Need advise for neutralizing rust on a steel toolbox.

[ratcheted]

I have an early 30s ratchet set box with some serious crusty rust on the outside, which I would like to nip in the bud before it works its way through the box to the inside. Not sure trying to remove it is the right course of action, but I need to stop it. Too nice of a set to have holes in the lid. Thanks in advance. Pics are inside and outside of lid.

 

[d42jeep]

If the exterior surface is as bad as it appears, I would chip off the loose scale with a putty knife and then sand it down to bare metal. Depending on how bad the pitting is you could bondo and prime it or use VHT black wrinkle finish paint to disguise the surface defects then overcoat that with the color of your choice. I would try to match the interior finish if possible. I’ve refinished the sets on the right in these two pictures.
-Don

 

[ratcheted]

Thanks, but this a special set, not looking to refinish, looking to preserve

 

[mikedodge]

Scrape and sand what you can off and touch it up with Rustoleum or clear coat if you want to preserve the look.

 

[4xdog]

Be really careful with that corrosion, @ratcheted. Looking at your images on my iPhone, there could be a high risk of creating holes in the metal by taking off that rust, almost any means!

Check carefully for at least a few fractions of a mm of solid metal before scraping or otherwise going at it.

 

[Bad Habit]

As mikedodge said, scrape and sand (with care). Clean it with naval jelly that will transform iron oxide into iron phosphate. Rust Reformer, etc. does the same thing but is also a primer.

 

[Shiftless]

Rust never sleeps.
You could brush on a light coat of boiled linseed oil thinned down with mineral spirits. That would be a minimalistic approach. That would seal out moisture and oxygen but would be easily removable in the future.

 

[yhprum]

Maybe a mix of citric acid and washing soda like this post I did awhile ago.

Rust removal of 100 year old parts with citric acid bath

This is going to be a real time demonstration of using the rust removal method outlined by beyond ballistics on YouTube. If your interested in this sort of thing check out minute of dangle on YouTube. They have a multi step process that I am going to follow. They dip back into the alkaline bath...

www.garagejournal.com

I started off with a weaker mixture, it might not be so hard on the paint you're trying to save.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Not sure trying to remove it is the right course of action, but I need to stop it.

There's no way to retard it without removing it, and if you leave it, or try to seal it, it will continue to corrode from underneath.

I have had excellent results on those kinds of crusty cancerous splotches with a sharp razor blade scraper. Light, steady, repetitive strokes. You may go through a few blades. Keep it wet with nothing stronger than a penetrating oil of your choice. When you knock that down to flat, brush it - again, light and steady, in multiple directions - with nothing more abrasive than 0000 steel wool. The light and steady approach is to leave the 'good' layer of rust (magnetite) after the hematite is removed. That layer of oxidation is akin to black oxide or the red oxide in paint and will actually protect the box and match an aged but preserved appearance. The goal is to not take it down to bare steel, which will draw the eye, be exposed, and need touching up, or sealant.

 

[FJ 432]

Thanks, but this a special set, not looking to refinish, looking to preserve

What makes this special to you?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

What makes this special

I assumed he was referring to it being an early 30's C-Series set, which are fairly rare or at least more uncommon than later series (BE, Circle-H).

 

[ratcheted]

There's no way to retard it without removing it, and if you leave it, or try to seal it, it will continue to corrode from underneath.

I have had excellent results on those kinds of crusty cancerous splotches with a sharp razor blade scraper. Light, steady, repetitive strokes. You may go through a few blades. Keep it wet with nothing stronger than a penetrating oil of your choice. When you knock that down to flat, brush it - again, light and steady, in multiple directions - with nothing more abrasive than 0000 steel wool. The light and steady approach is to leave the 'good' layer of rust (magnetite) after the hematite is removed. That layer of oxidation is akin to black oxide or the red oxide in paint and will actually protect the box and match an aged but preserved appearance. The goal is to not take it down to bare steel, which will draw the eye, be exposed, and need touching up, or sealant.

Thanks, will give it a try

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, will give it a try

Good luck.

I can't tell if that's one spot or the whole lid is like that. I hope it works and you don't end up with a lot of bare steel, but if you do, and you hate the completely anachronistic look of a glossy, brand new finish on an old toolbox as much as I do, check out this thread...

Toolbox Refinishing - The "Barn Find" Look

The subject of refinishing WWII era toolboxes has come up a few times recently. By request, and instead of barraging either of those threads with photos, I am putting this on a separate thread. Maybe others can add their own procedures and materials. I'm always open for new ideas. For starters...

www.garagejournal.com

You'll find all kinds of prestorvation techniques and all kind of examples, but below are some BEFORE / AFTER shots of a Williams Bantam box that was afflicted with deep irreversible rust.

 

[ratcheted]

I can't tell if that's one spot or the whole lid is like that. I hope it works and you don't end up with a lot of bare steel, but if you do, and you hate the completely anachronistic look of a glossy, brand new finish on an old toolbox as much as I do, check out this thread...

That pic was of one spot on the lid, there are 3-4 spots like that. Started working on it, time will tell, thanks again

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yessir! Hoping for the best for you with minimal consequences for immediately surrounding finish.