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Technical cleaning rust between flanges

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Luke stone, May 29, 2020.

  1. Luke stone
    Joined: Sep 5, 2017
    Posts: 135

    Luke stone
    Member

    Im after some tips for cleaning rust between flanges whilst doing rust repairs. I’ve got a snap on suction fed blaster but it’s not the most effective I think maybe my compressor isn’t up to the job and it makes a ton of mess in the workshop. I’ve tried wire wheels and they get rid of the loose stuff and make it look clean a quick sand over after reveals that they just seem to leave a coating from the wire and not cleaned the steel very well. Has anyone got any more effective way of doing the job? I’m not after a miracle that works in seconds but it’s painfully slow the ways I have tried
    Thanks
    Luke
     
  2. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 22,673

    alchemy
    Member

    Sandblasting outside with a good compressor.
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 59,927

    squirrel
    Member

    Buy a big compressor and a pressure sand blaster, and find a place to do it that will allow you to make a mess.

    Or use co**** sanding disks, but they will remove some metal, also.

    This stuff isn't really easy to do, without the proper equipment, unfortunately.
     
  4. Luke stone
    Joined: Sep 5, 2017
    Posts: 135

    Luke stone
    Member

    Thanks guys pretty much the answer I was expecting . Willys project suspended for a while again now then
    Cheers
    Luke
     
  5. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 13,576

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Make some kind of pan to soak the edges in using your favorite rust eater.
     
    john worden likes this.
  6. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,977

    5window
    Member

    ****! I misread your ***le and thought it was rust between fingers. Oh well,I will follow this anyway. :)
    Sent from my moto g(6) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    Luke stone likes this.
  7. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 22,673

    alchemy
    Member

    Sometimes I get rust between my phalanges.
     
    mgtstumpy, blowby, Luke stone and 2 others like this.
  8. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 5,353

    ekimneirbo
    Member
    from Brooks Ky

    Is it something you can submerge? Then try the electrolysis with a battery charger or the citric acid bath. Should float all the rust out with no damage ......
     
  9. HemiTCoupe
    Joined: Apr 4, 2013
    Posts: 217

    HemiTCoupe
    Member
    from TN.

    I soak all kinds of parts in feed mol***es. It removes the rust without touching the metal. Just pressure was it when you take it out. If it needs more time, drop it back in. I had dropped it back in after I had cleaned it up (center picture), to get down in the seams. Comes out clean. Wash & dry quickly, as it will flash rust, but that mostly just wipes off. (It's for my '63 Ford 4000 tractor.)

    Pat


    P5270011.JPG P6250010.JPG P2280014.JPG
     
    mgtstumpy, ERguitar and Luke stone like this.
  10. Pats55
    Joined: Apr 29, 2013
    Posts: 554

    Pats55
    Member
    from NJ

    Scale x is available in England .Saturate the area use a plastic spray bottle. Lay paper towel or rag over it spray it again you should be clean within an hour
     
    alanp561 likes this.
  11. Luke stone
    Joined: Sep 5, 2017
    Posts: 135

    Luke stone
    Member

    It’s not parts that can be submerged unfortunately it’s actually the back panel of my Willys cab. The original floors are turned up and bolted to the rear panel and I am wanting to clean where the 2 panels joined before fitting the new floor. I had considered just sending the whole cab to be blasted but it’s going to be a while before I will do any body work and don’t want to prime it to have to remove it again. I planned on blasting areas for repairs and then blast the whole cab when ready for bodywork. I’m looking at a bigger compressor just means that it will have to wait a while before I can carry on but least it will be done right
    Thanks
    Luke
     
  12. Luke stone
    Joined: Sep 5, 2017
    Posts: 135

    Luke stone
    Member

    I’ll look into that thanks something else to try
    Luke
     
  13. BrandonB
    Joined: Feb 24, 2006
    Posts: 3,571

    BrandonB
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from nor cal

    There is a product called OA or Oxalic Acid that I heard about on an antique bicycle forum, that referred to as giving rusty parts an OA bath. It's sometimes called wood bleach. I'm posting a link to an article about it and how it will dissolve rust while leaving the paint and will not disturb even decals. I've used it and it's pretty amazing. I picked up a container at ACE hardware.
    Go to the link and look at the before and after pictures. Very impressive and the material is organic.
    https://vintageamericanbicycles.com/index.php/2019/07/25/saving-a-rust-bucket/
     
    richards69impala and alanp561 like this.
  14. Luke stone
    Joined: Sep 5, 2017
    Posts: 135

    Luke stone
    Member

    Now that’s amazing I’d love to see a whole body submerged in that and see what it would be like. Thank you for sharing
    Luke
     
  15. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,570

    evintho
    Member

    Mol***es does the same thing. My roadster body before.....

