Derusting Question - Vinegar / Salt

[TonyMazz]

Ok...so I have been derusting old tools like a mad-man using the Vinegar / Salt solution and am quite amazed....tool after tool has come clean....some require minimal wire brush cleaning....but it's not a big deal....

Now after the derusting, some have suggested a soapy water and rinse to stop the "reaction" then I use a Hoppes 9 gun oil and coat the newly exposed steal.... is that enough ? Are there other recommendations to keep something from re-rusting ?

I have simply rinsed a couple of items off with water and dried off and layed aside...holy **** ...you can nearly watch the rust form ....

Suggestions for treating after derusting appreciated....

Thankx

 

[BJ42LX]

Suggestions for treating after derusting appreciated....

Corrosion-X

 

[nine4gmc]

I have used WD-40 and paste wax to prevent rust. If I'm paste waxing, I rinse with water and dry with a heat gun to prevent flash, then wax.

 

[Haveblue]

with my pliers, I didnt treat them with oil. soaked them in a solution of baking soda and water for a day, then applied a light coat of "Chevy Orange"

 

[B17E1943]

I use Marvel Mystery Oil on my "new" tools after cleaning.

 

[rickhigginshtbr]

polish them out with red rouge on a bench grinder

 

[KenC]

I dip in a baking soda/water solution to neutralize the acid vinegar then wipe dry and spray with wd40. LOTS of WD40. Once that drys wax big stuff or lightly oil smaller items.

 

[ganymede]

I always just run under the faucet for a minute or 2 and then blast it with wd40. Leave it for a few hrs then wipe off excess .
Always fine.

 

[Blackmarket]

What ratio are you mixing the vinegar/salt at? Thanks

 

[quattrojon]

I use Marvel Mystery Oil on my "new" tools after cleaning.

That's what I use too.

 

[tapkoote]

I found a 12 " cresent at work one time, it'd been laying out for years.
Soaked it in old battery acid, heated it cherry red, dropped it into a can of old motor oil. It works like new and is forever black, no rust.

 

[TonyMazz]

So....after taking an inexpensive tool shop linesmen pliers and soaked fully submeresed in vinegar / salt solution for about 3 days....a minor small wire brush to move the solution around and scrap the final rust...it was like a brand new tool.....then I dump that solution out rinsed the tool, dried and submersed in a solution of water and baking soda....the nice clean metal color when to dark black.....soaked for a 2 days then rinsed again dried and oiled up with motor oil....soaked and dried off excess.....net result ....blackened tool and rust forming....not impressed at the moment

 

[nine4gmc]

wax the nice clean metal next time, skip the other steps.

 

[TonyMazz]

wax the nice clean metal next time, skip the other steps.

So...just a simple car wax, polish and wipe off ....couple of coats and voila should stay that way for a while ??!

Cool

 

[SC-AW11]

is there a reason why you cant rinse off the vinegar/salt, dry lets say sockets off, and put them right in your box? do you have to neutralize with the baking soda? and do you have to put a type of rust preventative oil on after? (sounds like the vinegar solution leaves some film of some sort?)

I have a bunch of sockets that are rusty on the inside, would love to clean them up

 

[nine4gmc]

I use Johnson paste wax personally.

 

[nowlan]

What is up with salt? Doesnt that cause rust?

 

[TonyMazz]

Well following the description of some posts here, I have found that salt does contribute to rusting....had much better results with washing soda and a battery charger....oiled up like you'd expect afterwards and came out looking like new....

Thought I'd try the vinegar / salt and yes it worked well but challenge is what to do with a brand new bare metal surface as it hits humid air....

 

[darkk]

I just get the highest % acidic vinegar I can, just use it straight to derust, rinse in water and dry and oil immediately or it will usually rust.

 

[Farmall450]

I found a 12 " cresent at work one time, it'd been laying out for years.
Soaked it in old battery acid, heated it cherry red, dropped it into a can of old motor oil. It works like new and is forever black, no rust.

Now I'm going to have to try this instead of returning the occasional used Cman...

 

[red73mustang]

So I de-rusted an old rusty hatchet in vinegar+salt solution for about 5 days. With minimal scrubbing with an abrasive dish sponge all the rust came off (even on the chrome handle). No baking soda rinse or oil and no rust has formed. Gonna paint it up to the blade and try some more stuff!

 

[Birdyman88]

I found a 12 " cresent at work one time, it'd been laying out for years.
Soaked it in old battery acid, heated it cherry red, dropped it into a can of old motor oil. It works like new and is forever black, no rust.

+1 on this. I've done this to old carbon steel golf clubs (wedges) and it works like a charm. I used acidic AC coil cleaner instead of battery acid and a wire brush wheel. It takes a while to beat off your new oil can finish.

 

[Crazy_Pilot]

I love the electrolysis de-rusting method, followed by a bath in POR-15 Metal Prep to give it a zinc phosphate coating.

 

[creativecars]

So I de-rusted an old rusty hatchet in vinegar+salt solution for about 5 days. With minimal scrubbing with an abrasive dish sponge all the rust came off (even on the chrome handle). No baking soda rinse or oil and no rust has formed. Gonna paint it up to the blade and try some more stuff!

I fixed an old axe starting with just the vinegar... no sodium needed.

The process here. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308387

 

[creativecars]

is there a reason why you cant rinse off the vinegar/salt, dry lets say sockets off, and put them right in your box? do you have to neutralize with the baking soda? and do you have to put a type of rust preventative oil on after? (sounds like the vinegar solution leaves some film of some sort?)

I have a bunch of sockets that are rusty on the inside, would love to clean them up

Vinegar is a mild acid, if you only rinse it off there may be some residual etching if not thoroughly rinsed. When you apply the baking soda and water it will neutralized the vinegar and stop the chemical reaction.

Rust= iron, moisture, oxygen... since it has iron in the steel it has to stay, but you are trying to seal out the oxygen and moisture from reaching the iron, and you need to do it quickly. Some use an oil or wax to do this, either way you are trying to achieve the same thing.

Clean the sockets up, rinse well, blow dry, drop them in some oil, wipe off and use them...

 

[WhiskeyRanger]

In my unheated garage here in MI, I don't have too much trouble with rust. The only cleaning my tools really see is a wipe down with an oily rag. Plastic handles will GE a bit more attention, but generally speaking, a light layer of oil is always present. I use the electrolytic method of rust removal for really rusty items and they get a wipe down with an only rag, or if there are several items, a spray for some sort of petro lube or splash of oil and you guessed it... A wipe down with the oily rag. If I'm not going to use them for a while, I just throw some VCI paper on them in the drawer.

I'm trying out some wipes that are supposed to clean and protect. Since the plant doesn't get too cold, rust isn't much of an issue. They do clean pretty well after a dirty job with lots of grease and carbon. We'll see how well they work long term.