Evapo Rust Better Work . . .

[Teken]

So I took the dive and purchased a little container of Evapo Rust to work on a few delicate items that I want to free up from some surface rust.

My old school method and the use of some industrial solvents along with a lot of sweat equity has proven to work over the years.

But, I won't lie to you it requires a lot of time and manual labor.

So after reading all these threads about how well this stuff works, I have decided to try it out.

This stuff better work for $11.**, otherwise I am back to the old school way, and accepting that results don't come easy, or came free . . .

Insight . . .

 

[wrenchr]

Make sure it is in a sealed container even while soaking tools.

 

[Bjkearns]

why a sealer container while soaking the tool?

 

[SocketDeviler]

It works but it's best to experiment a bit before you go wild. I no longer use Evaporust as I pretty much get the same results (if not better) with a mix of white vinegar, water and soap. Just takes longer.

 

[Teken]

It works but it's best to experiment a bit before you go wild. I no longer use Evaporust as I pretty much get the same results (if not better) with a mix of white vinegar, water and soap. Just takes longer.

Are you kidding me?? Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . .

 

[beelsr]

it evaporates.

why a sealer container while soaking the tool?

 

[Teken]

it evaporates.

Alright, now you got me paranoid so I went and covered the container up!

 

[Bolster]

Your investment will last a long time if you keep it sealed. I think I'm still using my original gallon of EOR going on 18 months now. Not as fast acting as it used to be but still works great.

Part of the trick is to get the tool clean (mineral spirits, etc, then wash off the oil residue with soap/water) before putting it in the EOR. I didn't know this at first and "oiled" my EOR with some greasy tools, and that brought the efficiency way down.

I find EOR very difficult to pour (!). The consistency is such that it seems to crawl back the stream and dribble down the side of any container I'm pouring it from. Strange stuff.

 

[Teken]

I don't follow, this yellow stuff poured out just like water . . .

 

[Bolster]

I don't follow, this yellow stuff poured out just like water . . .

Well I guess you are not a klutz like me. I always spill the stuff. And it eats concrete (over time), so if you spill any, wipe it up or water it down within a couple minutes and you'll be OK.

Tip: Get some 3" PVC or ABS pipe, glue a cap on one end, press fit a cap on the other. You now have an efficient "tank" in which you can soak your long wrenches upright.

Alternately, get some drawer organizers (long and skinny) and use those horizontally. But keep em covered.

Another tip: REmove your tools in a half hour and scrub them with a hand brush, either brass or steel, depending on what the surface of your tool can handle. Then put them back in for a while longer. It's like turbo-charging EOR that way. I don't know why, but it works.

 

[Teken]

Well I guess you are not a klutz like me. I always spill the stuff. And it eats concrete (over time), so if you spill any, wipe it up or water it down within a couple minutes and you'll be OK.

Didn't know that, (thanks) but I was pouring the stuff in a plastic container and the bin was on top of a large 4 x 8 OSB sheet.

I gather its OK to handle this stuff with bare hands? I find it odd this stuff has no MSDS info?

Very good to see that this stuff is made in Canada too!

 

[Bolster]

I gather its OK to handle this stuff with bare hands? I find it odd this stuff has no MSDS info?

Very good to see that this stuff is made in Canada too!

Apparently very safe. I personally suspect the main ingredient is some sort of sugar, but that's just a wild guess. I've tossed it on the lawn and the flowers to no ill effect.

I don't handle it with bare hands, I use nitrile, just because I don't like the smell of it on my hands.

 

[SocketDeviler]

Are you kidding me?? Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . .

That's just my preference. As you've read others prefer the Evaporust. It's usually faster than what I do but I'm in no hurry. Turned lots of gruesome tools around.

Bolster is spot on about cleaning before using the expensive stuff.

 

[Boiler]

It is supposedly pretty safe to handle, and is touted to be able to be poured down the drain.

Hey, while we're on the subject, do you guys get black spots where the rust was when you use this? I've been dinking around with a few tools and the really rusty ones come out looking like black oxide, and the spotty rusty ones just change the rust to black. the black is pretty offensive IMO, if you're looking to beautify a tool.

 

[Boiler]

It works but it's best to experiment a bit before you go wild. I no longer use Evaporust as I pretty much get the same results (if not better) with a mix of white vinegar, water and soap. Just takes longer.

Can you give a relative mix proportion, and also what kind of soap?

 

[SocketDeviler]

Can you give a relative mix proportion, and also what kind of soap?

Honestly I just eyeball it. I **** at numbers. Ratio changes depending on how much there is and how rusty. Try not to use too much vinegar as it can be rough on certain metals. I just use a good quality dish soap. Let the stuff soak a day or so. Scrub the tools off with with a green Scotchbrite sponge and use a stainless steel brush for the rougher stuff. Clean it with a shot of Simple Green. If it's a nice piece I will do further work with fine steel wool and in rare cases metal polish. Oh, and get yourself a stack of towels.

