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De-rusting of parts

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fordcragar, Feb 24, 2006.

  1. fordcragar
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 3,198

    fordcragar
    Member
    from Yakima WA.

    Over the years I've heard a lot about molasses, but no one talks about using vinegar. I’ve been using vinegar for years and it works great. Usually it only takes a couple of days to work. What I've heard about molasses, is that it usually takes weeks.


    I was at first skeptical, but tried putting some parts in a gallon can and put the lid on for several days. When I pulled them out, I though what a joke, so I washed them off with the pressure nozzle from a garden hose to get the vinegar off the parts and the rust blew off in sheets. Wow, it worked. If I hadn’t of done that, you wouldn’t be able tell, if it would even work.

    Anyway I have graduated up to a covered plastic locker, that you can buy a many stores. It is about 2’x3’x30” tall that I have filled with vinegar (I think that it holds about 30 gallons). I buy vinegar at Costco for about $1.30 gallon (at least the last time I bought some). I’ve had this locker filled with vinegar for about 10 years and just add some once in a while to fill the tank back up.
     
  2. pool
    Joined: Jun 24, 2005
    Posts: 318

    pool
    Member

    I've used the vinegar process on some liscense plates recently worked nice. I have also tried electrolysis with good results.Shortly I'm going to have to derust a hood, fenders running boards etc. I know that I could sandblast but I would hate to warp it. My question without hyjacking your post is has any one done a body part and have they had any problems under painted surfaces? Pool
     
  3. fordcragar
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 3,198

    fordcragar
    Member
    from Yakima WA.

    I don't think that vinegar will create any problems with the paint. I would probably strip all of the paint off before starting anyway. A friend my mine, did a hood by building a shallow frame structure out of wood and then lining it with plastic. He then put the hood in and filled it with vinegar, then covered it up with plastic and let it sit. If you were to do a temporary structure like that, you would want to be able to reclaim the vinegar for later use.
     
  4. Rust-Mort is real good on body parts....or just POR-15 it
     

  5. pool
    Joined: Jun 24, 2005
    Posts: 318

    pool
    Member

    After a while of using the vinegar It really got nasty and I wondered if it was working as well. You say you have used yours for a while, do you think it works as well? I guess a guy could sift out the junk or pump out the vinegar to clean the container somehow. Just seems like an awful big waste to throw away that much vinegar.
     
  6. fordcragar
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 3,198

    fordcragar
    Member
    from Yakima WA.

    Pool
    It is hard to gauge, if it works as well. But I've been using the same vinegar for over five years and it still seems fine. I'll put parts in and leave them for a couple of days and pull them out and wash with water. I woundn't leave the vinegar uncovered, it will evaporate, so you would lose it that way.

    I wouldn't throw it all away, I would probably strain it and put it back in the tank.

    Chopped50Ford
    Rust-Mort is a good product, as are other rust products on the market. What I'm talking about is something that I could use at home, to soak parts in, that is reasonably priced. Most of the rust products out there are about $30-$40 per gallon. If I put 20 gallons of vinegar in a tank and it does what I want it to do, it save me a lot of time and money compared to using a rust product to attack the rust. Twenty gallons of a rust product would be $600 to $800.

    I usually wipe over the bare metal with a product that has zink phosphate in it, and this will usually eliminate any rust from coming back.
     
  7. i used the vinegar on a small oil tank that was really crusty inside, It did the job well but left a black flake residue, is this normal?
     
  8. 38racing
    Joined: Jan 7, 2005
    Posts: 23

    38racing

    Is there much or any rust back with the vinegar. I have used muriactic acid and there was always some rust back.
     
  9. I think thats the other question I forgot, when done using the vinegar, do I rinse with water and then maybe acetone for preventing flash rusting?
     
  10. fordcragar
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 3,198

    fordcragar
    Member
    from Yakima WA.

    If you mean, do you get a surface rust soon with the vinegar, the answer is yes. Like I said, I'll use one of the expensive rust products at this point to coat the surface. I use the vinegar to go after the heavy rust that can't be wire brushed and coated with a rust product.

    Muriactic acid would be more agressive than vinegar, and should work faster. Vinegar is easy to obtain, doesn't require special handling, and isn't very expensive. Both are an acid and once rinsed off, I would imagine should be treated the same.
     
  11. fordcragar
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 3,198

    fordcragar
    Member
    from Yakima WA.

  12. fordcragar
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 3,198

    fordcragar
    Member
    from Yakima WA.

  13. dirtydixon
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 296

    dirtydixon
    Member

    I've tried the ol vinegar trick. I find it to work pretty good. I just bought a quart or two to test it out. I dipped a rusted ashtray from my 54 3100, I let it soak for a few days (2 or 3) and then I pulled it and rinsed it, the surface rust came off, but the deep pitted areas were still there. I dipped it for a couple more days pulled it out and wire brushed it, it came out good. It is a hell of alot less work that manually sanding it off and it works good for the hard-to reach areas.

