Rust Removal Methods


Many many many pages of discussions on these products here.It is a very popular topic. My most common procedure is to clean first with a flap wheel, and a cup type twisted wire wheel. After removing 99% of the rust I apply phosphoric acid rust converter, because the microscopic particles of rust that are left in pits and dings can lift your new paint in 2-3 years. One needs to follow the instructions when using the rust converters. I wash with aggressively with water then wipe down with alcohol to prevent flash rust. Their are other favored methods such as electrolysis. There is a comprehensive article about this in your Antique Power magazine that came yesterday. There are also the EDTA rust dissolvers that work well.
 
EDTA is what is called a chelating agent (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid). They will give you this if you have heavy metal poisoning. Last time I used it was in college for titrations. Interesting someone found a way to remove rust with it.
 
(quoted from post at 06:22:10 04/26/19) EDTA? Is that like Evapo-Rust?

Yes, Mike Evaporust is one of them. I couldn't remember the name so I used the ingredient. The company that I work for uses a lot of EDTA in producing mechanical ware washing detergents.
 
That's what I thought, I just never noticed the active ingredient. I've been using it for a few years and love it for parts I can soak. Works great if you're not looking for instant gratification.
 
Alternative to sandblasting on what? Some things sandblasting is the only way. If the project isn't very big and you can get to it a knotted wire wheel on an angle grinder does very well.
 
(quoted from post at 19:50:33 04/26/19) Alternative to sandblasting on what? Some things sandblasting is the only way. If the project isn't very big and you can get to it a knotted wire wheel on an angle grinder does very well.



Stephen, really?
 
Simplest and cheapest is remove the big stuff, with your favorite technique, then soak in vinegar for a few days. Bingo, it removes all the rust, leaves behind clear metal, sometimes black oxidized metal.
 
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.
 
(quoted from post at 14:23:13 04/27/19)
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.

Flap wheels are really good at gouging and making a wavy finish, especially if you have never used one.

There really is no replacement for sand blasting.
 
(quoted from post at 10:00:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 14:23:13 04/27/19)
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.

Flap wheels are really good at gouging and making a wavy finish, especially if you have never used one.

There really is no replacement for sand blasting.

No way I would sandblast a plow share, LOL. I would have to follow up with a flap wheel to smooth it.
 
(quoted from post at 13:01:42 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 10:00:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 14:23:13 04/27/19)
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.

Flap wheels are really good at gouging and making a wavy finish, especially if you have never used one.

There really is no replacement for sand blasting.

No way I would sandblast a plow share, LOL. I would have to follow up with a flap wheel to smooth it.

I thought this was to be painted? You can create gobs of wave with a flap wheel that will look like garbage with paint on them.
 
(quoted from post at 11:24:27 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 13:01:42 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 10:00:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 14:23:13 04/27/19)
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.

Flap wheels are really good at gouging and making a wavy finish, especially if you have never used one.

There really is no replacement for sand blasting.

No way I would sandblast a plow share, LOL. I would have to follow up with a flap wheel to smooth it.

I thought this was to be painted? You can create gobs of wave with a flap wheel that will look like garbage with paint on them.

Yes Yakob, I suppose one could create waves with them. I have been using them for over ten years. They are not good on sheet metal but on structural steel and cast iron like a plow they work great! Also just so you know I don't like doing jobs that end up looking like garbage.
 
(quoted from post at 15:23:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 11:24:27 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 13:01:42 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 10:00:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 14:23:13 04/27/19)
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.

Flap wheels are really good at gouging and making a wavy finish, especially if you have never used one.

There really is no replacement for sand blasting.

No way I would sandblast a plow share, LOL. I would have to follow up with a flap wheel to smooth it.

I thought this was to be painted? You can create gobs of wave with a flap wheel that will look like garbage with paint on them.

Yes Yakob, I suppose one could create waves with them. I have been using them for over ten years. They are not good on sheet metal but on structural steel and cast iron like a plow they work great! Also just so you know I don't like doing jobs that end up looking like garbage.

Did anyone suggest that you did "like doing jobs that end up looking like garbage"?

I was merely pointing out the downside to using a flap wheel, which is coincidentally NOT a downside to sandblasting.

