Citric acid derusting

[Onoff]

Pottering around here, it's raining so weld play is out and I decided to empty my 180 litre bath full of old citric acid. (Set up for the ill fated Focus cross member resto). Luckily, yesterday I re-dug, a small excavated dirt area where I might extend an equally small shed. I tipped the acid in there.

Incredible amount of crystallised sludge:

Amazingly the toolbox I made as a 16 year old apprentice in 1983 is still in there and still solid. I found it all rusty and threw it in without much hope a couple of years back. I think this is a clear sign it deserves then to be brought back to life properly.

 

[arther dailey]

I still have the exact same box made by me as a 16 year old at the southampton engineering training establishment (seta) , must admit mines a bit better nick though.

 

[Onoff]

I still have the exact same box made by me as a 16 year old at the southampton engineering training establishment (seta) , must admit mines a bit better nick though.

What else did you make? Off the top of my head I made:

Stepped shaft
Drill drift
V blocks and clamp
Machine vice
Knurling tool
Jewellers vice
Surface gauge + scriber
Funnel
Jug
Tin plate box
Tap wrenches X2
Centre gauge
Die stock
Small clamp

 

[Kayos]

Interesting. Nobody afaic tell has mentioned not to use ali in this thread yet? I was only going on the Deox-C instructions that said it's OK. Would explain the sticky black issues I've had then?

I mixed up a fresh batch of citric and boiled it up again. Most of the white stuff has gone! My thoughts are the white residue is citric acid?

View attachment 308455

A few stubborn one's mind:

View attachment 308456

Someone said it really early in the thread

 

[Onoff]

Someone said it really early in the thread

About ali? I must have missed that.

I only used the ali tank as the Bilt Hamber instructions said it was OK.

Tbh I still got the black sticky issues using an acrylic bathtub as the container.

 

[Kayos]

About ali? I must have missed that.

I only used the ali tank as the Bilt Hamber instructions said it was OK.

Tbh I still got the black sticky issues using an acrylic bathtub as the container.

Yeah, first page or so

 

[arther dailey]

What else did you make? Off the top of my head I made:

Stepped shaft
Drill drift
V blocks and clamp
Machine vice
Knurling tool
Jewellers vice
Surface gauge + scriber
Funnel
Jug
Tin plate box
Tap wrenches X2
Centre gauge
Die stock
Small clamp

about the same , did you go to seta ? parrallel bars well I made one as trying to get it really accurate took for ever , the vice I still have ,well the machine vice ,the other I left at a place I worked, didnt do the centre gauge? as was on the electrical course , was most suprised to be called up on stage at end of year to get electrician of year award from mountbatten , later opened an envelope and a fiver in it , Rainer the head instructor told me I had the highest points and should have had trainee of the year but as I worked for a electrical firm he decided to give that to some one else , I found the lad asked him how much he got , £25 !!! god was I miffed as wages were £4 10s then , so over amonths wages with no tax ,grr.

 

[Onoff]

about the same , did you go to seta ? parrallel bars well I made one as trying to get it really accurate took for ever , the vice I still have ,well the machine vice ,the other I left at a place I worked, didnt do the centre gauge? as was on the electrical course , was most suprised to be called up on stage at end of year to get electrician of year award from mountbatten , later opened an envelope and a fiver in it , Rainer the head instructor told me I had the highest points and should have had trainee of the year but as I worked for a electrical firm he decided to give that to some one else , I found the lad asked him how much he got , £25 !!! god was I miffed as wages were £4 10s then , so over amonths wages with no tax ,grr.

Me, EITB at Erith College Of Technology. Basically my first year of employment was spent at college. 4 days practical and 1 day classroom from memory. I was a tech apprentice rather than craft for some reason. Holidays were spent at work proper. As a tech apprentice who turned up in a shirt and tie and wore glasses I was mercilessly bullied to start with by the rough, tough craft lads with their leathers and bikes. The self appointment top dog and I had an altercation. After spreading his nose across his face etc things soon settled down and I loved it.

