Oxalic Acid Rust Removal

[Multipass]

While working on another small project, I used it as an opportunity to try out the Oxalic Acid method of rust removal. I must say it certainly lived up to the hype:

Small Schwinn bracket before:

The same bracket after an eight hour soak, followed by about two minutes of polishing with Mothers Metal Polish:

You can see that although there's still some visible pitting, the rust is gone with no further damage to the finish. Of course it's still up to me to straighten the bracket :roll:

*WARNING* This stuff is a chemical that requires respect. In the interest of safety, below are some material data links. READ THEM BEFORE USING THIS STUFF! And keep this stuff away from kids, pets, drunken frat boys etc.

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/prote ... sc0529.htm

http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/MSDS/o ... d-2H2O.htm

For further reading, VBMX has a jumbo size thread on the topic:

http://www.vintagebmx.com/cgi-bin/ultim ... 004702;p=1

-Mp

 

[new_dharma]

*WARNING* This stuff is a chemical that requires respect. In the interest of safety, below are some material data links. READ THEM BEFORE USING THIS STUFF! And keep this stuff away from kids, pets, drunken frat boys etc.
-Mp

don't eat rhubarb and drink milk...you might end up with kidney stones!

 

[Larry]

I'm a convert! I just bought some oxilac acid to see what it can do. I soaked a couple of rusted garbage parts, a sturmey hub shell, a schwinn & raleigh stem. It's unbelievable. The schwinn stem is perfect. The raleigh stem is close enough to use, I mean it's missing a little chrome where the rust used to be.

Now I'm soaking a couple of seized chains to see what happens.

 

[ricksterr1221]

:O U dont want the schwinn stem?

 

[TexasXXX]

I've read about this method....but never attempted it.

I'll definately have to give this a try soon! :shock:

 

[Multipass]

I'm a convert! I just bought some oxilac acid to see what it can do. I soaked a couple of rusted garbage parts, a sturmey hub shell, a schwinn & raleigh stem. It's unbelievable. The schwinn stem is perfect. The raleigh stem is close enough to use, I mean it's missing a little chrome where the rust used to be.

Now I'm soaking a couple of seized chains to see what happens.

An added bonus is this method doesn't damage paint or most decals.

-Mp

 

[october]

what is this usually used for, and where do you get it?

 

[Multipass]

what is this usually used for, and where do you get it?

It's also known as wood bleach, used for cleaning decks, fences etc. In the U.S. you should be able to find it in hardware stores and such. It's also available online. Here in Calgary, I found it at a saddlery of all places.

DAP has it in their product line:
http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx?product_id=324

Available online:
http://www.alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/order.html

http://www.chemistrystore.com/oxalic_acid.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Brightener-O ... B000FGLRRO

-Mp

 

[october]

thanks!

 

[Larry]

Now I'm soaking a couple of seized chains to see what happens.

So the chain comes out with no rust, just this ashen look to it where the rust used to be. It still had some seized links that I tried freeing up by twisting the links with pliers. I threw it in the 'old chain box' and forgot about it until I was grabbing the chain for my fixie this morning(I lost the masterlink!). I pick up the formerly rusty & seized chain, and there's no seized links on it anywhere. In the month that it sat the oxalic acid continued working inside the links.

I oiled it up and used it the fixie.