Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Attention Forum Users: On the 28th of December 2023 at 9:00am Central Time, we will be taking the forums down for maintenance while we prepare the new forums for your use. Please click here for more information.

Restoration & Repair Tips Board

Metal Striping and cleaning

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
walter squires

11-10-2004 14:02:35




Report to Moderator

Back when I had my own shop we rebuilt and painted and overhauled many tractors even a few burned ones for customers and restored a 39 B for myself, I remember very well the many cans of oven cleaner, gallons of laquer thiner and hours on the end of a pressure washer,
Well after about 10 years the bug got me again, My cousin bought a 42 H and of course I just couldn't resist when he asked me to help on this project, When we got the radator shutter off I told him to take to the machine shop and have them clean it in their hot tank, They told him to get some muratic acid and clean it ourselfs.
So we got a plastic tray, put a couple gallons of muritac in it, in went the shutter, I said to myself well this will be the end of that shutter, Well to my amazment after about an hour of smoking and stinking we removed it and it was still all there except for all of the rust (it was solid rust) I washed it good with soap and water blew dry it with air and then bead blasted and primed it, It looks and works brand new except for the rust pitts, Since then I have cleaned the rust and paint off with this method on about everthing before bead blasting, What a time saver, Why did'nt I do this 20 years ago when I made my living at this. Well I supose thats why they call it the sho-me state, someone had to show me.

[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
Ramrod

11-16-2004 14:01:39




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to walter squires, 11-10-2004 14:02:35  
I use one can of red Devil lye in a large tub of water. I use the big rectangular storage boxes from WalMart with lids, maybe 40" x 18" x 18" deep. The lye is very strong, doesn't take much, and never wears out, no matter how nasty it looks. To dispose of the stuff, just mix it together in small batches carefully, it'll neutralize itself.

Ramrod



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Ramrod

11-16-2004 11:54:52




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to walter squires, 11-10-2004 14:02:35  
I use two big plastic tubs to clean old parts. In the first one, I make a solution of (Red Devil) lye water, the second one is muriatic acid and water. The first one will strip the paint and clean up the part, the second one (acid) will strip the rust and make it look like new (cast iron especially). Rinse between treatments, don't run aluminum through the process, and use long stainless tongs and spoons to handle the parts in the lye. The acid water mixture is much easier on the skin, and won't burn near as bad, just rinse off ASAP with water. After the acid bath, rinse, dry, and spray with Picklex 20. The next day, it's ready for primer and paint, or you can wait a good while as the Picklex will kill the rust and preserve the bare metal for a long time if you wanna wait till later to paint.

Ramrod

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
walter squires

11-16-2004 13:27:42




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to Ramrod, 11-16-2004 11:54:52  
Ramrod, What mixture do you use for your lye solution % of lye to water?
The muratic acid sure keeps your sinues open, PHEW....But it works great.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
rustyfarmall

11-10-2004 14:22:05




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to walter squires, 11-10-2004 14:02:35  
Muriatic acid works very well for removing the rust , varnish, and other gunk from a gas tank also. Just pour in about 2 gallons, slosh it around a bit, let it sit, and then slosh some more. You can even dilute it 50% with water and it still works very well. It's the quickest, easiest and by far the least expensive method I've ever found.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
gathje

11-13-2004 18:37:37




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to rustyfarmall, 11-10-2004 14:22:05  
Who sells Muriatic acid. Thanks



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
walter squires

11-15-2004 06:20:03




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to gathje, 11-13-2004 18:37:37  
Gathje, You can get muratic acid at any hardware store or lumber yard it's common use is to clean brick after tuckpointing, I get mine at the Tractor Supply Co. store. it runs about $3.00 per gallon.
This weekend I cleaned a rad. shutter in it that was very rusted and froze up, in less than 3 hours of soaking, washing good in soap and a little bead blasting it works perfect and looks new.
Be careful with this stuff it is very caustic and will burn you, wear protective clothing and rubber gloves.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Red Ed

11-10-2004 17:34:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to rustyfarmall, 11-10-2004 14:22:05  
Hey , that sounds too easy!!!! Do you have to neutralize it with anything or just wash it off?



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
walter squires

11-11-2004 06:16:21




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to Red Ed, 11-10-2004 17:34:10  
A response to Red Ed, What I like to do after I take the part out of the acid is wash it off with water and then put it in a strong soap solution and scrub it a bit, that seems to neturlize it, you will get a small amount of surface rust in a very short time however the bead blaster or sandpaper takes it off very easy.
Be sure and get some primer on rather quickley as the metal is so clean it will rust rather quickley.
This really works last night I cleaned 9 large pieces in less than an hour, that was boiling, washing, blasting, light sanding and priming, this would have taken me 5 times that long the way I used to do it.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
rustyfarmall

11-11-2004 12:54:16




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to walter squires, 11-11-2004 06:16:21  
Walter, what type of respirator do you use? I triwd using the acid in an open tray once and the fumes just about overcame me.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
walter squires

11-12-2004 06:10:28




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to rustyfarmall, 11-11-2004 12:54:16  
Hi Rusty, Your right the fumes are bad, I always use that stuff outside and try to stand up wind.
Someday I would like to build a plastic lined vat with sides and a door on the front with an exhaust fan to remove the fumes.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
rustyfarmall

11-13-2004 07:30:04




Report to Moderator
 Re: Metal Striping and cleaning in reply to walter squires, 11-12-2004 06:10:28  
Excellent idea.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy