Screwdriver
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Yes. Ideally try to degrease it and for the best results, strip it down first.
- Thread starter Lazurus
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Yes. Ideally try to degrease it and for the best results, strip it down first.
balmerchris
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From my limited experience of citric acid, it can leave some pitting on steel if left in too long, which can be beneficial if the part is to be painted. Maybe not so good for a chuck. Should be fine if it's only in for a couple of hours but I wouldn't leave it in over night.
Seadog
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Screwdriver
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Not in my experience. I typically find that the greasy parts of <old stuff> isn't rusty anyway...
So it depends entirely on the specific item and whether or not it has been greased/become dirty after it has rusted.
Screwdriver
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I think that would depend on the type of steel or iron, I have never seen surface pitting from citric, plenty from electrolysis.
This stayed in a citric bath for days.
Came out lovely.
), it won't. Unless it has been oiled/greased after the event.
bigegg
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I think that would depend on the type of steel or iron, I have never seen surface pitting from citric, plenty from electrolysis.
This stayed in a citric bath for days.
Came out lovely.
i think they only come out pitted when they go in pitted.
the iron thats removed from the surface to make rust doesnt return to the surface on de-rusting.
maybe the items are worse than you think?
Screwdriver
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Yes that is quite possible. Bizarre that my experience is the opposite of what you might expect from either process. Citric should etch steel, electrolysis should only attack rust. I guess it's because I choose one process over the other depending on the severity of the problem.
MattF
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It's been soaking in a solvent & kerosene mix, (the addition of kerosene stops the flash rust you get after removal when soaking something in a strong solvent, I've found), so it should be good for dropping straight in to citric.
Regarding surface pitting & etching, citric will do that on occasion, hence why I was checking regarding the chuck first. I thought it should be fine, but thought it best to check first. Quality of iron/steel seems to be the factor on that front. Something like tool steel never seems to show any excess degradation after a citric dunk. Unknown quality steels can come out looking dire, however. Worst example I ever had was a small lump hammer head. It came out with a badly etched surface, and far more deeply pitted than the rust could have accounted for. That's why I tend to be a tad wary of using citric.
Electrolysis, if it's pitted when it comes out, that's how deep the rust was. I've never suffered any surface etching with electrolysis though.
The only quirky effect both have is on badly corroded brass. Both will make the piece appear copperlike where the bad corrosion was.
Screwdriver
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I would have thought kerosene is oily enough to stop the citric from being as effective. You probably ought to wash it off with soap. Even an aggressive solvent might not dislodge oil soaked rust.
MattF
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I'll give it a soapy water wash/rinse first then.
bigegg
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i add a glug [1] of asda lemon [2] washing up liquid to the tank.
[1] precise measurement. equal to .78 sloshes
[2] other brands and flavours are available.
The_Yellow_Ardvark
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bigegg
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its because theyre imperial measurements:
like US gallons vs. UK.
or long tons, and short tons.
conpletely different measurements.
or "3 feet to a yard". i have size 9 feet. four to a yard.
there's only one part of me thats 1/3 of a yard, but i dont use it, as a rule.
The_Yellow_Ardvark
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bigegg
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MattF
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steveo3002
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any tricks or treatments to save it from flash rusting before paint ? dont want to oil it but not ready to paint instantly
Screwdriver
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After which process? They are similar since you really need to dry it off asap. With electrolysis, it will flash rust because the process forms new atoms of iron which lightly dust the surface and will oxidise in, err, a flash!
If I am going to paint something after derusting, I tend to go for boiled linseed oil which is compatible with many paints (I am led to believe!).
steveo3002
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ive seen por15 metal ready suggested as a product you can spray on and does what im asking ...bit too dear for my tastes so wondered if anything else left a paint friendly coating
