Vinegar & Rust

[Grumpy365]

I have the Front spindle off my old truck and before I put the front end back together I want to paint it up nice.

My Question is, How Long do you soak something in Vinegar to get off the Rust, but NOT damage the metal?

I also want to know if anyone has used Molasses. I know it takes a week or more. But with the SMELL in mind , can you do it inside, or in a shop area with bordering neighbors (think storage lockers). Does the smell just hang out around the vat, or is it going to radiate and permeate the area?
(I may want to build a Molasses vat in my shop)

 

[knucklebusted]

Vinegar is pretty weak acid so it may take any where from a few hours to a day. I used it on some cast iron and steel and it took a full day but lots of scale fell right off.

If you build this molasses vat, you must document it and do a write up.

 

[kams1973]

I put some wrenches in vinegar for 7 days and didn't notice any damage.

 

[drmoonshine]

It will take about a day but won't damage the metal.

 

[SCscoutguy]

I normally leave them in there for 2 days and then check them and if they need to be in longer I leave them another 1 to 2 days. Oh and I recently found out that vinegar will indeed freeze when I went to pull a plomb pipe wrench out of my pan of vinegar and it was frozen solid.

 

[e-tek]

It a really WEAK acid. I've just never had much luck with weak rust "removing" solutions (not to be confused with rust-binders or phosphoric acid solutions). They seem to work on light rust on even lighter chrome (tools), but not real rust. I'd suggest sandpaper, scotchpads and elbow grease! Then it's also sanded for painting.

 

[DeadSock]

http://www.rowand.net/shop/Tools/Electrolysis.htm

pool supply houses (if in your area) can be a good place to get "soda ash" aka "washing soda"

 

[mad57]

About 2 days and dont get confused when its been in there for say 2 days it still looks rusty...then you take it out and just wipe it with a towel and ..damn its clean

 

[dcovey]

http://www.rowand.net/shop/Tools/Electrolysis.htm

pool supply houses (if in your area) can be a good place to get "soda ash" aka "washing soda"

I have a "small" 4 foot sheet metal box brake I bought for 100.00 a few years ago. Where ever the guy stored it it rusted bad enough that it was all locked up and would not work. I had it in storage for the past couple of years and finally brought it home and decided I needed to get it working. I sprayed the rotating/articulating parts and worked them until I finally freed everything up. Now I would like to finish cleaning it up and make it look good again.

I don't think I want to buy 50 gallons of vinegar, so the above link intrigues me enough to want to try it.

Finding a container to put it in will be difficult because it weigh's a couple of hundred pounds and trying to suspend it without resting on the bottom of the container.

I noticed in one of the pictures he had 2 chargers hooked up, I wonder if that was for speed or because it required it.

I'm going to give it a shot after Christmas and see what happens, I'll let ya'll know how it works out.

Dave

DC1: If you hear about an explosion in central Texas that's just me making a hydrogen bommmbbbb

 

[97Tahoe]

No need to charge it, Just drop it in and leave it alone.

 

[dcovey]

No need to charge it, Just drop it in and leave it alone.

Really? I know nothing about this process. So you are saying the "washing soda" will work like vinegar?

Dave

 

[SM Racing]

I did a pair of slip jaw pliers and left them in vinegar for two days. it removed the rust, but it also seemed to etch the metal. The pores were very visible when I was finished. Soaked them in WD40 and everything came out looking really nice. I have also done sockets and sometimes it seems to affect the rust but others it doesn't.

 

[Tman]

Pop over to the HAMB and search "vinegar" "molassas" "wood Bleach" and "rust removal" we have discussed it to no end.

I have used molassas, vinegar and wood bleach myself. Tried a large batch of bleach and am going back to molassas for large parts.

 

[Groovy]

Wow I learn something new everyday from this site. I use PB blaster and WD40 but never even thought about vinegar. I'm gonna try this old pair of pliers I have and like that are rusty.

 

[M3Pilot]

I used molasses with good results. It's slow though. I've used electrolysis also, you don't have to use washing soda. Baking soda will do. You might want to avoid electrolytic rust removal on chrome bits. Some of the chrome will be remove & changed to a yellow substance (Sodium Chromate?, I don't remember my chemistry). I'm pretty sure its the chrome that turns yellow,haven't had it occur with non-chromed parts. Remember Chrome Yellow paint?

 

[texasOFT]

Vinegar is 5% acetic acid. It is a organic acid meaning that it works good on organic materials such as oil based items. If you want to remove rust very quickly use muratic (hydrochloric acid) which is a mineral acid. Muratic acid comes in 28% solution and needs to be cut with water 1 part acid to 2 or 3 parts water. If you leave metal in it for an extended time it will damage or corrode the metal. It will take rust off in minutes and leave the metal shiney. Use in a well ventilated area and wear rubber gloves. Rinse the acid off with water when you are done. Muratic acid is also good for removing cement or mortor from bricks, etc.