Rust removal

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Tank
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Rust removal

Post by Tank » Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:48 pm

Talking about this with a friend this morning. Many of the techniques used by the "professional" are deemed to be a black art, yet they are nothing of the sort. Just a bit of chemistry really.
If you go to any of the main DIY outlets they will happily sell you any amount of proprietory solutions to remove rust, usually at some outrageous cost!
Rust removal - from small manageable items - is simple, cheap and very, very easy. All you need is a handful of washing soda, a bucket, a chunk of scrap steel, some water and either a car battery charger or other transformer capable of more than (I would reccommend) 1.5 amps and 12 or 24 volts DC. Put the washing soda in the bucket - I use a good handfull - add a couple of gallons of warm/hot water and place the piece of steel in it preferably so that it is protruding a little and connect the Positive wire to that.
Then get your item/stuff you need to get the rust off. You need to connect that to the negative side of your power supply. Now, if it is a pile of nuts/bolts/washers there are two techniques I use. I have a sheet of wire mesh that I lay these items on and then connect to the power or I have a small steel basket I sometimes use, taking it out occassionally to shake the contents. This technique of rust removal relies very much on the items being cleaned being able to "see" the sacrificial Anode - the bit of steel on the Positive side of the circuit.
This is my "Apparatus" at the moment:
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beeker
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Re: Rust removal

Post by beeker » Thu Aug 22, 2013 10:20 am

Any preferred material the bucket should be Graham ? and do you change or alter the solution during the process ?

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Tank
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Re: Rust removal

Post by Tank » Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:15 pm

beeker wrote:Any preferred material the bucket should be Graham ? and do you change or alter the solution during the process ?
Just plastic Bill. I suppose we could go all fancy and have a metal bucket and connect that to the positive and somehow suspend the item we are de-rusting in the middle of it somehow but I can see that ending in tears.
The solution is not altered in any way throughout either though you don't want to keep it forever. The quantities are not very scientific either, I just put a "handful" in :oops:

One piece of sage advice thought - don't put your hand in the solution whilst it is all connected. It will make you feel fuzzy all over - Ask me how I know this :shock:

A very badly corroded piece can take up to 48 hours to process.
You don't need washing soda either if you don't have any (though it is only a pound from the discount shop) ordinary table salt will do. You just need an electrolyte.
graham.
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https://tamesidepistol.club/

beeker
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Re: Rust removal

Post by beeker » Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:21 am

One piece of sage advice thought - don't put your hand in the solution whilst it is all connected. It will make you feel fuzzy all over.
Have you stumbled on to a combination hair restorer / legal high. :D :D

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Re: Rust removal

Post by Tank » Sat Aug 24, 2013 5:49 pm

beeker wrote: Have you stumbled on to a combination hair restorer / legal high. :D :D
No, you wouldn't like it :D

Well been a bit busy but here are the pictures of the finished article. Pity I didn't take "before" shot. What I can say though is that they were in a rotting shed for five years then in a damp garage for fifteen or twenty years - you can imagine, you couldn't work them at all.
Yes, I could have bought a new pair, but I wanted this pair. Obviously I had good reason, this pair of wire cutters belonged to my grandfather. They were pretty specialist kit back in the day. As you can see, manufactured by B. A. Berg in Sweden under the "Shark Brand". This company was subsequently bought by BAHCO (who own a surprising number of well known companies - Milwaukee Tool Co. anyone?) so they still produce this style of cutter.
My Grandfather was a ropemaker, wire ropes - he actually worked on and oversaw the wire ropes that are installed on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, amongst many others. So I wanted this particular pair for their history, besides, they are really good wire cutters :D

Image
Image
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Re: Rust removal

Post by beeker » Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:55 pm

Good result in saving a bit of family history of the tactile sort , you're still using a tool that your grandfather handled, . Result. :D

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