 

[lipadj46]

Didn't know that, (thanks) but I was pouring the stuff in a plastic container and the bin was on top of a large 4 x 8 OSB sheet.

I gather its OK to handle this stuff with bare hands? I find it odd this stuff has no MSDS info?

Very good to see that this stuff is made in Canada too!

It does not contain hazardous material so the ingredient list will not be useful.

http://www.evaporust.com/docs/MSDS Evaporust.pdf

It does list the physical properties. I've never smelled this stuff what does it smell like? From the physical information it looks like a slightly acidic aqueous solution. Soap and vinegar sounds reasonable.

 

[Bull]

Tip: Get some 3" PVC or ABS pipe, glue a cap on one end, press fit a cap on the other. You now have an efficient "tank" in which you can soak your long wrenches upright.

Bolster my man, this is brilliant. My dad has a garage full of materials like this. I'm going to grab some this week and do just as you said. So much better than my old toilet brush holder sitting precariously on my workbench with a rusty socket box sticking halfway out of it because the container's too short. With the pipe, I can create custom length soaking tubes.

I'm not springing all that dough on EOR, though. Keepin' it real with vinegar. I don't like the discoloration I get, but for a couple bucks for a gallon jug, I can make do.

 

[jeepnut24]

Love the Evapo Rust, Ive got a Jeep part sitting in it right now. 2 Sides are done and stripped to bare steel. I need about 2 more gallons and a bigger container though to really cover it...

X2 on having trouble pouring it. I ALWAYS seem to spill a bit when I try and poor it no matter how I pour it.

 

[wyndycity]

Be sure to completely immerse whatever you're soaking in Evapo Rust. Any portion poking through the surface will create a noticeable difference in color.

 

[Bolster]

Hey, while we're on the subject, do you guys get black spots where the rust was when you use this? I've been dinking around with a few tools and the really rusty ones come out looking like black oxide, and the spotty rusty ones just change the rust to black. the black is pretty offensive IMO, if you're looking to beautify a tool.

Aha...you're not done after you pull out your part. Yes, deep rust will develop a black tar-like patch. This tells you, you must wire brush it and re immerse. Sometimes, on really bad rust spots, I've gone back to the tank 4 times. Eventually you will get down to bare metal when you brush it. Then you're done.

Many tools fresh out of the EOR tank look darker. But that darkness polishes off easily with steel wool and oil, or the buffer.

I like the finish of steel wool and oil...it seems to give a bit of patina back to the tool. Because a tool fresh out of the tank can look "naked." It looks "stripped."

 

[Teken]

I am going to use that PVC pipe thing great suggestion . . . So far all the parts are coming out pretty good didn't apply any where the same amount of time as I did in my previous set up.

Then again these parts are no where near as bad as the tools I did a few months ago. In terms of smell I don't really smell anything from this stuff.

I should have used gloves because now my fingers are all shiny! That's not a good sign as the last time my fingers were all slick and smooth, and shiny the very next day I had furry fingers.

ie. The solution I was using sucked all the oils from my hand, causing it to be extremely dry, thus causing serious skin peel!

I will update with pictures, so far so good . . . Nothing has melted off yet besides some of the black oxide from the impact tools.

 

[beelsr]

I wear gloves, just because my hands are a mess.

I use the PVC pies as well. I have 2-3' pieces of 1.5" ,2" and 3" and when not in use, all fit together nicely for storage.

When I'm using it, I'll put the tools in the PVC pipe and bungee cord it to a leg of the workbench and pour in the EoR. I was using an extra PVC endcap for a top but I used them for their real purpose and so for the last batch, I just put a piece of aluminum foil over the top.

I store the "in use" EoR in a plastic coffee container.

Bolster is right on about checking the tools and scrubbing them if needed. Black is rust that's changed color but not yet completely gone.

 

[SocketDeviler]

I will update with pictures, so far so good . . . Nothing has melted off yet besides some of the black oxide from the impact tools.

Oh, yeh...I forgot about that. I had some old really rusty Snap-On impacts that I put in the vinegar mix. Took that coating right off. I wasn't expecting that.
But it did bring the sockets back to a useful life.

Definitely wear gloves.

 

[lzenglish]

In my opinion, Evaporust is the best thing since pop top beer cans. But, like everything in life, you have to use it with caution. Leave the tools in too long, it will eat the plating off. If you want to see some pictures, i have a few! Lol!
PS. Buy it on sale by the gallon at harbor freight for 17.99 if you have a local store like i do. I get my vinegar at the dollar store. They have it in 1/2 gallon jugs, and i usually buy at least 10 when i go.

