Evaporust - first time user / review

[not done it yet]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BDLOGW2/ref=pe_27063361_485629781_pd_te_o_rp_ti?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01BDLOGW2&pd_rd_r=F7NV2BQQKSB5WKW5VDSW&pd_rd_w=hAJvS&pd_rd_wg=GTzVa&pf_rd_p=e93f0038-fb45-4b56-9ac7-bcb227770a56

Or only £3.20/kg if you go this way.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANHYDROUS-Cleaning-Descaling-1ne-Nutrition/dp/B09RZYP2CG/ref=sr_1_32?crid=F4UB25EI0BFF&keywords=Citric+acid&qid=1688368112&s=kitchen&sprefix=citric+acid%2Ckitchen%2C106&sr=1-32

 

[rcx132]

Evaporust disclose its active ingredient is a chelation agent but don't say which one. Citric acid is a chelation agent. Not sure how evapo rust is pH neutral. It's not the acidic property of citric acid that makes it remove rust so I wonder if they've added something to make it neutral.

 

[cr500dom]

looks impressive , shame its not so easy to dunk a wing or door with a scab in the middle

unless we club together and fill a paddling pool with it

Plasticine dam around the scab
ER inside

 

[cr500dom]

I have used citric and Evaporust.
My choice is now ER
Citric is cheaper but if you forget parts in there it will eat them, especially cast iron.
Evaporust just works really well for ages as a solution.
Another trick with it is heavy duty rubble sack.
Part inside sack with some ER solution.
Place sack in a large bucket /container and fill container with water.
That way you don’t need a huge tub and litres of evaporust to get a result, just enough active fluid to do the job and water compressed it around the part in the bag

 

[rcx132]

I have used citric and Evaporust.
My choice is now ER
Citric is cheaper but if you forget parts in there it will eat them, especially cast iron.
Evaporust just works really well for ages as a solution.
Another trick with it is heavy duty rubble sack.
Part inside sack with some ER solution.
Place sack in a large bucket /container and fill container with water.
That way you don’t need a huge tub and litres of evaporust to get a result, just enough active fluid to do the job and water compressed it around the part in the bag

I've used phosphoric acid and citric acid. Phosphoric is cheaper, more powerful, and lasts longer than citric acid, which seems to loose all its strength if left unused. Phosphoric acid does leave a coating, though that can be an advantage as it stops the parts flash rusting. If I'm zinc plating then the pickle will remove the coating, if I'm painting then I don't normally use acid, I just media blast.

Does Evaporust remove mill scale? I might give it a go as it seems to work well from what people are posting.

 

[Fastdruid]

looks impressive , shame its not so easy to dunk a wing or door with a scab in the middle

They also sell a "gel" type for use on vertical surfaces etc.

 

[Burdekin]

I've never used Evapo Rust but use citric regularly. It comes as a white powder, you can buy it in small amounts on the High St at Wilco's, but it's usually cheaper to buy larger amounts probably off ebay.

Citric will work out a lot cheaper, but may not be as good. An interesting approach might be to put badly rusted stuff in citric first and let that do the donkey work. In cases where citric does not do an adequate job, bring out the Evapo-Rust and see if that provides the final push. Interesting. I'll take a look at the Evapo-Rust SDS again and remind myself what that discloses in terms of constituents. Generally, I've never had a problem with the small extent to which citric will attack ferrous metal as distinct from dissolving rust. It's a very weak acid.

I use citric acid but never looked into ratios. Any suggestion on a good ratio to use? I have some car parts to derust over the next few weeks.

 

[Burdekin]

looks impressive , shame its not so easy to dunk a wing or door with a scab in the middle

unless we club together and fill a paddling pool with it

You can make a citirc acid paste with wall paper paste, apply and cover with cling film so it doesn't dry out.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I've been using citric acid for 10 years or so and never seen it eat clean metal. It has advantages and disadvantages though. Evaporust seems to give a very clean result and works cold, where as citric acid works best when heated and the parts generally need a scrub with wire wool to remove black deposits.

I will stick to citric acid going forwards though as it's dirt cheap compared to evaporust.

