Citric acid derusting

[Turbo]

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

Don't leave the element in too long (see post above)!

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

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

Anything connected to home diy, like linseed oil, furniture wax , woos etc has gone up.

 

[Kayos]

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!

I will see if I can find a plastic element as well......

 

[rtcosic]

As others have said, start with hot water.
I have been known to take out some of the solution in a 1 litre plastic jug. Heat that in the microwave and return to the container. Repeat until the whole container is warm to the touch.
Might be a little trickier at the moment as SWMBO doesn't go out 'shopping' these days.
I have also used a 10 litre stainless steel pan on the single ring induction hob I had for shed & garage use. It is also useful for heating up steel and cast iron parts to help unseize assemblies or bearing fitting without risking the wrath of SWMBO by using her oven.
I can get something the size of a passenger car hub to around 150C fairly easily and to 200C eventually.

 

[cheb]

When I need to warm mine up I use an kettle, there's plenty cheap on Ebay.

 

[Barking Mat]

What's wrong with a bucket of hot water from the sink, just leave it longer.

Prices:

5kg of citric acid €30 euros, that will last ages for me.
(Amazon, can't source locally.)

1 litre of linseed oil, supermarket, €5.

And some wire and cup brushes, various prices.

Couldn't find bees wax locally either, then I found some for shoes in the futility room.

The linseed oil should last me many years.

 

[Seadog]

It will dissolve aluminum, copper, zinc, brass etc

Why is it the base ingredient for coffee machines then? Together with sodium percarbonate. It won't dissolve copper but will dissolve zinc leaving brass with a copper colour, which is easily removed.

 

[defender dan]

Will look that up cheers

Handy for cleaning up wood & also hot grinder particles that got blown onto a white works van thought I was far enough away & van is still perfect long after the incident.

 

[Kram]

I bought it for stripping mill scale, it is very good.
Generally it works, done lots of plate, round and tube.
Ive got lengths of 40x40 black mild steel bar (future lathe holders). This scale wont strip, heated to 70c. If I hit the scale, small peices flake off. It is clean, not oily. Any ideas?

Cheapest I could find in sensible quantities here
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B06XKLG8T7

 

[rtcosic]

Handy for cleaning up wood & also hot grinder particles that got blown onto a white works van thought I was far enough away & van is still perfect long after the incident.

Iron chelating solution is very good at removing grinder rash without further damage to paint and glass.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I usually buy the 5kg food safe stuff on Amazon...it used to be £15 but now it's £20...I prefer to have it in a sealed container to keep the damp out of it.

 

[Kayos]

Water has coloured a bit, cant see any huge change to the bits but it is cold in the shed

 

[ronan]

Keep stirring the solution from time to time, and don't let the rust that comes off to resettle back on the parts, as (in my experience) it seems to set again like concrete !

 

[Kayos]

That pic was post stir, I did wonder about the flakes sticking

 

[ronan]

That pic was post stir, I did wonder about the flakes sticking

It does in my experience.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I use a wire brush and give them a going over every few hours....it shifts the iron that has been released and seem to speed things up.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Why is it the base ingredient for coffee machines then? Together with sodium percarbonate. It won't dissolve copper but will dissolve zinc leaving brass with a copper colour, which is easily removed.

Not if you leave it to long.
I know.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Anyway, being pressed to investigate further what was available, I was surprised to discover that the local MIS which benefits from a financial contribution from the local council, limits membership to within a narrow range of postcodes and although we live physically quite close, we don't qualify on postcode.

That's normal, worry ye not.

Wait until it goes green.

 

[God mode restorations]

I use citric for all my cleaning jobs. Keep it hot. Make sure your parts are clean free from oil and grease. The rest is down to good old fashioned graft

 

[God mode restorations]

Just a note. Steel takes a bit longer and can handle a strong mix. Be careful with cast iron. If left to long the citric will actually start eating away at it...see picture