Thinking About using Acid ??

[71surfbus]

Read the posts a few down the line (I refere to threads as posts, threads make me think of having to sew holes in my socks)about using different types os acid to remove surface rust. Now Sulphuric if I wanted to get rid of a dead body, but muratic we used to wash concrete and brick. Does anyone know if this really works and how hard is it to remove any residue. The one that requires a minimum purchace of four gallons, a bit steep, then I would have to worry about where to store what I didn`t use. Thanks people Have A Great???

[keifernet]

[Big Jim]

I don't know about using it on a large scale but I recently used a 50/50 mix of water and muratic acid from home depot to clean the inside of a small but very rusty gas tank. I used warm water and agitated the tank gently for about 10 or 15 minutes. It came out spotless.

[rcadmus]

I just finished doing a chassis, 5 wheels and a very rusty hood. I wire brushed/sanded all the loose rust , and treated it with "metal ready" from POR- 15. it contains phosphoric acid plus some other chemicals. It leaves a nice surface to which primer/paint bonds readily and protects the metal as well. I also use it on shiny metall as a surface prep prior to priming .

Your auto body supply shop should carry similar stuff.

Good luck

[rusty57]

I bought a small bottle of that oshpo stuff at Ace hardwear. it was less than $10 and i have a bunch left. I used it on a very rusty(flakes and pin holes) luggage tray on my 65 bus. I removed any loose rust with sand paper, screwdriver, and a little grinder wheel. I than took a paint brush and applied a few coats over two days. It turned anywhere that was previously rusty(flakes or surface rust) a hard black surface. I than sprayed it with rubberized undercoating. i put a thick coat of this stuff. The noise is a least 50% less and it looks good and it's though too. The oshpo stuff came in a plastic bottle and it was green in color(the liquid). just ask for rust converter at a local hardwear store. Good luck.
_________________
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[keifernet]

[Big Jim]

I want to talk a little bit about a rust removal method that is absoutely the best for smaller parts. The size limit is based on how big of tub or container you can find. The process is called electrolisys. You fill your tub with enough water to cover your part, add some common lye, hook the negative lead of a battery charger to the part and the positive lead to a piece of steel scrap placed in the tub. The process will gradually move the rust from the part to the scrap piece but never attack the original part. I had several transmission parts that had gotten wet and rusted. I used this method and was able to remove all the rust even down in the splines and groves but not hurt the part at all. Unless you have a swimming pool in your backyard, you are not going to do a whole body but it is a good method for smaller pieces. I even did a couple of old brake drums and they ended up looking almost new.