Wayne

 

[scarrylarry]

Fellas,on anothere site I'm on guy's there have tried all sorts of things for rust removal.Here's a couple
#1 White vinegar as mentioned by another member, apparently you can get different strengths
#2 Electrolisis
#3 Molasses
I have tried the white vinegar and it works but takes awhile.
scarrylarry

 

[Bolster]

It's that molasses one, that has me wondering if EOR is some sort of a sugary concoction. I'm not going to taste it to find out, tho. Wonder what you get when you mix molasses and vinegar and simple green? EOR? I'll bet EOR is some really simple formula, that when we discover what it is, we'll be smacking ourselves on the head...

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

You can make really big or odd tanks, too, like a very shallow and wide one or whatever.
Find or cut and tape a cardboard box to size and shape wanted, put it on a good flat surface, support the sides with cement blocks, sand bags, and sleeping cats. Cover the thing with a big sheet of plastic draped and pushed down into place, and you have whatever size and shape tank you can afford to fill.

 

[Wingnut65]

Tip: Get some 3" PVC or ABS pipe, glue a cap on one end, press fit a cap on the other. You now have an efficient "tank" in which you can soak your long wrenches upright.

Thanks Bolster, Now you've done it. I can see the next thread to be something about how to build a custom rack to hold the 3" Evapo-Rust cleaning tubes in a vertical position. Someone will probably be creative enough to add 1", 2" and even up to 6" "Bolster Evapo-Rust Cleaning Tubes". The may be one in stainless steel.

I agree with the rest on having success with Evapo-Rust. I guess I bought a smaller bottle because I wouldn't expiriment if it was over $10 to sample. Glad I did and will buy more when I need it. Although I just keep re-using it for quite a long time before starting with fresh.

 

[FLACOMAN]

Soda pop always worked well for me and being phosphoric acid left a nice finish

 

[lzenglish]

Although I just keep re-using it for quite a long time before starting with fresh.

I do strain mine with coffee filters after a clening, but i find i get 8 to 10 shoe box size soakings before it has lost its punch. When it looks dead and brown, like creek water, it is time to throw it out. I think the plastic sheets are an excellent idea to clean long saw blades, and will have to try it.

Wayne

 

[Goinlow]

I'm trying out the white vinegar method. I'll report back what happens.

 

[Teken]

I'm trying out the white vinegar method. I'll report back what happens.

Do me a favor can you try to measure and determine the amount you're using for the solution.

UP DATE: Evapo Rust is a 100% success and am very happy with the results. Now if only we could purchase this stuff in the much larger containers and not in these little mickey mouse plastic bottles I would be further ahead!

I feel that I am taking it in the aszz paying $11.00 for a one liter bottle . . .

 

[Bolster]

You want to buy it a gallon at a time at HF with the 20 coupon.

 

[Bolster]

I do strain mine with coffee filters after a clening, but i find i get 8 to 10 shoe box size soakings before it has lost its punch. When it looks dead and brown, like creek water, it is time to throw it out. I think the plastic sheets are an excellent idea to clean long saw blades, and will have to try it.

Wayne

Huh, I'm still using mine I think 18 months on. It's dirty and brown, probably done 30 batches or more, and it just works slowly. Overnight instead of 2 hours.

 

[caper]

It's that molasses one, that has me wondering if EOR is some sort of a sugary concoction. I'm not going to taste it to find out, tho. Wonder what you get when you mix molasses and vinegar and simple green? EOR? I'll bet EOR is some really simple formula, that when we discover what it is, we'll be smacking ourselves on the head...

Funny you should say that Bolster.I find the tools I clean in Evaporust to have a similar smell to the tools cleaned in vinegar.I've often wondered if one of the ingredients in EOR was vinegar and perhaps something else which boosted it's efficiency.

 

[lipadj46]

It has a slightly acidic pH so it has to have some sort of acid in it..

 

[lzenglish]

Huh, I'm still using mine I think 18 months on. It's dirty and brown, probably done 30 batches or more, and it just works slowly. Overnight instead of 2 hours.

Huh ! Amazing !

 

[jeepnut24]

Funny you should say that Bolster.I find the tools I clean in Evaporust to have a similar smell to the tools cleaned in vinegar.I've often wondered if one of the ingredients in EOR was vinegar and perhaps something else which boosted it's efficiency.

I think it smells very similar to when I use Naval Jelly, just not quite as strong....

 

[lipadj46]

I think it smells very similar to when I use Naval Jelly, just not quite as strong....

Naval jelly is phosphoric acid. Again evaporust is slightly acidic, I am assuming by the fact that the MSDS states it is non toxic the formula could easily be recreated with household items.