Used it a few weeks ago to clean off mill scale and it's s cheap enough to go down the drain after one use.

PH and acid "strength", also seem to be two different things, this is a very low PH but I'll have no problems dipping my hands in.

Needs cleaning up with a scotch pad though.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I use citric acid but never looked into ratios. Any suggestion on a good ratio to use? I have some car parts to derust over the next few weeks.

I use this cup to a kettle of of water, probably overkill but it's just what I use to be consistent.

I initially started with rustbusters "magic powder" till I found an Australian SDS which said it was just citric acid, I think the original instructions advised a much weaker solution but can't remember the details.

 

[Ross365]

From the "Traditional Tools" website;
Make a solution containing at least 10% citric acid. Add a bit of alcohol
(methylated spirits) to break down the surface tension. Swirl around to mix in the acid
powder. Using heated (the hotter the better) water speeds the process.

A lot depends on just how good or bad your rusty item is.

 

[JOEPRO]

This is that rusty bracket left overnight. All rust gone when I wash it, it will be clean metal ready for etch primer.



The stuff treated with it also doesn't seem to flash rust too quick. I know when I have used electrolysis etc it rusts before your eyes afterwards! That spanner has sat out since for more than 24hrs and not a single dot of flash rust. I'll treat it with the tool wax when it turns up in post.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

This is that rusty bracket left overnight. All rust gone when I wash it, it will be clean metal ready for etch primer.

View attachment 406482View attachment 406483

The stuff treated with it also doesn't seem to flash rust too quick. I know when I have used electrolysis etc it rusts before your eyes afterwards! That spanner has sat out since for more than 24hrs and not a single dot of flash rust. I'll treat it with the tool wax when it turns up in post.

Was that citric or evaporust?

 

[JOEPRO]

Was that citric or evaporust?

Evaporust I am the OP who is testing it out for the first time

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Ok, results look similar to citric then.

 

[JOEPRO]

I had time to remove this bracket from the drink tonight after 48 hrs and etch primed it.

The rust removal is impressive, the light factory paint came off too




After years of car restoration I wish I had discovered this stuff sooner

 

[tigdlo]

Anyone used both evaporust and MC-51?

I'm getting low on MC-51 and wondering whether to switch, MC-51 is fast but sometimes won't touch the thicker rust.

 

[Ross365]

I looked at the Evapo-rust safety data sheet; it must be the most secretive one I've ever seen. It looks like it consists of 20% of something in water. A thought occurs to me that if one problem with citric is that after taking off the rust, it can do slight corrosion, maybe a teaspoon full of central heating corrosion inhibitor could be mixed in with it?

Those brackets do look well clean after the Evaporust!

 

[GRW]

Questions if I may?
I've not used Citric, Evaporust or Electrolysis - so I'm a bit lost & may ask a dumb question - but here goes....

Citric - works best heated, yes? So - could you use a Citric Solution inside an Ultrasonic Cleaner unit, & use the tank heater to maintain heat in the solution while it does its thing?

Also - could you also use the Ultrasonic agitation function to accelerate rust removal?

Are there any risks to the user, the contents or the cleaner unit using a Citric Solution in it?

(I have a 15L Ultrasonic Cleaner btw).

TIA

G.

 

[fractured]

I had time to remove this bracket from the drink tonight after 48 hrs and etch primed it.

The rust removal is impressive, the light factory paint came off too

View attachment 406618
View attachment 406616View attachment 406617

After years of car restoration I wish I had discovered this stuff sooner

So when the part is removed from evaporust, what further work needs to be done.

My go-to is electrolysis but after removal from the tank I still wire brush or pressure wash (or both) the part. I also spray with WD40 to stop flash rusting or brush with phosphoric acid, so still a process after removal from the tank.

A good part of the electrolysis treatment is it does not affect clean steel and as such have used it on stub axles without worry of the clean bearing surfaces being effected - how does evaporust work on parts like that?

Another good thing with electrolysis is I have used a 200ltr drum to clean a land rover axle case (one end at a time) so that would require a significant volume of liquid.

It will be interesting to hear the full cleaning process of the evaporust, but that part certainly does look nice and clean.