The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Removing rust from small parts.

Several years ago I used Muriatic Acid as a washing step to remove rust from the inside of my 1965 gas tank. My Eastwood kit outlined the directions as to how it should be done but did not supply the acid.

Not long after that, I read that people sometimes remove rust from parts using apple cider vinegar, or molasses, or phosphoric acid, or naval jelly, or even a battery charger and a few chemicals. They each claimed success too.

I recently started sorting bolts. Lots of rusty bolts.

Here's what I decided to try. It works great. Fast. Pretty cheap. But don't take any risks. Make sure you wear protection.

Removing rust from small parts - VIDEO

I'm interested if anyone feels this is a bad idea. You won't hurt my feelings. I'm here to learn too. Any chemists in the group?

Jay

Muriatic acid is one derusting technique I have not tried. Thanks for the video.

Don't drip it on your garage cement floor.

I actually used a 50/50 mix of lemon juice and water to remove surface rust from a hood emblem. Worked well. I bought a tumbler for bolts and other small stuff but wasn't at all happy with the way it worked.

Hi Jay,
Hope all is well with you and the family.

Please don't store muriatic acid in your garage. If you do, you need to be ready for rust and damage and disappointment. I learned this the hard way. It will cause all your steel tools to rust, shovels, cars, nails, bolts, even chrome. Don't buy more than you need because this stuff is a real problem to store. And ALWAYS store it in a plastic bottle with a plastic lid. I've seen the stuff completely dissolve the metal top of a glass Ball jar in a few weeks...just the fumes of it. Now I should tell you even stored in a plastic bottle this stuff will cause rust on tools, etc. I used to use this in metal plating and it is one tough chemical to keep around your house. I don't have one, but friends with swimming pools tell me they can't store it in their sheds for the same reasons.

And never ever drop anything made of aluminum into muriatic acid. Any aluminum (even aluminum foil, pop cans, etc) will have a thin oxidized layer on it. Once the acid dissolves this oxidized layer and gets to the bare aluminum, then chemically speaking all hell breaks loose.

As an alternative, strong vinegar (any percentage higher than about 12~15%) will break down rust and dissolve it. It is also a decent carb cleaner, but I wouldn't leave a carb sitting in it too long because vinegar is essentially just acetic acid diluted with water and some acids are not good for pot metal. You can actually watch dirt and stuff bubble out of carb passages, etc. When you're through, filter the trash out of it with a coffee filter, put it in a Windex bottle and spray it on weeds or thistle in your sidewalk cracks. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the base of the really resistant ones and in about 3 hours they'll be dead as hammers. Of course any plant you put vinegar and salt on will die, so don't put this on weeds in your grass. And vinegar can be stored much more safely than muriatic acid.

Jon G,
What you say is very true. I had a bottle of muriatic stored in a metal shed outside my house. Every metal object on the shelf AND the wall of the shed showed accelerated rust formation in the months that followed. Store with that in mind. A milder form of acid is preferable to muriatic but I wanted to show the fast results. We try and we learn a little each time.

Well if you don't want to risk of possible accidents happening to yourself, your family, your garage or your dog. If you don't want to store an acid or dispose of it somehow. If you don't want to use any of the other liquid methods. The sloppy chemicals and molasses methods.
You can use a sandblast cabinet. They are well worth the money. They will be used for many parts. I went to Goodwill and got a metal basket used for cooking. There are all kinds of that type of basket. Got one with big holes, but not too big. Good size wire. I fill it with bolts, nuts, washers, small brackets and parts and blast away. Shake the parts around a few times while blasting to expose all angles.There is no waiting for a soak. No goggles, no breather. You are done in 5 minutes.......and use the basket for French Fries when you done.
They do sell these baskets. Mine was $1 on senior day.

I know that we are all on a budget. I will say from experience that being a fixer guy, a truck guy, a "handyman" type guy, that a big compressor and a blast cabinet is almost a must for a serious or semi serious person. I use it for many things. Just stripped two vintage metal Motel Chairs. It takes a long time to do a truck. You will use it over and over. The compressor obviously is used with many other air tools. The cabinet is self contained. Media is reused. These two items don't wear out. Media is cheap. It is worth mentioning, to those who are derusting a lot, to consider. I use the compressor with a syphon bucket for big stuff.

80 gal, two stage, belt drive, 5HP, 240V. Quiter than a little portable. Never runs out of air. I plumbed the blaster with hose, not pipe. 20 feet. Everything else is on a service hose connected at the two quick connects on compressor. Built a hose hanger on the compressor. Just my setup. Not fancy. Smallish work area, outside but covered and "walled". I use an old shop vac for the cabinet with a water bucket style filter to save the vac motor.

