Cleaning rust from a tow chain

[Mike14k]

Someone has probably asked this....... and has a solution.

How would you clean up a rusty tow chain ?? I've heard running it in a cement mixer with gravel, or even dragging behind an ATV on a gravel road.

M

 

[badinf]

Dragging it down a gravel road road works

 

[canuckian]

Dragging it down a gravel road road works

my father did this a few times when I was younger - works like a charm!

 

[kb2tha]

What about electrolysis? Have never actually tried it but understand it works very well. A search will show much information on this topic and how to easily set up a system.
Ken

 

[Hiball]

Coming from someone who is always looking for a Quality Chains/Load binders at Farm Auctions ive never ever worried about Rust. Over the Years ive bought some stuff that wouldnt even un-coil itself because of Rust but its nothing a 5 Gallon bucket and some Used motor oil wont fix. I suspect dragging it behind a vehicle on Gravel would do the trick though....

 

[Professur]

pickle it.

 

[TheDukeofDeere]

Out on the farm about 95% of our chains are rusty. Still work great for pulling out semis, pickups, tractors, etc. We stay away from the severely pitted chains though and use cable in extreme cases.

But I would imagine any of the above suggestions would work to take the cosmetic rust off.

 

[Mike14k]

Thanks for all the good notes... still nice and sound, , just covered with a coat of rust that comes off on everthing it touches.

I'll report back on the "dragging down a gravel road".......

 

[Bush]

We used to take our rusty/crusty chains to the sanddunes with us. A quick run in the truck with the chains in tow and they were as good as new!

 

[Blackie94Gt]

Try Wood Bleach aka oxalic acid. Mix it up with some water, dump it in a bucket, wait 8 hrs, looks new. Sherwin Williams sells it or local home center should have it as deck cleaner.

I use it to clean rust off chrome. Old rusty, pitted chrome parts turn new it's amazing.

 

[Brad54]

My farming family members would find a lost chain in a field every now and again, rusted into knots. They'd hook it to the back of a tractor and go for a drive.

One day my (then teenage) uncle was dragging a chain, when he came down the road and saw his best friend heading home on his tractor with a spring-tooth behind his tractor.

Two American farm boys on a country road, driving SOMETHING... what do you think happened?

Of course they raced each other! Unbeknownst to them, while they were side-by-side, the chain bounced into the spring-tooth and wrapped around everything. They got to the end of the road, where there was a fork, and each went their separate ways... when the chain went taught, both tractors jerked to a stop so hard they laid over on their sides, throwing the boys into the ditches.

He never said, but I'm willing to bet my 5'8-inch grandpa whooped his 6-foot teenage son that night.

-Brad

 

[NJHandyGuy]

huh i never realizeed this was something doable

i used to just bring them to the scrapper and buy new ones the d.o.t ***** on chain condition on tow trucks

 

[Kurt4440]

Phosphoric acid
http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/rust/rust.html

 

[Yojinbo]

"Small" chains can be rolled around a in a barrel of sand. This is a good chore for young boys (or so my father taught).

Electrolysis would work, but I would be dunking them in oil right after as electrolysis involves water.

 

[Case IH]

I dont know if it is the safest but to clean some steel parts we use Bulk-Tank Acid its is used to clean stainless steel parts in dairy parlors it is some nasty stuff and is desinged for stainless steel so it micht eat it away so i wouldnt recoment it for high stress applications liek tow chains

 

[Warrenator]

After you're done cleaning it up, how about a spray of cold galvanizing paint? There's some of that stuff on my horse trailer safety chains.... them seem to be not rusting after many years.