Alka Seltzer to remove rust?

[garandsrus]

Has anyone ever tried this?

Here's what I stumbled across on another site:

I took the drive spur for the lathe put it in a pint sized plastic container, filled it with water and dropped in a couple Alka Seltzer tablets. Left it soak for a couple hours then took a brass brush to it, rinsed it off and couldn't believe my eyes. The rust was completely gone! I repeated it on 8 other pieces with the same results.

The electrolysis method certainly works well, but this may be even simpler for small parts with only light rust.

John

[leftiye]

Won't cost much to find out!

[Maven]

"Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh how rust free it is!"

[Down South]

Hmmmmm, I'll have to give that a try.

[windrider919]

Why not go down to the hardware store and buy a pint or quart for a buck or so of "Phosphoric Acid' or "Navel Jelly" which is Phos in a thick carrier. Its job is rust removal and it leaves behind a gray finish that is protective.

[pjh421]

I have never experienced good results with naval jelly. Maybe I was expecting too much from it, using it on car bodies.

Paul

[WickedGoodOutdoors]

Never tried Alka Seltza however. You can use Coke Cola as a rust remover and also use Bug Juice (Koolaid) to degrease. The Navy give you lots of good tools. Use a greenee (Scotchbrite) snd some ammonia to polish brass, bronze, copper. Urine is also a good bore solvent.

use Simple Green mixed with scalding hot water to remove alum corrosion. Just dont let the parts sit in solution more than a couple of days they will disolve.

Vasiline: Just why does unckle sam issue this stuff? Is good for lots of things but just dont use it on your dry suit zipper. Thats what they give you KY Jelly for.

Speaking of Bore moisture protective barriers. Yup thats whay they issued you those, dont you know. That and to cover your flashlight so it would be waterproof while diving.

Allsways sharpen your knife and then cover it with baby powder and vasiline mix. It will keep it sharp and rustproof and it wont sieze in the brass sheath.

Keep your Zippo lighter in a Ziplock bag to prevent evaporation.

Back to Rust. Allways use Bronze Wool to polish steel as if you use steel wool the little bits that break off will rust and cause your steel to rust. If your taking a brake betweeen cleaning, cover your steel with a very light coat of fish oil. It will clean right off and prevent oxidation

http://www.whaleworld.org/images/Whale_Products/Stirling-whale-oil-soap.gif

[sundog]

NE Charters, vaseline is for coating coating data plates when touch up spray painting.

[windrider919]

really should not have mentioned Navel Jelly as it is about 1/4 strength Osphoric acid. The ospho sometimes requires several applications on scale rust but on flash or light rust one application works. I like it because after it works I wash with watter then dry and reapply a light coat that leaves a gray rust resistant finish. Real good for long waits between working on the metal.

[SandRoad]

The BEST rust remover I have ever used is called Evapo-Rust. Many hardware stores are starting to carry it.

You soak whatever you want in the solution. Surface or flash rust disapeers in 5 to 10 minutes. A piece of steel that had been sitting outside for about 40 years took about 1 to 2 days to get the rust off and out of pits.

Even the deep pits were free of rust. (I had to knock some of the huge CHUNKS of rust out of deep pits after one day) Completely unbelievable results. And it is non-toxic and reusable.

The bad news is that now deep pits look REALLY deep because they have been completely cleaned out. :roll: Also if it is humid out, the metal flash rusts almost instantly when you take it out and dry it off.

I don't work for the company, but have been turned into a true believer.

[montana_charlie]

I have never experienced good results with naval jelly. Maybe I was expecting too much from it, using it on car bodies.
Yeah? Wait till you collect enough Alka-Seltzer to do a car body...
CM

[twotoescharlie]

watch naval jelly around your firearms, it will remove blueing quicker than a cat can lick its rump.

TTC