Bart’s is,
A blasting cabinet is ideal but not practical for everyone.
I made the video to show muriatic acid as an option and I tried to point out that there are dangers with acid. It’s not for everyone. It will come in useful for small jobs that need to be done in a hurry. It’s just one of many good options.

I have used many of the above and prefer using an electrolytic rust removal process. Google it for details. It’s pretty simple and nontoxic.
In a nut shell all that’s needed are: a plastic bucket, (I use a plastic storage box), battery charger, (a cheap trickle charger works fine), a box of common kitchen baking soda, water and a sacrificial steel electrode and electricity. Most of the stuff I treated was usually cleaned up in 8-12 hours and typically less than 24 hours. The process isn’t the fastest option. But, it does get rust out of small, hard to reach bends and crevices. When done rinse with clean water dry with a heat gun or other and prime for paint. Once the water and soda get too nasty to use over, simply dump it in a drain or let evaporate and toss the residue in the trash.

Evap-o-rust...... 100% rust removal, 100% safe.

I am lazy.
I am inpatient.
I do not enjoy trying to look through the clouded up sight glass of a blast cabinet.
I do not enjoy looking for small parts shot into no man's land from my bench grinder.
And Danger is my middle name.
I like your method Lugzy!

Windyville1 is right, I can’t stress enough how much better and easier Evaporust is for small parts, is a bit pricy for some, but u reuse it until it just won’t work anymore. And it’s safe for all metals and plastics and your hands.
Also unlike acids and bases and electrolisys methods the evaporust will NOT attack non rusty underlying metal.
It works by making the rust water soluble and over a couple days all the rust is dissolved like salt into the solution
I swish the container with my parts a couple times and day and leave the really stubborn stuff for 48 hrs
Some rusts like dirty chrome and stainless parts may take longer to get clean.

I have a skat blast cabinet that works great. The secret to a cabinet is to change the cotton picking sand, as it is cheap, before it gets fine as dust...and also, change the plastic protective lenses that can be purchased in a roll to put over and protect the glass. Been using mine for 16 years and no problem. Have used sand, glass, black diamond. I have a bucket of plastic beads to try some day.

Muriatic acid...nasty stuff. We used it to dechrome gravure print cylinders. Get the cylinder hot, pout on the muriatic and watch it melt off. Everything in the plating dept rusted in spite of all the fans and precautions....I spent 2 days in he hospital with "bad lungs" because of it back in '79 so I know from experience.

Vinegar, to slow for me but at times I do use it.

Molasses, can get expensive at what most folks recommend. The lasses taint cheap. Somewhere a bolter lined a big box, and a long cardboard box, with plastic and dipped fenders and such. It works but is slow.

Electroliysis, yes, I use it, and I really like it. Used it on the gas tank off my 50 coupe a short time ago. I really like this.

Big parts, or small parts is the question!!!

The one thing that may be my next "tool purchase" will be a medium size tumbler. Throw the stuff in and let it tumble! Comes out nice and shiny.

In the end, I think we can have a "specific" use for each of the above, it just depends!!!!
For some of us, just a plain old bench grinder will do.

Jay, thanks for your efforts. Your tops man.

I use plastic bead and alumina - 50:50 at first.

The plastic bead powder/dust gets sucked by the exhaust/vacuum collector, and the alumni lasts a long time. Every so often I add a bag of the plastic bead.

Another vote for a blast cabinet.............varying grits of glass beads.

Right blast media choice:

http://www.graco.com/us/en/products...oose-the-right-abrasive-for-the-job.html

How long does it take to clean a coffee can full of nuts and bolts in a blast cabinet? How tedious is it to get the inside of the nuts?
I kind of like the idea of having the chemicals do the work so that I don't have to. If there is a cheap, safer acid than muriatic acid which does the same job, I would rather go that way.

Lazy.
Inpatient.
And a cheapskate.

My take home message is this: There is no single method that is all three (fast, cheap, and good). Pick two. That’s all you get. Just two.

If you have the shop space and money for a blast cabinet and a large compressor = good option (but a big investment). FAST + GOOD but not cheap.

If you have plenty of time and a low budget = soak in acetic acid or vinegar GOOD + CHEAP but not FAST.

Evaporust is a more expensive option to acetic acid. GOOD but not CHEAP and only “next day” FAST

If you like to do one at a time and have a low budget = Bench grinder and wire brush. GOOD, CHEAP but not very FAST (one at a time).

