Old rusty sockets,Wrenches etc.

[Featherweight]

Do anyone have a solution for old tools you may have had laying around in the garage in old tool boxes that got rusted???

I hate to throw them away b/c mechanically...The still do the same job as a new one...They just not pretty any more....


So is there any type of liquid they can soak in or would i have to sandblast them?

 

[mrshaun]

please search for the evaporust threads. this will be a ten page rust remover thread if you are not careful..... there is a lot of info on here if you search...... lots to read

 

[Featherweight]

thanks!!!!!!

 

[Sterff]

wire wheels work good. Even with rust the tools still do the same job

 

[Bull]

There was an interesting thread or two recently about electrolysis, too. Seems to work wonders!

 

[stricht8]

Does electrolysis disturb plating?

 

[snapmom]

No electrolysis does not, its messy, evaporust is easy. both have advantages, heavy rust the elec method works better, also on large items.

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

I posted this a little while back:

I recommend the following order of tool cleaning cleaning products in which if one doesn't work, I go to the next:

1. Fast orange (very good on light rust spots on good chrome)
2. Evaporust/Rustbeeter (good, but can be pricey) (another technique is molasses and water 1:9 ratio). It works OK, much cheaper, but takes longer than Evaporust.
3. Electrolysis (makes a mess, but works well)
4. Brass brush or wheel (For instant gratification, but can't reach some spots)
5. Vinegar (can be harsh, but not as bad as muriatic. Can also cause yellowing of good chrome)

Last choice... Muriatic acid.

-BWP

 

[Elroy]

So is there any type of liquid they can soak in or would i have to sandblast them?

A little elbow grease and Bar Keepers Friend goes a long way as demonstrated by Elroy

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22312

Or the old fashion grind and polish method works as well:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21544

 

[stricht8]

Does vinegar work faster than evaporust?

I posted this a little while back:

I recommend the following order of tool cleaning cleaning products in which if one doesn't work, I go to the next:

1. Fast orange (very good on light rust spots on good chrome)
2. Evaporust/Rustbeeter (good, but can be pricey) (another technique is molasses and water 1:9 ratio). It works OK, much cheaper, but takes longer than Evaporust.
3. Electrolysis (makes a mess, but works well)
4. Brass brush or wheel (For instant gratification, but can't reach some spots)
5. Vinegar (can be harsh, but not as bad as muriatic. Can also cause yellowing of good chrome)

Last choice... Muriatic acid.

-BWP

 

[Bolster]

Does vinegar work faster than evaporust?

Probably not. New evaporust works pretty fast, an hour or two can do the job, depending on rust amount (surface or deep). My EOR is a year old and I now have to leave it in overnight.

BIG DIFF: leave too long in vinegar you get pitting. Leave too long in EOR and the tool gets dark but the darkness comes off easily with a buff or steel wool. No pitting from EOR. So no penalty for "forgetting."

 

[stricht8]

Probably not. New evaporust works pretty fast, an hour or two can do the job, depending on rust amount (surface or deep). My EOR is a year old and I now have to leave it in overnight.

BIG DIFF: leave too long in vinegar you get pitting. Leave too long in EOR and the tool gets dark but the darkness comes off easily with a buff or steel wool. No pitting from EOR. So no penalty for "forgetting."

Thanks. I'll stay away from vinegar. My EOR turns dark and thick after using for a day or two. Is it loosing a lot of it's effectiveness at this point? I don't put the tools in greasy BTW.

 

[Scout Driver]

The lowest effort solution I can think of is to box them up and send them to me!! Otherwise, I hear good things about Evaporust. Myself, I use the wire wheel on the bench grinder to clean up rusty tools, then give them a quick wipe with WD40 or JB80.

Scott

 

[nolatoolguy]

this works ausome on lots of shings, shovesl, tools, hinges, etc

http://www.gemplers.com/product/160265/Evapo-Rust-Rust-Remover-5-gal-Pail

http://www.gemplers.com/product/160263/Evapo-Rust-Rust-Remover-1-qt-Container

http://www.gemplers.com/product/160264/Evapo-Rust-Rust-Remover-1-gal-Container

 

[stricht8]

The lowest effort solution I can think of is to box them up and send them to me!! Otherwise, I hear good things about Evaporust. Myself, I use the wire wheel on the bench grinder to clean up rusty tools, then give them a quick wipe with WD40 or JB80.

Scott

Wait till Bolster hears about your Wirewelian habits!

 

[arkangel06]

Black oxide

 

[dolfans]

Has anyone ever used a SOS or brillo pad etc on tools?

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Acids: My thoughts. Phosphoric based substances remove rust without extra surface damage or ill effests. I have heard the same of Oxalic but have not tried it.
Other common acids, including vinegar and Hydrochloric/swimming pool acid rapidly (rate depends on concentration) produce a rough, pockmarked surface and a very agressive tendency to rust again. Probably boiling in baking soda would help this, but the effect is NASTY.
All that I have tried, including Phosphoric, rapidly ruin springs. The spring will be clean but will have no elasticity left at all...might as well be paperclip wire. Take the old ratchets apart and get the pawl/ball springs outta there in other words! If the springs are rusty but functional, brush as clean as you can then slather with your preferred ratchet lube to prevent the rust from carrying on.