Can you please elaborate on why sandblasting a plow share would be an "LOL" situation?
 
(quoted from post at 13:57:54 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 15:23:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 11:24:27 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 13:01:42 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 10:00:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 14:23:13 04/27/19)
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.

Flap wheels are really good at gouging and making a wavy finish, especially if you have never used one.

There really is no replacement for sand blasting.

No way I would sandblast a plow share, LOL. I would have to follow up with a flap wheel to smooth it.

I thought this was to be painted? You can create gobs of wave with a flap wheel that will look like garbage with paint on them.

Yes Yakob, I suppose one could create waves with them. I have been using them for over ten years. They are not good on sheet metal but on structural steel and cast iron like a plow they work great! Also just so you know I don't like doing jobs that end up looking like garbage.

Did anyone suggest that you did "like doing jobs that end up looking like garbage"?

I was merely pointing out the downside to using a flap wheel, which is coincidentally NOT a downside to sandblasting.

Can you please elaborate on why sandblasting a plow share would be an "LOL" situation?

Yakob, if you need to ask that question I don't think that I can help you, LOL.
 
(quoted from post at 17:50:03 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 13:57:54 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 15:23:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 11:24:27 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 13:01:42 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 10:00:06 04/29/19)
(quoted from post at 14:23:13 04/27/19)
(quoted from post at 10:10:01 04/27/19) Not a small soaking project. I talking plow size...

Hemi, as I posted first, flap wheel. If you have not used one before you will want a respirator mask because you will be in a cloud of rust dust. I assume that you are restoring so you will need to follow up with rust converter to kill the rust in the pits.

Flap wheels are really good at gouging and making a wavy finish, especially if you have never used one.

There really is no replacement for sand blasting.

No way I would sandblast a plow share, LOL. I would have to follow up with a flap wheel to smooth it.

I thought this was to be painted? You can create gobs of wave with a flap wheel that will look like garbage with paint on them.

Yes Yakob, I suppose one could create waves with them. I have been using them for over ten years. They are not good on sheet metal but on structural steel and cast iron like a plow they work great! Also just so you know I don't like doing jobs that end up looking like garbage.

Did anyone suggest that you did "like doing jobs that end up looking like garbage"?

I was merely pointing out the downside to using a flap wheel, which is coincidentally NOT a downside to sandblasting.

Can you please elaborate on why sandblasting a plow share would be an "LOL" situation?

Yakob, if you need to ask that question I don't think that I can help you, LOL.

I suspect there could be other reasons you are unable to answer that and choose instead to divert with more "LOL."

There is absolutely nothing wrong with sandblasting in this application.
 
(quoted from post at 20:59:02 05/15/19) Wouldn't dragging it through the dirt behind a tractor shine it up?

Yep! Problem with that is that if it's gonna rust or need coated in grease to keep that shine, or it will rust.

Likely these old plows are pitted anyway. I really don't see what the issue is with blasting it...
 
(quoted from post at 18:59:02 05/15/19) Wouldn't dragging it through the dirt behind a tractor shine it up?

Catalina, there have been literally hundreds of posts here over the years about scouring plows. While sandy soils will scour light rust from a moldboard fairly quickly, clay laden soils or "gumbo" type, which are very common, tend to stick to the moldboard, prompting much frustration when the owner needs to turn his ground. As you know, a plow that is fresh out of the ground and fully scoured will be as shinny as chrome. The roughness of the rust needs to be removed in order for the plow to slide through clay, and sandblasting it off will make the surface even rougher, and unusable until significant repair work is done on it.
 
(quoted from post at 06:12:23 05/16/19)
(quoted from post at 18:59:02 05/15/19) Wouldn't dragging it through the dirt behind a tractor shine it up?

Catalina, there have been literally hundreds of posts here over the years about scouring plows. While sandy soils will scour light rust from a moldboard fairly quickly, clay laden soils or "gumbo" type, which are very common, tend to stick to the moldboard, prompting much frustration when the owner needs to turn his ground. As you know, a plow that is fresh out of the ground and fully scoured will be as shinny as chrome. The roughness of the rust needs to be removed in order for the plow to slide through clay, and sandblasting it off will make the surface even rougher, and unusable until significant repair work is done on it.

LOL
 

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