[RAMBO]

I've used vinegar for de-rusting before. It really works well leaves the metal nice and clean after rinsing and scrubbing...

However rinsing and scrubbing in water of course results in an orange flash rust haze almost as soon as I can dry them off.

I'm unsure if that is due to the water used during rinsing, or because there is still some acid remaining on the metal (and the air and water).
Wondering if there is something else i should be using during or after the scrubbing/rinse off phase that would help?

Would it be better to have a 2nd bin of a water/baking soda mix to rinse/scrub them in instead of straight water?

thanks for any thoughts.
-Ben

 

[RAMBO]

Couple pics for consideration- These are drum brake backing plates. I had these soaking for about a week and a half.
They were quite rusty, but also have some other kind of crud on them, undercoating, or years of brake dust...

After they came out of the bath they cleaned up pretty well but nearly instantly "fogged" with the orange haze.
After a couple mins with a wire wheel on my drill they cleaned up great- but would love to figure out how to avoid the "fog" altogether, especially because there are areas not super easy to reach.

 

[hiperf406]

On my parts that I derusted I used Satin Clear paint to prevent further rust, with the Satin you can hardly tell they have been coated.

 

[TKG]

Plan B Electrolyis. Arm & Hammer Washing powder, a battery charger and some rebar.
https://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp
Plan C Antifreeze in a crock pot. For aluminum and pot metal. May discolor (frost)
Plan D Purple Power in a Crock pot FOR STEEL ONLY....NO ALUMINUM

 

[blm]

Think to neutralize you place same parts in a bath of 1 gallon water to 1 cup baking soda.
maybe if I was trying to stop the flash rust I would wipe them down with alcohol as soon as they came out of the vinegar and then as soon as that evaporates get a coat of primer on them.

 

[vortec710]

Baking soda is probably the cheapest effective way to neutralize after acid bath, the orange flash....I rubbed it off with scotch write / wire brush and then primed it. Worked OK, you could oil it or WD-40 but raises hell with paint adhering.

 

[SSR71]

Phosphoric acid. It causes the iron surface to react and become iron phosphate which won't readily rust. This is the base ingredient in many rust remover products.

Even using electrolysis will suffer flash rusting as soon as the parts hit oxygen.

 

[68Chevele]

Baking soda is probably the cheapest effective way to neutralize after acid bath, the orange flash....I rubbed it off with scotch write / wire brush and then primed it. Worked OK, you could oil it or WD-40 but raises hell with paint adhering.

Works the best to neutralize and is dirt cheap.

 

[RAMBO]

Baking soda is probably the cheapest effective way to neutralize after acid bath, the orange flash....I rubbed it off with scotch write / wire brush and then primed it. Worked OK, you could oil it or WD-40 but raises hell with paint adhering.

I usually hit stuff with brake clean as soon as I'm done rinsing them off with water, it gets rid of the water and evaporates itself too- These ones i rinsed off in house in the bathtub so i could use hot water (pretty cold outside right now!) and by the time i got them back to the garage they were already flashing orange. The haze does come off fairly easily- was not hard to get them both pretty shiny and ready for paint.

Thinking I may setup another bin with the baking soda/water to dip stuff in right after coming out of the vinegar, maybe that will help.

I have some seat tracks that went right into the vinegar bin after the backing plates came out, thats the real reason i was asking- I want to make sure i neutralize whatever acid stays on them after they come out since there's no way to access the inside of them.

I still want to setup an electrolysis bath one of these days, just never gotten around to setting it all up.

 

[RAMBO]

Think to neutralize you place same parts in a bath of 1 gallon water to 1 cup baking soda.
maybe if I was trying to stop the flash rust I would wipe them down with alcohol as soon as they came out of the vinegar and then as soon as that evaporates get a coat of primer on them.

do you think there is a working life of the bakingsoda in the water? IE if i were to mix up some- how long would the solution be good for?

 

[blm]

do you think there is a working life of the bakingsoda in the water? IE if i were to mix up some- how long would the solution be good for?

just guessing here but think it would have more to do with how many parts one tries to neautralize rather than how long it sits. Only thing I have to compare to is the electrolosis solution which is similar (washing soda instead of baking soda) and from one batch in a large tub I was able to do two complete bucket seats (broken down of course) including tracks and hardware.

 

[sstom66]

just guessing here but think it would have more to do with how many parts one tries to neautralize rather than how long it sits. Only thing I have to compare to is the electrolosis solution which is similar (washing soda instead of baking soda) and from one batch in a large tub I was able to do two complete bucket seats (broken down of course) including tracks and hardware.

I sure am happy with my 4 ft. blast cabinet and glass beads,works great and gives me time to mix up some epoxy primer for my parts afterwords, before any oxidation starts. Tom..

 

[blm]

I sure am happy with my 4 ft. blast cabinet and glass beads,works great and gives me time to mix up some epoxy primer for my parts afterwords, before any oxidation starts. Tom..

Definately a good way to go. If i had the room i would have had one a long time ago.

 

[Capt Casey]

Ben are you on City water or well water...makes a difference. Many wells use a softener to soften the harsh Iron taste of the water. Some don't those that don't soften the water will have a higher iron content. That Iron water will not help rather promote the rust and hazing...
Yes baking soda stops that flash over...also good for heart burn and acid burns on skin!

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

do you think there is a working life of the bakingsoda in the water? IE if i were to mix up some- how long would the solution be good for?

When it stops bubbling, their is either no acid left or the solution is exhausted.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[SRU1436]

Wipe it down with a light coat of boiled linseed oil (BLO), that was my preferred method. You can paint directly over BLO.

I’ve tried vinegar bath, electrolysis, simple green, and evaporust. I like evaporust the best, in fact I used it today on some old C-clamps, that stuff is magic.

 

[138code68]

If your going to paint them have you considered using Jenolite ?

 

[BillK]

Ben,
The guy that grinds crankshafts for me uses Evaporust on cranks that have rust on them. He says that it does the same thing unless he rinses it off with water, blows it dry and immediately soaks it pretty good with WD40. The only problem with that for you would be getting all of the WD40 off before painting.

 

[Olle]

Ben,
The guy that grinds crankshafts for me uses Evaporust on cranks that have rust on them. He says that it does the same thing unless he rinses it off with water, blows it dry and immediately soaks it pretty good with WD40. The only problem with that for you would be getting all of the WD40 off before painting.

I'm surprised to hear that. I have used Evaporust for years, and have never had a problem with flash rust. I just take the parts out of the bath and wipe them dry, then they'll stay good until it's time to prep for paint or whatever I'm going to do with them. According to Evaporust's advertising, it prevents rust if you leave it on without rinsing. I'd add "within reason" to that, but if the parts are stored as you should store bare steel they won't rust.

 

[RAMBO]

I'm surprised to hear that. I have used Evaporust for years, and have never had a problem with flash rust. I just take the parts out of the bath and wipe them dry, then they'll stay good until it's time to prep for paint or whatever I'm going to do with them. According to Evaporust's advertising, it prevents rust if you leave it on without rinsing. I'd add "within reason" to that, but if the parts are stored as you should store bare steel they won't rust.

I've just never been willing to pony the cost for 5 gallons of the evapo rust at $30/gallon + shipping- the $3/gallon for white vinegar was a lot easier to deal with- but I did not realize evaporust did not need to be rinsed off at the end of the process, and would not encounter the flash rust of using water to rinse. For some reason I thought it needed another product (metal ready?) to clean it at the end before things could be painted.

I might have to go with it the next round once I decide the current batch of vinegar has gotten too gross.