The Shop > Metal Stuff

rust prevention

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vtsteam:
Yes, acids work, and are particularly useful for removing mill scale from hot rolled steel stock......

but he is using electrolysis to remove surface rust from tools, where a small amount of washing soda (sodium carbonate) available at grocery stores, added to water is all that's necessary.

His problem is that tools he treated, rust immediately on exposure to air, naturally, since he used a powerful acid. Plus,  a vat of the stuff will emit fumes and also rust anything remotely nearby in the shed, even if he covers the vat, unless somehow absolutely airtight. Sulfuric acid  also presents a disposal problem. I'm just not getting the use of sulfuric acid PLUS electrolysis to remove simple surface rust.  :scratch:

Lew_Merrick_PE:
SpeediBee -- (1) After neutralizing the acid, rinse with alcohol and blow-dry.  (2) Wipe the part thoroughly with a waxed rag to build up a "waxed surface" on the part.  [I use Treewax -- an American brand of floor wax for this task.]  This is how I "treat" all my (dressed and sized) steel stock stored in my "racks."  It even works here in Washington State where the "joke" is that We don't tan, we rust.

one_rod:
Ambersil Corrosion Inhibitor spray.

Cheap, easily available, and it works.
We spray the precision slides on machine tools with it and lock them away in fusty, damp shipping containers.

Drag them out, sometimes years later, and there is never a spot of rust.

A quick wipe with a paraffin rag and the coating is gone, leaving clean metal underneath.

Bee:
After removing from acid and rinsing put in hot water. It won't rust for a few minutes and will get hot!. Then when you take it out and dry with towel or hairdryer it will evaporate the residual water quicker but probably still tarnish. Paint with a little phosphoric acid which will take off the flash rust but needs to be wiped off a few minutes later with a damp rag and warm air. The thin phosphate coat will reduce the tendency to flash rust. Finally protect with thinned clear waxoyle for stock or tool bodies and beeswax (not silicone containing furniture polish) for handles etc that you touch. Hairspray used to be a possible short term protection but now I think the eco-warriors have made them water based which doesn't help.

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