    I'm going to try it again on some more parts. I'll have to take some pics.
    It's great for someone with a super low budget. (like myself)
     
  14. Dzuari
    Joined: Jan 28, 2011
    Posts: 250

    Dzuari
    Member
    from Muncie, IN

    has anyone ever tried this method?

    http://www.btc-bci.com/~billben/rust.htm

    Its chemically removing rust using a zinc based liquid. i guess the electrons from the rust jumps to the zinc breaking the bonds off the iron and it will completely remove even the microscopic rust particles so you dont have to worry about rerusting. I think u can also combine this method with electrolysis and will work even faster.
     
  15. Limey Steve
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 1,523

    Limey Steve
    Alliance Vendor
    from Whittier

    What type of vinegar are you using , white I assume ?

    Good Tech tip this

    Cheers
     
  16. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I like apple cider vinegar, mostly for the smell. It works well for me.
     
    low down A likes this.
  17. eastexas55
    Joined: Jan 31, 2011
    Posts: 4

    eastexas55
    Member

    I have used vinegar for a while now and on some of the bigger parts that wont fit in a tub I will fill a trigger squirt bottle with it and spray it on the part and then cover with plastic then just respray every couple of hours for a day or two then just pressure wash it worked great did a entire fairlane like that then I used ospho to treat the surface before primers
     
  18. dirtydixon
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 296

    dirtydixon
    Member


    I have use white and also apple cider.
    Which ever has higher acidity and is cheapest is what I will buy next time.
     
  19. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Unless it says on the label, it might be hard to tell. According to the FDA guidelines, they could be the same:

    "The strength of vinegar is measured by the percent of acetic acid present in the product. All vinegar sold in the United States at the retail level should be at least 4% acidity as mandated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Typical white distilled vinegar is at least 4% acidity and not more than 7%. Cider and wine vinegars are typically slightly more acidic with approximately 5-6% acidity."

    http://www.versatilevinegar.org/faqs.html

    Either way, they are pretty close.
     
  20. Arominus
    Joined: Feb 2, 2011
    Posts: 394

    Arominus
    Member

    Neato, i think ill try that spray bottle action on my hood :D
     
  21. gwh
    Joined: Dec 26, 2010
    Posts: 7

    gwh
    Member
    from MS

    Has anyone tried heating the tub of vinegar to speed up the process?
     
  22. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    My wife and I have a little egg boiler with an aluminum lower pan. You add a little water, (2 ounces) poke a breathing hole in each and suspend the eggs above, on a framework...
    The pan is then plugged in, gets boiling hot...every 4 uses, the pan gets 'burned', from leaking egg enzymes, yolk, etc. White vinegar is poured onto the stained pan, (3 ounces) then when it boils down to just a shallow, the pan is unplugged and scrubbed with a craytex backed sponge.
    Yes, heat augments the action of white vinegar! Love that stuff.
     
  23. Beau
    Joined: Jul 2, 2009
    Posts: 1,884

    Beau
    Member

    I have been using vinegar for a while. It works great! Just be sure to seal it up right after you pull the parts out.
     
  24. Roger53
    Joined: Aug 8, 2010
    Posts: 383

    Roger53
    Member

    Hi I've used red vinger to unstick a motor with a good out come.
     
  25. fordcragar
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 3,198

    fordcragar
    Member
    from Yakima WA.

    This is an update this older post to reflect on what I do after pulling the parts out of the vinegar. When I pull the parts out, they are washed with a garden hose and then washed with soapy water. The soapy water kills the acid and stops the flash rust.
     
  26. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,097

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    are you using a bar/hand type soap or a dawn/ liquid dish type soap?
     
  27. junk yard kid
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 2,718

    junk yard kid
    Member

    I havent tried soap yeti use some gibbs brand oil and that stops it. My biggest problem is drying it fast enough, so i use compressed air. I also dilute my vinegar with water, but it takes longer to derust stuff.
     
  28. PushnFords
    Joined: Dec 2, 2011
    Posts: 52

    PushnFords
    Member

    Does vinegar freeze? I'm thinking it would be nice to have a large animal stock tank full outside to put fenders in. I don't have much room inside....

    *EDIT* Googled...avg freezing temp is 28 degrees.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2013
  29. I just "de-rusted" to top of an old gas pump with 3 gals of white distilled vinegar. Check out the results. I used a box that my ink jet printer came in and a large section of HD plastric drop cloth. The second photo has flash film rust, I should have wipe it w/WD-40.
    I use all the time for old rusty license plates.
     

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    Last edited: Sep 19, 2013
  30. tapkoote
    Joined: Feb 6, 2013
    Posts: 70

    tapkoote
    Member

    For many years now I've been dumping the acid out of batteries, before I use them for core.
    Kept in 1 gal. mik jugs.
    Wash the parts in hot soapy water directly after, and it's free.
    Will burn holes in your jeans though.
    Tap
     

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