Evap o rust experiences and suggestions

[skipskip]

So Bolster convinced me to buy a jug of EOR.

It's been a learning experience, and I hope you will share your EOR stories.

first I got a Tupperware-like flat pan to soak the wrenches and pliers in.
Also a round deeper jug for sockets.

The EOR turns brown pretty quickly, I assume that's from absorbing rust.

What fascinates me is that some tools clean right up and others never seem to.

I check my brood a couple of times a day and rub some with a scotch brite pad.

Every now and then , I will say "why did I put this in here, there's no rust on it"?

And some seem to stay the same for a week or so, when I give up on them.

there is also that odd middle ground where they get the 'piebald' look and sorta stay there.

Is there a limit to how long you can leave thing in this goo?

Will they just disappear?

Is there a way to improve the results? Brillo? heat?

When is it time to change it?

how to treat the tools once they are "done"

thanks

Skip

[Bolster]

Skippy my friend, here is what I've learned about using gopher juice.

Make sure tools are clean before they go in the juice. I clean with mineral spirits and then let the tools dry for a day. Then in they go.

If you pull your tools out of the juice every half hour or hour and give them a hand wire brushing (I usually use brass but sometimes steel) things go a lot faster. I'm usually done in two hours for moderately rusted stuff.

If you leave the tools in for multiple hours or overnight they risk going dark. The darkness buffs off easily but it's another step and the nooks and crannies will give you grief.

Occasionally I've had gopher juice turn a tool a strange color, usually a gold hue. Odd. I learned the hard way not to juice anything black oxide. Takes off the oxide.

I've also had the 'piebald' issue where some major rust spots don't seem to treat. In which case, time for a trip to Uncle Buck's wheel.

I filter my juice back into the jug with a coffee filter to get the gunk out, then reuse it.

I have been on my first jug for many months, but recently bought a spare. Now I can use dirty juice for the first stages and cleaner juice for the finish.

Often I follow treatment with a light buff.

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I've recently began using evaporust and had similar experiences to what Skip had. Some tools the evaporust isn't going to bring back to new, but I think it also depends on how much you've used the gopher juice beforehand. It worked outstanding on the drawer slides I put in it. I used a cookie sheet too, that was an efficient use of the gopher juice as there wasn't a lot of extra.

Delmar, you're one soggy bottom boy that makes a lot of sense!

[lauver]

I have to agree with Bolster; pre-clean tools with a good degreaser (i like paint thinner), and knock off any loose or flakey stuff with a brass brush. Then soak in EOR.

I would also add that after the EOR soak, rinse with water, and dry with clean shop rags or paper towels. The final step is a soak in WD40 (or your favorite anti-rust product) and another wipe down with shop rags; this keeps your tools looking good and rust free.

I have three plastic bins; one for degreaser, one for EOR, and one for WD40. I keep tight lids on these bins when not in use. This keeps all three liquids from evaporating. I don't put the used liquids back in the original containers; the used stuff stays in the bins.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Nealcrenshaw]

Save some money and time.Pick up a gallon of white distilled vinegar from your local grocer $1.49-3.00 soak the rusted tool in for 3-4 hours,remove and wipe down.Yhere you go.

And you can keep reusing it until it becomes a black goop,which takes a while.

[84TurboBuick]

Save some money and time.Pick up a gallon of white distilled vinegar from your local grocer $1.49-3.00 soak the rusted tool in for 3-4 hours,remove and wipe down.Yhere you go.

And you can keep reusing it until it becomes a black goop,which takes a while.

Gotta go with Neal on this one! :thumbup:

I soaked all of the nuts and bolts from my Grand National in vinegar and lemon juice.... 3 days later.... looked like new! Heavy rust to little rust...it ALL came off!!!!

[lauver]

Guys,

A word of caution about using vinegar or any other common acid solution.

