Citric acid derusting

[RaceDiagnostics]

Heat makes a big difference, I use a cup boiler to keep a bucket full warm.

 

[Kayos]

Over kill.
But it will work.

Overkill is the best kind of kill

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

My cup boiler solution.

Or for smaller items, I did these a couple of days ago.

A couple of hours on the radiator.

Then a wire brush.

And it wont touch chrome.

 

[Kayos]

Ive chucked some nuts and bolts, some brake levers and a few other bits, plus a rusty gear cassette to see what happens

 

[Barking Mat]

Wish I'd discovered this year's ago, nevermind, great results.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Heat does make a big difference.
Plus the hot water can be used to warm up brass cleaning fluid to speed up the cleaning up of brass.

The scum can be used to stain wood. Iron oxide is also used to make wiz bangs.

But, I only use heat when I am in a rush. I just heave it into a container and leave it.

Cast metal on vices need to be well dried, or the water will seep out.

 

[indy4x]

I've just got a big bucket with a lid, drop it in there and leave it for a few days

I do have an aquarium heater I use occasionally but as others have said all it does is speed up the process

After a day or 2, pull it out, quick jetwash and see if it needs another dunk

 

[Onoff]

Have a look here. Page 5 of the thread is the PDF instructions for Deox-C powder. I just use citric acid as you would Deox-C powder. I've had some cracking results. Biggest container I have is an old bath.

Hot Citric Acid Bath

After reading on here that Deox-C is likely citric acid with detergents I thought I'd have a go. I love Deox-C but not the price. So off to Wilko for 3 packs of citric acid at £1.75 for a 250g pack: Dug out an old hot tank I made for PCB plating about 30 years ago. Random element and a...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[anto44]

I got one of these tubs on wheels for citric acid derusting

Here's a petrol tank I've just taken out.

Only 3 of them holes are meant to be there

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I got one of these tubs on wheels for citric acid derusting
View attachment 274216
Here's a petrol tank I've just taken out.
View attachment 274217
Only 3 of them holes are meant to be there

Oooooh. A dedicated container.

I am tight. I use anything to hand.
Take away containers, coffee jars, buckets, fish tanks, wheelie bins even a paddling pool.

 

[Barking Mat]

Oooooh. A dedicated container.

I am tight. I use anything to hand.
Take away containers, coffee jars, buckets, fish tanks, wheelie bins even a paddling pool.

Wheelie bin, brilliant idea, why didn't I think of that?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Wheelie bin, brilliant idea, why didn't I think of that?

'Cus I did.
You don't have wheelie bins.
You are out of your box. Not thinking out of the box.

 

[Brad93]

Don’t put anything but steel in it. I wouldn’t trust it with chrome.

anything hardened turns black.

I start of with hot water from kettle or power shower we have in workshop. Makes it 80% quicker

 

[anto44]

Oooooh. A dedicated container.

I am tight. I use anything to hand.
Take away containers, coffee jars, buckets, fish tanks, wheelie bins even a paddling pool.

I got 2 of those for free from the local chipper. A friend of mine has 3/4s of an Ibc tank that he uses for big parts

 

[Kayos]

I will take some pictures after my death by video call morning

 

[dyno-tron]

What happens with the yellow zinc?

Really handy for stripping zinc coated nuts and bolts etc ready for welding sculpture type projects.

 

[ronan]

I followed Aardvarks advice, his tips on linseed oil and wax worked a treat.

Linseed oil, the boiled type is gone expensive. Little bottle of it in the local builders providers is over a tenner.

 

[MattF]

When cleaning steel with citric acid, Does the vapour/fimes etc affect other steel things in the garage?, (causing surface rust etc)

Not that I've ever noted.

 

[skotl]

I bought a big pot from the charity shop, and a 2KW ring off amazon for a tenner. Works great!

 

[Turbo]

Not been mentioned but best to use a plastic container for the process. No point in using the cleaning power of the citric acid to clean a rusty bucket!

I filled an old deep fat fryer with a citric acid mix (not too strong) and used it to heat the mixture & the parts up to 70 deg c before leaving the parts in overnight to be cleaned.
It worked very well but the chip basket started to dissolve after a few days! It wasn't stainless steel but chrome plated mild steel! I left the mixture in the stainless steel tank for a month or 2, thinking it was safe - it dissolved the heating element in the bottom of the tank!

Lesson learned - only store it in a plastic container!