If you are in a big hurry and can be careful and want to do a lot of small stuff at once = muriatic acid. I’ve heard phosphoric acid is pretty fast too (but never tried it myself). FAST and CHEAP but not GOOD (because of hazardous chemicals).

Another vote for blast cabinet. Just today, blasted the seat frame on my new 74 Vette and all the power window regulator bolts. All you have to do is get you one of those blast buckets you drop all the bolts in and shake them around a bit. 10 minute deal, then drop them in a metal can with a little acetone, then hit with primer and paint. Depending on situation, I might drop them in a container of ospho or equivalent, then blow off excess with air, let dry overnight, then acetone and paint. I've had mixed results with evaporust, didn't seem to clean as good as blasting.

Allen,
I know what a blast cabinet is. Just don’t have room for one. Not right now at least.
Please explain or elaborate more about the “blast bucket”. There’s a lot I’m not understanding.

The blast bucket is just a basket for small pieces. You use this inside a blast cabinet.

I've used muratic acid to remove rust from various projects. Always outdoors. Nuts, bolts, tools, etc. Have also used it to clean gutted transmission casings and such. Like I stated, outside and used rubber gloves. Definitely have to use the baking soda or it will rust up again very quickly. Used sand blasting, wire brushes, bench grinder wire wheels, everything has some negative sides to it. The bench grinder wire wheel gets used a lot.

Rick

Here you go Jay. Just drop them in, blast, shake around a bit, blast again, repeat until all clean. Works really well. Yes you need a cabinet in that fancy shop. I even used it the other day to blast some outdoor light fixtures my wife has been after me to refinish. I use TPTOOLS pretty much exclusively for replacement screens, nozzles, etc. My shop is space challenged at 30X50, so everything is on wheels, including blast cabinet. Get a sheet of 3/4 plywood, and some 1 x 2's for sides, and buy one of those $7 HF moving caster thingies, and take off the casters for your blast cabinet. I use my shop crane and ratchet straps to lift it onto the rolling base. Get one at least large enough for one of our truck wheels. I wish I had one big enough for a door or fender, but have to draw the line somewhere.



Link

I guess it doesn't hurt to have two links to the same basket.

I have a blast cabinet but lack the patience to blast bolts and small hardware. It seems like I always miss a spot. I have had very good luck with electrolysis in gas tanks but hadn't thought about putting the hardware items in a metal basket and using that procedure to clean hardware. Great idea!

Muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) is a solution of the gas HCl (hydrogen chloride) in water. The HCl can indeed "evaporate" and get at stuff other than your parts. I've used Ospho which is phosphoric acid dissolved in water.

Sorry for the chemist in me rising to the top.

I use an air paint shaker. Put some black beauty in a metal can with your nuts and bolts. Crank on shaker. Run a few minutes. Cleans up real nice.
Don't run out and buy one just for cleaning. I picked up one at an auction...cheap. It is and can get a little noisy however. Good luck and have fun
Dan

That reminds me of something I read a while ago here on the forum. Cool idea too.
Someone described how they use a Sawzall to shake up spray paint cans.
Just strap the rattle can onto a long sawzall blade using two large adjustable stainless hose clamps. Turn it on for a minute and . . . taaa-daaaah!

Same idea can be used with a few bolts inside an old soup can with blasting media. Just a smaller version of your paint can shaker (which is a great idea!).

I buy knock-off CLR at the dollar store and keep it in a big storage tub. Just drop your part in and leave it for a few days if you have the time. Or go back and agitate with a brush if you want quicker results. Doesn't get much simpler/cheaper....

Good points above, Jay. But for me, the upfront cost hassle of the blast cabinet has been far outweighed by the nearly 20 years of exceptional convenience afforded by it. I've tried the chemical methods, too, and found them to be messy, inconvenient and just too much of a hassle in most respects. With the blast cabinet, I just toss the parts in, flip the switches and go for it.

"With the blast cabinet, I just toss the parts in, flip the switches and go for it"

Best/only high-cost "tool" I have bought - a good blast cabinet with vacuum dust collector.

Before tossing the parts in, do you strip off paint and/or de-grease?

For old nuts and bolts that I may "someday" use again I put them in an empty glass pickle jar and pour ATF (automatic transmission fluid) enough to coat them . Takes a few weeks to get usably unrusty but it keeps them preserved too.
Also have used a "vibrating tumbler" (like for cleaning bullet brass) and some crushed walnut media mixed with a little Brasso mixed in. That can clean overnight , but best to put that noisy tumber on in the garage while you sleep.