Rust Removal

[badshah0522]

Brake Fluid
For rust removal, try automotive brake fluid. For light rust rub it on liberally with a patch, allow it to sit for a couple of minutes and wipe off. For heavily rusted items swab liberally with brake fluid and allow to sit over night. Burnish the finish with a wool pad or #0000 steel or bronze wool. Brake fluid may be damaging to some wood finishes so make sure you keep it on the metal.

Electrolysis Rust Removal
You can remove rust from metal using electrolysis, and it will not harm the bluing. The main advantage to this method is it gets all the rust in hard to reach places. You will need

A plastic container that will hold the part and electrolysis solution.
Steel rod. DO NOT USE STAINLESS STEEL AS THIS WILL PRODUCE HARMFUL BYPRODUCTS.
Water
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda. Washing soda can be found in your local grocery store with the laundry detergent. If you cannot find washing soda, pour some baking soda-sodium bicarbonate into a pan and heat it over low-medium heat. Water and carbon-dioxide will cook-off leaving washing soda-sodium carbonate. )
Battery charger or other high amperage power supply.
Cautions: Wear eye protection and rubber gloves when working with this solution is very alkaline and can cause irritation. The electrolysis process breaks down water into its component parts, hydrogen and oxygen, which can be explosive. Work outside or in a very well ventilated area. Be sure your battery charger/power supply is unplugged before attaching or touching the leads.

In the container, mix 1 tablespoon of washing soda for each gallon of water to make up your solution. Be sure the washing soda is thoroughly dissolved. Place a steel rod either through the part to be cleaned (use o-rings to prevent the part from touching the rod), or numerous rods around the inside of your container. Connect these rods with wire; these will be the anode. You must be sure that the part to be cleaned is not touching the rod(s). Suspend the part in the solution with steel cable or wire so that it makes a good electrical contact with the part; this will become the cathode. Connect the negative lead (black) to the part being cleaned, connect the positive (red) lead to the rod(s), then plug in the charger. You will immediately begin to see bubbles; this is hydrogen and oxygen as the water breaks down. Allow the part to "cook" for 3-4 hours. The time is dependent on the size of the part, amount of rust, and the current of the power supply. After you remove the part, immediately clean and dry it off, then coat it with a good quality gun oil or rust preventative oil.

[Mack The Knife]

Good tips and thanks.

Any precautions to be taken whilst using brake fluid?

Mack The Knife

[badshah0522]

Thanx,
Just avoid contact with the wodden part,because wood will absorb brake fluid .But can be applied directly on the metal.
I have also tried Compressor oil No. 20.(used in refrigrator compressors)it is also a gud lubricant.

Good tips and thanks.

Any precautions to be taken whilst using brake fluid?

Mack The Knife

[Mack The Knife]

Ta!

[eljefe]

Mack The Knife, Needed to remind you-most , if not all rust removal compounds based on automotive use products will hammer the wood.So ensure that wood is not involved.
Next, selenium, used heavily in most of the gun blue creams and liquids is EXTREMELY toxic and care must be taken to ensure that it is never applied with bare hands.For info of all.
Best
Axx

[Mack The Knife]

Thanks, Asif. Point noted.

The black from the Delhi re-blueing session has only just left my fingers.

Cannot work with gloves but would advice others not to follow my example.

Mack The Knife

[Mark]

I have no experience with the brake fluid method, but I think most "rust removal without harming bluing" posts are made in a harmful nature.

Gun blue is an iron oxide just like rust is, and to remove it chemically you will affect one oxide just like the other.

Maybe I'll post some pictures later on as I've promised to do, but I've been refinishing a knife that I am rust bluing the blade, and to remove the original blued finish I used "Naval Jelly" a chemical rust remover.

Best way I have found to remove rust on a blued surface is very fine steel wool and plenty of oil. You can also use a piece of brass or copper with oil and scrape it off if the rust spot is that thick, the brass will not scratch the blue.

[eljefe]

Mark, I picked up a rust remover,(from the local hardware shop-contents unknown,) not listed-We dont have to worry about Environmental Impact Statement here! Promises to remove all rust-tried it on and works like magic-strong stuff, had to use eye protection and an N95 mask in my spare toilet which doubles as " Dr.Strangelove's empire" to quote the wife -she should know-has a chem major from S dakota...
Have been reading about Naval Jelly in Popular Mechanics, circa 70's.Seems to have gone out of fashion now with advent of the 'wunderkind' products.
Now let me see how it works on some semblence of iron oxid-ing.Will post
Best
axx

[Grumpy]

Naval Jelly was fantastic but we can`t buy it anymore. Phosphoric acid if I remember correctly. Turned heavy rust back to metal.....black metal !Same stuff that`s in Coke - which can also be used for light rust removal........and can double as loo cleaner apparently !

[penpusher]

Naval Jelly was fantastic but we can`t buy it anymore. Phosphoric acid if I remember correctly. Turned heavy rust back to metal.....black metal !Same stuff that`s in Coke - which can also be used for light rust removal........and can double as loo cleaner apparently !

and they are worried about pesticides in Cola's

penpusher

[Mack The Knife]

Naval Jelly was fantastic but we can`t buy it anymore. Phosphoric acid if I remember correctly. Turned heavy rust back to metal.....black metal !Same stuff that`s in Coke - which can also be used for light rust removal........and can double as loo cleaner apparently !

Also good for opening jammed sound moderators...allegedly.

Mack The Knife

[eljefe]

yeah, read about that -galllon coke cans carried by an unnamed Highway patrol dept to wash bloodstains off highways after a crash, and the toilet cleaner, and steak marinade...must be keeping our innards sparkling bright...
Axx

[penpusher]

Here is a deailed de.scription of the method Badshah has given for electrolytic removal of rust- http://www3.telus.net/public/aschoepp/e ... crust.html

penpusher