carburetors though...

I learned the hard way.

ClemSparks wrote: I use it all the time on ferrous stuff. DON'T use it on carburetors though... I learned the hard way.

Not sure, but why not? It's been 8 years since I've touched a carb--I'm drawing a blank as to why this would cause carb issues. . .

Holy cow, that's awesome! I can't wait to find something to try that on!!!

Thanks for posting that!

David

Any form of vinegar is a weak acid. Many metals react to acid in a bad way. Aluminum for one, and I THINK pot metal as well. Wouldn't want to find out the hard way. Iron, steel, stainless, no problem. Be careful with copper. It may be a bit aggressive with that, but not sure. Acid WILL clean it, though.

I can't imagine there's anything special about the malt vinegar chemically that helps with this process, it just tastes better on Fish and Chips so the guy in the video probably already had some around :). I'll probably try this on some bike parts with plain old white vinegar, I think you can get a gallon from Walmart for around $4. I bought one a few months ago because it was the best thing I could find to clean white grout on the kitchen tile.

steamcorners wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: I use it all the time on ferrous stuff. DON'T use it on carburetors though... I learned the hard way.

Not sure, but why not? It's been 8 years since I've touched a carb--I'm drawing a blank as to why this would cause carb issues. . .

Yeah, apparently aluminum reacts with the acid more than steel. On the steel (I've used it on bolts I'm trying to salvage, tools that got left out and rusty, bicycle parts, and one carburetor) the rust is dissolved. On aluminum...the aluminum (base metal) is disolved!

I find if I soak stuff for a couple of days and then pull it out and hit it with a toothbrush, it works well. The rust will flake off with the toothbrush. If there's more rust, just dunk it for another day or two. Repeat as necessary.

A great way to restore old tools.

I need to set up a filtering rig so I can keep a vat of this stuff on hand for larger parts too (I'm thinking one of those rubbermaid storage bins).

And yes, white vinegar is a fine household cleaning agent. Your baby or toddler is not going to get into too much trouble when he/she gets into the cleaning supplies if there's nothing there but vinegar and baking soda...

They may get a jump on the science fair volcano, but it should result in a trip to the poison specialists.

Clem

I have used this method: http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrolytic-Rust-Removal-aka-Magic/ It works great.

I will have to try the vinegar thing though

81gtv6 wrote: I have used this method: http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrolytic-Rust-Removal-aka-Magic/ It works great. I will have to try the vinegar thing though

I'll second that!

I love the electrolytic method, but the vinegar sounds easy. I'll try it too. Cost is probably similar if you already own a battery charger and some scrap metal.

Dr. Hess wrote: I thought this would involve a shotgun. Works to remove gun bluing as well.

beat me to it

So what's good for cleaning cruddy alum parts? Something I can soak and come back in a few days?

mrwillie wrote: So what's good for cleaning cruddy alum parts? Something I can soak and come back in a few days?

Ever use Chem Dip? It's nasty smelling stuff, but it sure works good...of course, not as cheap as a gallon of vinegar, it's something like $25 bucks for the big can IIRC.

http://www.berrymanproducts.com/Default.aspx?tabid=146

Bryce

Yeah,

I use the chem dip gallon procured from the local auto parts establishment (about $30). However, a 4 barrel caburetor just won't fit. Durn.

Fooka-mi!!!

I have to re-attack my rear wheelarches on my EG Civic this spring. I have to remember this vinegar deal.

Awesome.

Oven cleaner (not the smell nice type) will also clean aluminum quite aggressively. Probably not that great for carbs, hell on skin and real nasty to smell, but it works (very quickly).

aircooled wrote: Oven cleaner (not the smell nice type) will also clean aluminum quite aggressively. Probably not that great for carbs, hell on skin and real nasty to smell, but it works (very quickly).

It cleans fast but don't leave it on long or it'll do nasty things to the aluminum. Aluminum is reactive in either high (caustic) or low (acid) pH solutions and oven cleaner is very high pH. The reason it makes your skin feel slick is that it's dissolving the top layer!