Anyway, I was reading a post on WoodNet the other day where they were discussing de-rusting tools with citric acid. Vinegar was also mentioned as a good way to remove rust from tools. Hey, I have some rusty tools. AND Ihave some vinegar. Sounds like it's time for a little chemistry experiment. Well, I think I'd give myself a B- or a C in THIS Chem class. I'll let the pictures do the talking.
Before:
After:
As you can see, the 10" dividers didn't fare so well. Cleaned up nicely, but I guess I left them in a little too long. From what I understand, vinegar removes the rust, but also eats away the good metal if the tool is left to soak to long. Hopefully I can find a spring to replace the broken one on the 10" dividers.
Other than that little snafu though, I'd say I was impressed with the de-rusting ability of plain old white vinegar. Just a very little bit of wire brushing after a soak and things cleaned up almost like new. If you try this, just remember to immediately blow the tools off to remove the water that you rinse the tool with. I used an air compressor but you could use a hair dryer also. After I blew them off I sprayed them down with WD-40 for good measure. All and all, even with the little mishap, not bad for $15.
5 comments:
That is impressive. I wonder how well Coke does? I remember a science experiment in middle school that completely dissolved a nail. Perhaps it would be too aggressive.
Not sure about the Coke. I know I've heard to pour it on your corroded battery terminals to clean them up. But I can definitely attest to the power of vinegar! :)
A little baking soda dissolved into the rinse water will help stop the acidic reaction.
I remember in school the teacher using coke to clean the corrosion from an old penny. With tools though I'd be more wary of it I'm not sure but I'll bet the sugar would add more issues than less.
How long did you do the vinegar soak for?
D
Hey Derek. That pair of dividers was in the vinegar for less than 2 hours. When I checked on it, it was in pieces laying in the vinegar solution.
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