What should I know about using Evaporust?

[Bryan Burns]

I bit the bullet and purchased a gallon of Evaporust and soaked some parts overnight. Wow! Wow! The results were excellent. So now I want to soak almost every old tool I own in Evaporust including many saw blades.

My questions: "Is there anything that Evaporust will damage"? Would it ever ruin part of a saw blade etching? What happens if it gets on wood? Can it be reused over and over?

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

It can be reused to an extent but eventually it won't be usable. For example, if you're soaking extremely grimy rusty stuff, it will dirty up the Evaporust real quick so it won't be as effective when you reuse it. I would recommend washing grease off of your stuff beforehand...do a pre-cleaning...before soaking it in the Evaporust. It will make it more effective and keep it usable for more cleaning.

It shouldn't ruin anything metal.

 

[stricht8]

I have re-used my evaporust many many times. It looks grimy and dark but continues to work. Compared to naval jelly it works a lot more slowly but is also more gentle. I'd say you need to soak the tools for 1.5 - 2 days to get them completely rust free. I periodically remove the tools from the ER bath, rub them down with fine steel wool, rinse in water and re- immerse in the ER. When they're done soaking I rub them down with fine steel wool and 3-in-1 oil to bring out the brightness of the bare metal then wipe off the steel wool debris with a paper towel and coat with 3-in-1 oil prior to storage.

 

[BJ42LX]

What you need to know about Evaporust:

1) It works

2) It's expensive

3) Remove as much rust as you can by hand before using Evaporust. See item 2).

4) Scrubbing with a stiff brush after a few hours helps speed things along.

5) If you remove the part from solution and dry without rinsing the part maintains a mild resistance to fresh rust.

6) It leaves a nice black finish on certain types of steel and iron.

7) As it gets used up it turns black. Effectiveness diminishes until it just doens't work anymore. That's when it's done.

8) I had some in a zinc plated pan and it lifted the plating off the base metal.

9) You'll need to get creative with plastic vessels for soaking if you have large or odd-shaped items. PVC pipe can help here.

 

[WVBrady]

It evaporates if left uncovered. I forgot and left a big pan uncovered before I went on vacation and a lot of it evaporated. Someone on this forum advised that it was water based, so I just added distilled water. Seemed to work ok.

 

[Bryanthegreat]

Does it remove branding on the tools?

 

[Bolster]

I was gonna respond but BJ hit all the points in his most excellent post.

Except maybe you don't wanna ER any black oxide tools as it will take off the black oxide.

If the branding is black-oxided in, or reverse-black-oxide, then it will be gone. But if it's impressed, engraved, etc, then no, won't touch it.

 

[Danglerb]

It does leave a kind of dark finish on things, and if you rinse you need to immediately protected the metal with oil or something.

I like it, but its just one tool out of many to deal with rust. Navel Jelly, vinegar, or electrolysis may be better options depending on the item.

 

[darkk]

It works...

 

[Gary S]

What you need to know about Evaporust:

1) It works

2) It's expensive

3) Remove as much rust as you can by hand before using Evaporust. See item 2).

4) Scrubbing with a stiff brush after a few hours helps speed things along.

5) If you remove the part from solution and dry without rinsing the part maintains a mild resistance to fresh rust.

6) It leaves a nice black finish on certain types of steel and iron.

7) As it gets used up it turns black. Effectiveness diminishes until it just doens't work anymore. That's when it's done.

8) I had some in a zinc plated pan and it lifted the plating off the base metal.

9) You'll need to get creative with plastic vessels for soaking if you have large or odd-shaped items. PVC pipe can help here.

10) It likely causes cancer in the state of California.

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Another thing...unlike acid based de-rusters, it does not ruin small springs. This is VERY nice when cleaning up old ratchets and stuff.
I usually degrease such tools by loosening up cover plates, etc., and soaking in thinner, then give a dip in ER before I go much further.
I first tried this stuff on all the strong recommendations here...last week I bit some more bullets and bought 4 gallons to fill up a kitty litter bucket. Next...
How about all of us in the NJ area pool our funds and fill up a swimming pool with ER??

 

[glenmore]

If you like buying old tools from garage/estate/flea sales, evaporust is a giant timesaver. I have a 5 gal bucket and I think the cost is well worth it. It works a bit faster when warm. Sometimes I'll haul the blue bucket out into the sun and it will warm up quickly. Keep the lid on to avoid evaporation.

 

[ash95608]

It is also non corrosive, so when you use it and do not wash it completely off it will not cause rust like acids.

 

[SMKS]

10) It likely causes cancer in the state of California.

Hmmm....the MSDS says it doesn't:

Proposition 65 statement: This product DOES NOT contain any chemical(s) known to the state of California to cause cancer and/or birth defects.

Taken from this link:
http://www.evaporust.com/docs/MSDS Evaporust.pdf



Here's a bunch more info on storage, covering and use (interesting point bolded by me):

Evapo-rust shelf life and use life

EVAPO-RUST has an indefinate shelf life* and can be used over and over until it absolutely stops working. Only water is lost to evaporation. EVAPO-RUST has a tremendous work load. One gallon can remove 1/2 pound of pure dry rust. Rust is about 1/17 the weight of iron by volume, which means its workload is substantial. On average, one gallon de-rusts up to 300 pounds of light to moderately rusted steel. As the iron is removed from the iron oxide, carbon from the rust is released. Some parts may have a black film after using EVAPO-RUST. High carbon steel and tool alloy steel items, when de-rusted, will have a darker appearance. The carbon can be removed simply by wiping with a cloth when rinsing with water. The more you de-rust, the blacker the solution becomes. EVAPO-RUST is spent when it is pitch black and no longer performs.

*Shelf life is for un-opened product. Once opened, The life of the bath will vary due to biodegradability (bacteria introduced into the solution). After using Evapo-Rust, it is better to cover the solution, but still allow air to the bath. Pouring the solution back into a sealed container will allow the anaroebic bacteria to begin the degredation process. Used, open baths have continued to operate for over a 12 month period.

 

[Dieselbutterfly]

is it sold in stores

 

[caspian65]

is it sold in stores

Yes, sold in stores. Sometimes cheaper to buy online though. A 5 gallon bucket will last a long time.

 

[SMKS]

I bought it at HF with a 20% off coupon.

 

[fflintstone]

is it sold in stores

I think it is one of only two things that mickey o buys at harbor freight with a 20% coupon.

 

[Carl B]

Anyone tried Molasses and water?

 

[Mohawk Dave]

I use it on everything. Never ruined anything.

I clean and brush the tool/part first, then do apple cider vinegar for a day or two, as it removes most rust and is cheaper than Evapo-Rust. Then I take it out and put it in the Evapo-Rust for the last leg of cleaning....that way my E-Rust last longer.

 

[kazlx]

I just tried it for the first time on a bunch of rusty tools I recently bought. Works great, especially on little parts like taps.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

is it sold in stores

I saw it at Harbor Freight for over $30/gal. but didn't buy it. The next weekend I stumbled onto it at O'Reilly Auto Parts for $22.99/gal. I bought another gallon just last weekend. I use the stuff a LOT and love it.