I used vinegar for many years, but if you make the mistake of leaving your tools in vinegar too long you can loose more than rust (i.e. chrome and good metal). I've done this a few times and ended up with some pretty sad results. Timing is everything with an acid solution!

EOR, on the other hand, is much more forgiving; you can leave your tools in EOR for weeks and it will not eat thru the chrome or good base metal...it just works on the rust and corrosion. Sometimes you get a black coating on tools if you leave them in too long, but this black stuff (i think it's an oxide) washes off with soap and water, leaving an undamaged, but rust free, tool.

Now, if your talking old nuts and bolts, that's different; grab the cheap stuff and soak away. The stakes are much lower with hardware.

[Nealcrenshaw]

Guys,

Sometimes you get a black coating on tools if you leave them in too long, but this black stuff (i think it's an oxide) washes off with soap and water, leaving an undamaged, but rust free, tool.

You're 110% correct, thats why i mentioned 3-4 hours,but on the other hand, i mistakenly left my snapon ratcheting wrench in for around 26 hours and it was not black,at the same time i left in tools for 24 hours and they were black. But as a rule after about 3-4 hours if you removed the tool and rub the rust off with your fingers then its done,wipe down and spray with WD-40.

[skipskip]

And another philosophical question...


Why does the side that says "DROP FORGED" always come clean first, and the brand name side take longer?

Skip

[Plombob]

Skipskip,

Take a look at this thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32238

Post #17 shows an old hammer I soaked in gopher juice. It was pretty rusty, and it came clean. Took some work though.

Here's what I soak the rusties in:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=97&pictureid=1389

Not much evaporation and uses less ER.

[Plombob]

And another philosophical question...


Why does the side that says "DROP FORGED" always come clean first, and the brand name side take longer?

Skip

Because that's the side that was drop forged....:lol_hitti

[lauver]

Plombob,

Good idea on the PVC tubes; I hadn't thought of that. I do have a number of different soaking containers:

One long, rectangular, and shallow with lid,

one round and deep with lid, and

one square and semi-deep with lid.

These three containers seem to accomodate most tools with no loss to evaporation. I think I may build a PVC tube container similar to yours so I can accomodate those tricky tools like large double offset box end wrenches or 24" extensions or extra long breaker bars.

[Plombob]

The big tube works real well with big wrenches and bars. And you can hang the tube so that it doesn't get in the way.

The smaller tubes work well when you have a screwdriver or other tool and you don't want to soak the handle.

[Hermit]

i've used it before on a set of Ford model A hand tools. they where really rusty. i dipped them for a couple of hrs. i pulled them out and rinsed it off with acetone instead of water. they still look good. i'm happy with the product and i will continue to use it.

sorry no pics.

[OldSchoolSS]

I've had mixed results with ER. Sometimes seems to work great and then other times not so much.

[lauver]

oldschoolSS and others,

Let's see if we can get to the bottom of this mixed results issue. I think everybody who has used EOR has run into this at one time or another.

Let's see if we can isolate those situations where results were less than expected.

I'll start, I think we can all agree that EOR works exceptionally well on bare metal tools and tools that have basically good chrome plating with only minor surface rust.

Now, some specific issues I've noted.

Early tools with plating other than chrome. Sometimes these don't clean up well. Other times (very infrequent) the EOR seems to soften or damage the unknown plating. I've had a few of these.

Later tools with essentially good chrome plating but one or two areas where the chrome has been seriously compromised. These damaged areas always come out black and need to be hand cleaned and/or wire brushed. I had one wrench with very good chrome over 95% of the tool, but there was one area that looked like it had come in contact with the battery terminal and a ground. The chrome was burnt off and some of the underlying metal was burned as well. This area came out of the EOR very black and unsatisfactory as far as I was concerned. Even after wire brushing this area still looks bad.

What are some specific mixed result situtations you guys have run into?

[Plombob]

Don't clean Cadmium plated tools in ER. T56 said Never-dull is best for them.