 

[lchris21]

What else did you make? Off the top of my head I made:

Stepped shaft
Drill drift
V blocks and clamp
Machine vice
Knurling tool
Jewellers vice
Surface gauge + scriber
Funnel
Jug
Tin plate box
Tap wrenches X2
Centre gauge
Die stock
Small clamp

Dont want to derail the thread, but Me too............most of the above and the rusty tool box ( still got mine in the shed) EITB Apprentice 1984-1988. Good times .

Posted a thread up a few years ago when I came across my old tools in the attic. https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/trip-down-memory-lane.61221/

 

[droopsnoot]

Will citric acid remove old fat stains from stainless cooking trays? I've tried all sorts of commercial products to clean it and I'm just trying to avoid the manual pan-scourer approach.

(I know, I know, try it and see. )

 

[Onoff]

View attachment 309623

That's the centre finder I made next to the V block and clamp. Trouble is I can't find mine!

 

[arther dailey]

Me, EITB at Erith College Of Technology. Basically my first year of employment was spent at college. 4 days practical and 1 day classroom from memory. I was a tech apprentice rather than craft for some reason. Holidays were spent at work proper. As a tech apprentice who turned up in a shirt and tie and wore glasses I was mercilessly bullied to start with by the rough, tough craft lads with their leathers and bikes. The self appointment top dog and I had an altercation. After spreading his nose across his face etc things soon settled down and I loved it.

Ha, it was the head instructuctor who was a bully where I was, got me carrying everyone elses heavy pieces just to be nasty ,any excuse to try and break my smile ,sent me way up into the apex of the roof as caretaker wouldnt do it, window had jammed..I got near the top with oil can in hand put it down on a girder, braced myself picked up oil can and got to the top , went to put down oil can forgetting I had moved, oil can smashed to pieces and geuss who it just just missed yup ,him, the shouting started , I got sent home for a week, to scared to go home as dad was lets say on the tough side I went into the works , manager asked why I was there ,and obviously why so shook up , get in my car , he took me back to the training centre , you could hear the two bosses shouting their heads off in the work shop , after a quarter hour my boss came out , you wont have any more trouble ,and he was right , the ass kept away from me there on in and really enjoyed it.
anyways back to the trhead (sorry) are you going to sort your box?

 

[Onoff]

anyways back to the trhead (sorry) are you going to sort your box?

No time like the present! I figure a good jet wash then into fresh citric solution. Luckily the box just fits in the drum I use for my electrolysis rig!

In fact I'll start a short thread over in projects!

 

[Onoff]

A neighbour popped round, keeping his distance of course. Seeing my efforts with the tool box he said "I've got a spanner that could go in!" He went home, came back and threw me this to go in the bucket! He's not hopeful, I am though.

 

[Turbo]

Will citric acid remove old fat stains from stainless cooking trays? I've tried all sorts of commercial products to clean it and I'm just trying to avoid the manual pan-scourer approach.

(I know, I know, try it and see. )

Oven cleaner?

 

[droopsnoot]

Oven cleaner?

Maybe, they just all seem to be quite involved processes. Having said that, I don't usually mix up more than 0.5L of citric at a time as I generally use it for small things. I bought some Cif "oven and grill 100% tough grease removal" stuff (mainly because their mould stain remover is the only thing that touches the mould on my Audi roof) and it has almost no effect. I was hoping to find something that has the same effect on this tray as citric has on rusty steel - soak it overnight in it, quick rinse, all gone.

 

[JMS1972]

You probably need a strong alkali solution to break down fat? Turns it to soap...

 

[Mart63]

Probably a stupid question, how do you dispose of citric acid when you've finished using it? Presumably you don't pour it down the sink.

 

[merryman]

Presumably you don't pour it down the sink.

Keep up lad, post 361 top of the page.

 

[bigegg]

Probably a stupid question, how do you dispose of citric acid when you've finished using it? Presumably you don't pour it down the sink.

It's lemon juice with a bit of iron, and maybe some trace elements of other metal salts.
Straight onto the garden (not where you're actually growing food, maybe!)