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So watching a couple of youtubes about getting rid of rust. The two I watched just showed them soaking the rusted tool in vinegar for like 24hours. Well, on this splitter I'm working on, I'd forgotten about the rusty air filter backplate. So I emptied out all the "awesome" in the US cleaner and poured vinegar in it. Threw in the part, turned on the heater and the cleaner for about 25 minutes. When that was done, holy smokes, 90% of the rust was gone.
I was busy doing something, so I stuck it in for another 25 minutes. Came back and it hadn't taken off much more than before. But shazaam it was pretty.
One thing though, and maybe I shouldn't have done it this way. But after getting it out of the vinagar, I rinsed it off with water and dried it with some paper towels.
Came back a couple of hours later and it was turning a rusty color. So I hit it with some WD40, took a nylon brush to it and cleaned it up a little. Sprayed it off with some carb cleaner.

So next time, I think I'll just spray it off with carb cleaner, instead of the water.

Vinegar in the ultrasonic was amazing

It will flash rust once out of vinegar.. I used it in the past...
But I also keep a gallon of Ospho on hand..
I would give it a dash of it once out of vinegar... Whatever flash rust may form will be converted to iron phosphate instead of iron oxide.. Ospho is phosphoric acid.,
Ospho works great on surface rust.
But leave deep cleaning to vinegar.

Good stuff...

Chevychopper said:

It will flash rust once out of vinegar.. I used it in the past...
But I also keep a gallon of Ospho on hand..
I would give it a dash of it once out of vinegar... Whatever flash rust may form will be converted to iron phosphate instead of iron oxide.. Ospho is phosphoric acid.,
Ospho works great on surface rust.
But leave deep cleaning to vinegar.

Good stuff...

Click to expand...

How do you dispose of phosphoric acid?

You don't you just keep on using it
Eventually when it is totally depleted you dilute it 10:1 and pour it into your compost where the phosphorous can return to nature

You only use enough to wet the surface... A little goes a long way... There's no submerged soaking like vinegar..
Only disposal you should have is what you can clean ..wipe away with towel or shop rag.
If you have to dispose of a small amount use baking soda to neutralize it.
Acid-Base

Link

Depends if you are looking for rust conversion or rust removal.

Electrolysis works too for rust removal using vinegar or washing soda. I have yet try to the washing soda myself but have used the white vinegar and my 60 watt solar panel using positive ground. Takes several hours and you do have rinse and apply primer or paint as it does flash rust if you don't. Muriatic Acid is faster but is will cause flash rust too but don't get it on aluminum parts.

I am trying out a POR15 rust remover that contains Etidronic acid, Potassium hydroxide, Propan, and Phosphoric acid. It claims to be safe on plastic, PVC, Viton, and most paints. So it is as slow as Christmas.

He's using vinegar for rust removal..but flash rust will happen once out of it. The Ospho will stop the flash rust once out of vinegar and if some does happen it will convert it. If you're painting a part last thing I like to do is hit with a penetrating petroleum/oil based spray.. or even a water displacement spray like WD-40.. just have to clean it all over again.
With Ospho just a simple wipe with mineral spirits which you would do anyway before painting.

OSPHO is a balanced formula of Phosphoric Acid, Dichromates, Wetting Agents and Extenders

clear coat it when done with some rattle can clear coat.

I did not read all of this but Vinegar is a acid and it will just keep on eating away when subjected to air after removing from a US.

Clean the parts in a light mixture of water and baking soda to neutralize the vinegar acid.
I use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water in the US then do the baking soda neutralize thing outside the US with a paint brush.
If not neutralized the vinegar will turn some aluminum/magnesium carbs to a gummy feel also.

And did you read the directions that most time you are to do a rinse cycle after cleaning? That is why I use a non residue soap when cleaning or do a rinse cycle.

I even been known to clean a carburetor with battery acid but not in a USC and you must rinse it good afterwards.

StarTech said:

And did you read the directions that most time you are to do a rinse cycle after cleaning? That is why I use a non residue soap when cleaning or do a rinse cycle.

I even been known to clean a carburetor with battery acid but not in a USC and you must rinse it good afterwards.

Click to expand...

I've worked with a see lots of people that first thing that goes in the trash, out the window or gets stuck to the bottom of their feet is the instructions.

Seen couple of machinist trying to put together a little steel kit building and after couple hours they noticed things were not fitting correctly and the doorway not square and fitting properly.

I noticed the assembly instructions blowing away with red clay footprints on the paper and hanging on a chain link fence about 60 yards away. I got the paper and stuck it in my pocket and when they started cursing the building I handed them the paper and suggested they might check such for CORRECT assembly.
I came by later and most of the building was taken apart. I just smiled and kept going because it was not a good friendly place to be at the time. They gave me the stink eye.

Yes it is just as bad as it was 40 yrs ago. File 13 catches a lot of instructions.

StarTech said:

And did you read the directions that most time you are to do a rinse cycle after cleaning? That is why I use a non residue soap when cleaning or do a rinse cycle.

I even been known to clean a carburetor with battery acid but not in a USC and you must rinse it good afterwards.

Click to expand...

I rinsed it good with water. And thought that was the reason for the rust coming back so quick.

Lot's of good info on this thread. Thanks guys.

StarTech said:

Yes it is just as bad as it was 40 yrs ago. File 13 catches a lot of instructions.

Click to expand...

It's the manly way of doing it. Like not stopping for directions. LMAO

When you chemically clean anything the surface is active because the chemical cleaner has removed any protective oxide coating that may have been there .
All metals do not want to be present as metal they want to go to a low energy state which is usually an oxide or sulphide so the surface will react with any oxadizing agent it is exposed to
In most cases this will be Oxygen from the air.
Added to that the tiny etch pits that you can not see without a microscope create a oxygen potential circuit if the surface is exposed to an electrolyte
Thus when pulled out of an acid dip steel will rust right before your eyes.
So something has to be done to passivate the surface .
With steel you have a choice of phosphates or hydroxides to form a tough surface layer to prevent the oxadizing agents coming into contact with the active iron surface .
Drying the surface with DRY air slows down this process because there is no electrolyte to make the bridge.
Flame heating will allow active iron atoms on the surface to passivate temporarly
Corrosion ( rust ) is a GALVANIC process, not a chemical one so you need a variation in the electrical potential and an electrolytic connection between these potentials ( usually moisture )