Hot Rods Rust Removal - Tools or Parts

I came across this video on youtube. Looked interesting enough to give it a try. I was pretty surprised at the results for common household stuff - and I was quite skeptical dropping the first part in.


Beyond Ballistics did a fantastic job here!






The '57 Chevy truck door hinge was in the solution for basically 24 hours.
The rocking chair spring was in for 15-16 hours and is next to the control group "twin".

I think all in the cost of the supplies is less than a couple of bucks per mixture.

1 liter distilled H2O
63 grams baking soda
100 grams citric acid powder (canning aisle @ Walmart)
Squirt or two of dish soap

Enjoy!
Edit to correct baking soda amount.

 

Yea man, we've been using the citric acid here for years. It works great ! Just FYI I've done it successfully many times with just the CA & tap water. I've never used distilled H20 or Baking Soda.

 

It gets even easier! That's awesome! I will have to try that as well.

 

Metoo,,,,,,,this is after 24 hour soak.

If you want better result,,,,,leave it in longer.

 

Here’s a whole Iowa swimming pool full of citric acid and water, soaking some vintage tin. Comes out spotless (after a power wash).

 

That is awesome! What’s the mix ratio water/citric acid for that tub?

 

I did the same writhing with CA mix. Didn’t know about the baking soda at the time.
I had some frozen assemblies in the mix first, freed them up a day or two later.
Then gathered up all my froze adjustable wrenches, they went in the mix for a few days as well. I think of the 8-10 I put in there, only a few were still stuck. But some of the wrenches were froze up for 20-30 years.

 

If you use the citric acid and baking soda combo --- be sure your container you're mixing in is way larger than you think you will need. It will bubble over and - don't ask me how I know this...

 

i've been doing the electrolysis rust removal from Fordbarn and using the carbon electrodes to make it mess free, but it's time consuming and there's a small element of electrical potential for stupidity there, but mostly it's just a bit more cumbersome than I want when doing alot of parts. Just last week I happened across that same video and am delighted that I can toss in a bunch of parts without wiring each up to the power source.

Yes you can just use the Citric Acid to remove rust but the Sodium Carbonate laundry booster, or other additive like baking soda is put in the recipe to change the ph so the citric acid functions mostly in chelation instead of acid erosion and therefore is less destructive to the base metal.

-rick

 

I have used electrolysis for years doing a few old blocks and heads that way, but the oxide coating left behind is a bit of a buggar to get off sometimes. This seems to work as well or better and its pretty fantastic the small amount of brushing - with a toothbrush - required to knock anything off.

 

Good for light rust and stains.... Vinegar soak is just as good if not better... cheaper?

Gotta soak many times for several days, weeks to get any kind of heavy rust

 

I tried vinegar a couple of times and didn't have the results I was hoping for - and the smell in the shop was not pleasant. I have heard people like it, but in my limited work space, all indoors, the smell was more than I could work around.

Don't - not use it - if it has worked for you!!!

 

What are you using for electrodes? The guys using rebar or other cheap stuff laying around have to deal with the orange sludge killing off the water and really grunging up the parts. If you use a carbon arc gouging electrode, you just get a bit of carbon on the parts to knock off and the stuff in the water just falls out of solution. I spent 25bux at McMasterCarr for a pack of gouging electrodes and because i chose 3/4inch (huge, Lol) they will out last my lifetime, lol.. but i'm not interested in wiring up a bucket full of small parts when the citric acid deal can handle that type of work

-rick

 

I work at a sheet metal job shop so I used clean scrap sheet metal pieces. Probably only a light mill oil on them. I usually placed a plastic egg-crate fluorescent light grid between my parts and electrodes and it worked well enough. I have one old 327 block and a couple pair of double hump heads left to do so I might see if I can mix up enough of this solution to dunk the block in my "soup" tote. See how it turns out. It will be a few months before I get the space in the shop to test it though.

 

Our rusty hot tub had 400 gallons of water and one 50 pound pail of citric acid powder. We soaked the parts about two weeks per session. The mix lasted about half the summer before it lost potency.

 

I am coveting that setup! That’s a huge tub! Wish I had space for that!

 

Yeah it stinks , only tried it once. Dudes that try and clean vintage axe heads do the vinegar. Wood finishers put steal wool in vinegar for months to make wood stain.

Ive used gallon jugs muriatic acid to dissolve rust. You'll love that smell ..WEEE ! ........

..Concrete contractors use muriatic acid to dissolve dried concrete mess off equipment

 

That doesnt make any sense.... Baking Soda?......... Baking soda is a base, and neutralizes acid so it wont work

Maybe you meant do a baking soda rinse after the citric acid soak to neutralize

 

So. It seems someone has finally figured out how Evapo-Rust does it.

It's about time.

 

Give it a try. I am no chemist - barely passed in high school. It works like magic.

 

If your'e worried about electrical connections for an electrolysis bath, they should only be low-voltage DC (like from a battery charger), which won't zap you. I have run one of these for many years using an old solar panel and bicarb soda, with any old piece of scrap mild unplated steel as an anode.

 

Below is what I came across on the HAMB a bit back. I’d actually forgot about it, but the reference about baking soda just sorta “clicked” just now. The below references “washing soda” no clue if it’s the same or not.

 

Added bonus when my granddaughter snagged my phone

 

Hey JD, I didn’t say it like that! Lol

 

For us Americans I converted it over for us...

1-gal water
13.38 oz citric acid
9.41 oz baking soda
Dish soap

Or

5-gal water
66.9 oz citric acid
42.05 oz baking soda
Dish soap

Round off as you see fit, up-down, which ever way you want to go !!

....

 

Dish soap I get as CA won't really clean grease & oil well. The baking soda makes no sense. As mentioned above its a base so it seems it would neutralize the Citric Acid.
I posted a tech thread here several years back showing my process. CA+ water, soak 24 hours & rust will rinse right off.

 

As said in the SS I posted, the gent found and used washing soda.

 

I shortened it for you