Vinegar rust removal

Anybody use vinegar to remove rust? A buddy at work has been using this to remove rust from some speed wrenches and old liscense plates. I was just wondering about neutralizing afterwards before paint. If this works I was wondering if a guy could try this on larger parts as it would be easy to get rid of afterwards. I tried a tech search but didn't get any matches. Pool

 

I've never used it for rust removal. I HAVE used it to strip off the cad plating on hardware store fasteners so I can paint them. Put them in over night, and they come out bare metal.
I have noticed that leaving them in there longer wil cause them to get really dark. I think this is called "pickled".
-Brad

 

I use this as a radiator and engine coolant passage cleaner outer.
Works great. I use a 50/50 solution when doing this. I'm sure it would work if parts are placed in it. May take awhile to work but it sure is non hazardous.
There is also choices of using electrolysis and anoother iusing molassis which are effective too and non-hazardous. Use the high concentrated 4% vinegar.

 

Ok! who knows the molasses procedure, do you mix it with water? and what sort of ratio,etc....

 

In the past I've used pool acid to take off the rust, then vinegar to kill the acid, then wipe down with metal prep and prime. Von Doc

 

I've heard you are supposed to use vinegar on rusty tin roofs before painting them. Supposed to stop the rust I guess. Never asked why and I sold the house before I got that far.

 

I soaked some small very rusty parts from the dash of my 46 ford project and soaked them in mollases and vinegar. (separate containers)

Molasses did nothing. I may have had the wrong kind. It makes a difference so I have heard.

The vinegar parts came out with black crud on them that used to be rust. It came off very easy with water and a little elbow grease.

I have some wheels that I want to do. I have a 33 gallon trash can and I plan on putting them in it and cover with vinegar.

It took a day or two to eat up the rust but it worked.

Tim

 

The correct Molasses comes from the local Co-op Feed Store.

For some reason,it has Sulphur in it.

 

do a search. there have been multiple HAMB posts about the molasses trick.

there is a great product called Evaporust that will eat off the rust in like 30 minutes. You can now get small containers of it at AutoZone... or order larger containers online

 

What the hell is pool acid?
I assume you're talking about sodium hypochloride, which is bleach.
Normally it comes in tablet or powdered form.
Many types of hypochlorides are used in pool cleaners.
Add vinegar and you will get a yellow release, that's chlorine.
Can be deadly.
Nothing like good advice.
That's why we use Naval jelly, electrolysis, molasses, etc.
We don't want to die because of being cheap.
Plus if you actually use a dilute hydrochloric acid, vinegar will not neutralize it.
Only dilute it.
An acid will not neutralise an acid.
It may give off an iffy fume.
But it won't neutralise it.
You use alkalines for that.
They can fume too, of course.
Be careful and check out what you're doing before you mix chemicals.

 

Swimming pool acid is muriatic, which is just diluted hydrochloric.

The reason vinegar (acetic acid I believe), or muriatic, or any kind of acid takes off rust is that the acid will eat up the oxide. Be careful now, a little chemistry is about to begin. In the case of the acid, it has Hydrogen (H) molecules in excess, in the form of H+. The oxide is Oxygen (O) combined with Iron (Fe), Fe2O3. The H+ will combine with the O, which is O--, in the oxide, forming H2O. The Fe+++ is then floating excess in the acid solution. The excess Fe ions are not a problem, but for some metals, the ions are what makes the solution to be hazardous and not supposed to dump down the drain. What you are left with is the steel (iron) surface of your part. You do need to do something to neutralize the acid after you submerge the part, rinsing in water is not enough.

A neutralizer for acid is anything with hydroxide in the name, or OH- excess in the solution. Sodium hydroxide is probably the most common hydroxide that you might find.

 

Hey 38Chevy454, does this Sodium hydroxide have a real world like name? Anything like table salt or windex window cleaner. I'm a little concerned about going into a grocery store or such and asking for Sodium hydroxide. Don't want to get reported to the FBI thinking i might be making some backyard bomb or something.

 

Isn't sodium hydroxide lye?? If so look on the drain cleaner aisle.

 

A neutralizer for acid is anything with hydroxide in the name, or OH- excess in the solution. Sodium hydroxide is probably the most common hydroxide that you might find.[/QUOTE]

I figured pool acid was probably chlorine based.
And of course if it's pH is below 5, even uncontaminated, it can't be dumped.
(Not legally anyway )
I neutralise it with sodium carbonate.
That doesn't give the chlorine release that sodium bicarb does.
Never used sodium hydroxide to neutralise it though.
I'll have to check it out.
I've got loads of that stuff.

 

unkay.

 

I soaked my wheel cylinders in vinegar for a few days. Rust came right off. Then I just rinsed them with water and sprayed them with a little rustoleum. Good as new....

Wouldn't see why it wouldn't work with larger parts, except what do you do with all that dirty vinegar later?

 

where can i find a tub large enough to fit my '49 in?

 

I hear it's very tasty on fish sticks !!!!

 

i think sodium hydroxide is just dran-o.....

i dunked some iron objects that had been buried for about a hundred years in rocky's 1 part SULPHURATED molasses to 3 parts water mix and it ate alot of the crud, though it was so rusted that it was more of a 1/4" thick shell of rust over iron underneath, and it didn't eat it all away. blasting or more rigourous cleaning before dunking would have helped. i've seen pictures on here and people's tests, it works.

 

I like to use piss and vinegar!!

 

Hahahaha! You're making me hungry... hear those "special fish sticks" you make are high in iron.... mmmMMMMmmm

 

Yes, sodium hydroxide is known as lye, or also caustic soda. Just about any drain cleaner is sodium hydroxide. Just as with acids, any caustic chemical solution needs to be handled with appropriate safety protection. Cover your skin, protect your eyes, minimize splashing, etc.

 

I thought this sounded interesting so I soaked an old bottle opener in some vineger for a few days. I assume it is chrome plated, that is what it looks like. Anyhow the vinegar did eat the rust, left the pits obviously but the rust is gone.
I am restoring an old cast iron cookstove and some of the hardware has surface rust, I think they are nickel plated. Does anyone know if the vinegar or molasses effects nickel plating?? I am trying one of the cast iron burners in the vinegar right now...

 

This made my head hurt.

The reason you use vinegar on tin roofs is to neutralize the rust AND the galvanizing. Not that that has much to do with this thread.

 

Don't strip that cadmium where you can breathe in the fume.
Very dangerous accumulative poison

 

works great to remove rust from old tools, cast parts etc. mix 50/50 white vinegar/water in 5 gal. plastic bucket w lid. check every couple of hours. rinse with baking or washing soda to neutralize the acid from the vinegar.

 

Thanks to all of you guy's for the tips. Man just wish I woulda paid more attention in chemistry class . Think the only chemical on the brain back then was thc. Pool.

 

Molasses , it works.

http://www.ahooga.com/wwwboard/messages/168036.shtml

 

No chemicals needed, just a little direct current....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10461

 

The soduim carbonate "washing soda" is a chemical isn't it ?