    PB270044.jpg

    Tore the body apart, built a box, lined it with a liner and put the body panels in.....

    P1010004.jpg

    7 parts water, 1 part feed grade mol***es....

    P1010006.jpg

    One week later.....

    P1010004_01.jpg
     
  16. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 5,353

    ekimneirbo
    Member
    from Brooks Ky

    I was going to suggest something similar only using citric acid. Whatever you might decide, a key factor is going to be the viscosity of the product you choose. Don't know what the mol***es cost but you can get the citric acid cheaply on Amazon. It comes in smaller sizes but I bought a 50 lb (?kilograms) bucket for $100 (?pounds). That should last a long time. Anyway, if you got a few boards and nailed them to make a 6" to 12" tall frame in the shape of a tray........and then lay a plastic drop cloth in it.........you could lower the body into it and let all the seams soak. It is well known that chemical dipping gets into every crevice while blasting can't get into some joints. If you don't get the rust out it will come back to haunt you later. Get some kind of seam sealer so you can seal the joint as quickly as possible after you remove it.
     
    alanp561 likes this.
  17. HemiTCoupe
    Joined: Apr 4, 2013
    Posts: 217

    HemiTCoupe
    Member
    from TN.

    Last time I bought mol***es, it was .15 a lb. 4.5 gallons cost about $13.00. I also mix it 7-1. Evintho, did you pressure wash it after you pulled them out? If those were mine, I'd put them back in to get the rest of it off.

    I have used many types of stuff to remove rust, and I like the way mol***es works. It won't touch paint that's on good, or any grease, but best of all, it won't do anything to your hands. Other then make them smell like the mol***es, and stain them (it washes off). I make my vats the way Evintho does, I even still have two like that. I picked up a 270 gal tank, that had a hole in the side. I cut the top & bottom off, and made a clam shell type vat out of it. It even has a large drain in the bottom of the tank.

    When ever I find something rusty, I just throw it in. Tools, anything I walk p***, metal parts form the shelf, that I don't need right now. It does not matter how long it soaks, it won't touch the metal. I've forgot stuff in there, and pulled it out some months later. A big plus is, the mol***es is liquid feed mol***es (it also comes in a powder, I have not used it), and isn't bad for the environment. They say it's good for gardens, it's a feed that gives a horse fast energy. I just pour it out, out in the backyard, have for years.

    Pat
     
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  18. indyjps
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 5,395

    indyjps
    Member

    I use both citric acid and oxalic acid, also learned about it on bicycle forums. Both work well and yield consistent results in 1-3 days.
    Mol***es also does a good job, cost less but takes much longer. My experience 1-2 weeks.

    Its a cost, time tradeoff. All 3 are pretty safe.

    Electrolysis is line of sight, if you have anything other than flat panels, electrode placement can be challenging.

    All of these need a plan for a tank to submerge, and a way to neutralize and dispose of the used solution.

    Ive used all 4 methods as well as Vinegar, muratic, phosphoric, evaporust etc

    What Im going to test next is various weak acids (oxalic, citric) with thickeners to get it to hang, and not require complete submersion. Got some stuff on order.
     
    ekimneirbo likes this.
  19. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,570

    evintho
    Member

    Yep, I used 18 gallons and it cost about $60. I did pressure wash the panels after the mol***es bath. I left them in about a week and when I checked back some of the mixture had leaked out (small hole in the liner) exposing 6" to air. I repaired the liner, flipped the panels around, soaked 'em for a couple more days and it was complete virgin metal! The mol***es didn't affect paint, rubber or pot metal....only rust.
     
    HemiTCoupe likes this.
  20. Hellfish
    Joined: Jun 19, 2002
    Posts: 6,802

    Hellfish
    Member

    Vinegar works really well (and fast) and it's cheaper and easier to find than feed mol***es. You can get a gallon at the grocery store for about $2. You can probably get more for less at big box stores.
     
  21. HemiTCoupe
    Joined: Apr 4, 2013
    Posts: 217

    HemiTCoupe
    Member
    from TN.

    vinegar is an acid and eats it's way clean, mol***es breaks down the rust, not eat metal. I'd be ok with wildlife drinking the mol***es if they were to get into it, since it's a horse & cattle feed. I keep a bath of it up all the time to use, there's stuff in it now. I have never had a problem getting mol***es, it's at all feed stores, & walmart, and any other store that has groceries, but in dry form. I rather liquid form. Or you can pay the really inflated price in any sporting goods department/store. So you can't make the case you can't get/find it.
     

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