Citric acid derusting

[Mart63]

Keep up lad, post 361 top of the page.

Sorry. There's 19 pages of posts and I didn't read them all.

 

[Onoff]

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!)

If I tip it on the spud patch will I get sweet potatoes?

 

[bigegg]

If I tip it on the spud patch will I get sweet potatoes?

 

[Onoff]

View attachment 309757

Don't joke I has to rescue a few. Glad there were no slow worms, I like them.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

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.

Yes.
Or use as weed killer.
Or let settle, add more and re-use.

 

[droopsnoot]

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

Possibly. As I think about it, the fact that rusty steel items need to be thoroughly degreased before citric acid will work on them suggests that it's not going to clean off what is effectively grease.

 

[Onoff]

This one's a test! The neighbour's adjustable is putting up a fight. Been in a hot citric tank for a couple of days, taken out, wire brushed, rinsed and put back in.

I heated it with MAPP gas, dripped candle wax into all the grooves, 3 in 1, penetrating oil etc.

Now trying the impact driver. This should unscrew as normal i.e anti clockwise?

If no go, what's the next step?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

This one's a test! The neighbour's adjustable is putting up a fight. Been in a hot citric tank for a couple of days, taken out, wire brushed, rinsed and put back in.

I heated it with MAPP gas, dripped candle wax into all the grooves, 3 in 1, penetrating oil etc.

Now trying the impact driver. This should unscrew as normal i.e anti clockwise?

View attachment 309960

View attachment 309959

If no go, what's the next step?

50% old oil.
30% diesel.
20% paraffin.

Leave to soak for a few days.
Remove, warm and bash the area.
Repeat.

 

[Onoff]

50% old oil.
30% diesel.
20% paraffin.

Leave to soak for a few days.
Remove, warm and bash the area.
Repeat.

Haven't got any paraffin...presume heating oil would do in place of diesel?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Haven't got any paraffin...presume heating oil would do in place of diesel?

No idea, but paraffin is chepo enough.

 

[Turbo]

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.

I have stuff here called Kleencare NF400, liberated from a previous employer. They used it to clean industrial stainless steel spiral ovens, which it did amazingly well. Quite dangerous stuff though, very corrosive, will dissolve aluminium quite quickly!

I use it to clean oven & bbq grills, down to my last gallon, don't know what to use when that runs out!

 

[Turbo]

If no go, what's the next step?

I would try electrolysis first, I've found that citric acid is poor at removing heavy caked on rust.

 

[Onoff]

According to the app I'm "safe" today, I might brave a B&Q for some paraffin.

 

[JMS1972]

According to the app I'm "safe" today, I might brave a B&Q for some paraffin.

Has it driven you to drink?

 

[Onoff]

Has it driven you to drink?

I think I need to go to the pub just to confirm whether I can taste beer or not. The walk will aid in my convalescence as will sitting in the sun drenched pub garden off the beaten track...

 

[MattF]

Haven't got any paraffin...presume heating oil would do in place of diesel?

Yes.