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DeanoBeanCounter
11-17-2007, 11:41 PM
:mrgreen: OK all you smart people out there. I have read plenty about cleaning brass and copper. Now I've got one for you. I have some buckets full of old rusty nails and bolts and nuts and screws. Does anyone know how to clean rusty steel off? I'm not going to clean these things one at a time. All this stuff got caught out in the rain. For several years. Stupid stuff, can't even get out of the rain without being told. :roll: Just kind of hate to scrap it all.
Thanks
Deano
:confused:

waksupi
11-17-2007, 11:50 PM
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/electrolytic_derusting.htm

tall grass
11-18-2007, 12:38 AM
Deano

If I had one handy I would use a cement mixer with river sand in it.

Jim

walltube
11-18-2007, 01:16 AM
50\50 mix of molasses and water. Best stuff going for rust removal IME. A recent thread here discussed other methods including molasses & water.

If you are a laid-back kinda guy ( or lazy like me) there is nothing more to do than allow the rusted objects take a long soak in the black solution within a covered plastic container. Two days or two weeks, what ever. Do brush heavy rust deposits before immersion.

An occasional hot water rinse will reveal the solutions progress. Do not expect any instant miracles. Be patient. When you are satisfied with the objects ressurection, spray a rust inhibitor ASAP to prevent rust after cleaning. Being a shiftless sort, I soak my stuff in automatic transmission fluid for long time storage.

Try it. Good luck.

Ricochet
11-19-2007, 06:28 PM
+1 on the molasses recommendation. It works. It'd be hard to use electrolysis on a bunch of small loose parts like that. You can use a whole lot less than 50% molasses, though. Probably 5% would work. You can use the powdered molasses sold for horse feed.