Trialing Evapo-Rust and Inox Lanox for metal recovery and protection

Doing this in preparation for some old furniture metal handles in the near future. I lashed out when there was a 25% discount sale going and bought the Evapo-Rust and Lanox.
Photo 1 is an ice cream container where I try to keep the required volume low.
Photo 2 - 5 is this first batch of tools after period in Evapo-Rust and then cleaned in water before being sprayed with Lanox to prevent corrosion starting again


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Later I will move to the different furniture handles that I have found challenging using wire brushes. I hope this helps others make the same trail.

Nice work.

After being de-rusted I don't wash my items in water because if water gets into a crack or a join and is not adequately displaced by a protectant then it can cause rust.

I found it better to remove the items from the rust remover and just blow dry with compressed air, or hang in the sun, or use a hot air gun . Some residual dust remover may remain in a powdered form on the surface but that can usually be wiped off.

A really secure way to get protectant into all the cracks and narrow pathways is to heat up a container of lightweight engine oil and heat the items in the oil for 10 minutes. I use an old electric fry pan with an old sauce pan as the pot. Then I suspend said over the pot so the hot oils drains off the object. Hot oil drains much better from a hot object so it does not leave the object too objectionable. Then I might apply something like Lanotec.

Evaporust is good stuff but if you want to save a few bob there are plenty of other cheaper options. Plain old vinegar works although it's a bit slow (stronger vinegar works faster), Citic acid is quicker. Phosphoric acid (PA) is quick but its hard to get pure PA as it usually comes with added detergent to help wet the rust but then this has to be washed off and we're back to the water problem again.

Industrial folks will often use Oxalic acid, although that does leave a yellow/green tinge on the surface - this tinge is VERY antirust so items can be left out for months without rusting and also fine if de-rusted items are going to be painted as it can be directly overpainted. Oxalic acid is available from Bunnings as Diggers Rust and Stain remover.

Here's a test I did few years ago.
Items were sanded on a belt sander and then left outside for about a month until they were completely covered in rust and then de-rusted in;
(L-R) HCl, citric Acid, Oxalic acid and acetic acid.
This photo was taken 10 weeks after they had been left to hang up outside.
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The other rust removing agent I like using is tannic acid. It's sold in an expensive liquid form called Fertan that is even more expensive than Evaporust but it's its been around for centuries and is used by museums to restore iron based materials like old tools and farm implements. I bought a kg of food grade Tannic acid powder on ebay for about 1/3rd of Fertan to do a bunch of experiments with. It's fiddly to make and apply, and leaves steel/iron surface a very traditional sooty black colour. The slyer is very anti rust but does come off on a users hands so its not suited to direct use of objects that need to be being handled although it can easily be rubbed off with a light wire brushing or over painted. I really like the dark black look for some tools like this blacksmiths voce so in those cases I apply a coat oil that takes up the soot and polymerises (forms a skin) like linseed oil.

Here's a before and after on a BS vice.
The original blue painted vice on the LHS does not look rusty but it was all rust under that paint.
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The of course there's metal bluing, but that is another large can of worms.

That vise is a real beauty!

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Originally Posted by markharrison

That vise is a real beauty!

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I got if from our mens shed - it had been put on the scrap pile.

Full WIP here.
BS Vice - restore or retire?

Thanks BobL you have accelerated my learning with your experiment results (it was planned :) )
I've used Oxalic acid on wood and you just made it all click together. Too much thinking about what others say and not enough experimenting but now you have shown me the light. Oxaic acid will be trialled soon :)
I have played with some Coke and getting ready to build some pulsing electrolysis units as well.
I hope to trial some electroplating as well.

I have a failed 21A 6/12/24V battery charger that is going to be made into a hefty DC power source and then with add-ons a battery charger and electrolysis unit :)

I also have some old vices to clean down and bring back to life and on day will share their pictures.

Another plan is to build some vibration devices to accelerate so of these reactions :)

Many thanks for sharing the valuable information.

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Originally Posted by Blackout

Thanks BobL you have accelerated my learning with your experiment results (it was planned :) )
I've used Oxalic acid on wood and you just made it all click together. Too much thinking about what others say and not enough experimenting but now you have shown me the light. Oxaic acid will be trialled soon :)

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:2tsup:

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I have played with some Coke and getting ready to build some pulsing electrolysis units as well.
I hope to trial some electroplating as well. I have a failed 21A 6/12/24V battery charger that is going to be made into a hefty DC power source and then with add-ons a battery charger and electrolysis unit :)

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Some battery chargers won't function unless connected to a battery so you will need to over come this. Its good that yours has a 6V capability as that is all that is needed. The current is determined by the concentration of the electrolyte and the physical layout/connections of the work pieces and anodes.
I've found about 6V and between 3 and 5A works. The 5V outputs of PC power supply is usually good enough.

More than volts 6V ends up turning more H20 into H2 and O2 which is necessary and dangerous, The excess O2 also destroys any steel anode and turns it into a resistive orange sludge which slows down the process.

One of the cleanest Anode to use is carbon rods - no orange sludge. These can be obtained from Welding shops - they are usually covered by a thin copper coating which can be peeled off.

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I use sodium carbonate (foot baths salts from Coles) as the electrolyte. The resulting solution can be safely disposed off down the sewers.

any opinions on phosphoric acid?

i bought this from the big green shed to use as a rust converter on some things in my garage. because my garage is under the house the moisture is a killer and i'm for ever dealing with tools rusting up. I've tried it on a small centre finder i built back as a first year apprentice (will add pics when i get home) and it seems to have done all right. Almost need to coat my table saw cast iron bench in the stuff.

Bondall 500ml Ranex Rustbuster Rust Converter | Bunnings Warehouse

https://media.bunnings.com.au/Produc...05f17560dc.png

That is such helpful information and gratefully appreciated the sharing of such knowledge. Thank you

There is something in the back of my mind about this that will eventually come to me and I'll post.

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Originally Posted by havabeer69

any opinions on phosphoric acid?

i bought this from the big green shed to use as a rust converter on some things in my garage. because my garage is under the house the moisture is a killer and i'm for ever dealing with tools rusting up. I've tried it on a small centre finder i built back as a first year apprentice (will add pics when i get home) and it seems to have done all right. Almost need to coat my table saw cast iron bench in the stuff.

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Phosphoric Acid (PA) is useful stuff, Ranex contains detergent to help it wet the rust but then this needs to be washed off otherwise it dries with a rough surface which can be hydrophilic (absorbs water) and then rusts after being washed. The old Chemtec PA (available from the bunnings building supplies shelf) was better - no detergent and much stronger for less $$ but I note the new Chemtec PA is weaker and has some detergent in it. I reckon Citric and Oxalic are better rust removers with the Oxalic being the best if delisted object is going to be painted.

Here is an Uber nerdy threat comparing PA with Tannic acid
Restoring Metal objects and surfaces

I couldnt find any "before photos" but the rust was bad enough that you couldnt make out my engraving. I wouldnt say the surface is smooth but not heaps rough. Its complex things like drill chucks im wondering if i can dunk in the stuff

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Originally Posted by havabeer69

I couldnt find any "before photos" but the rust was bad enough that you couldnt make out my engraving. I wouldnt say the surface is smooth but not heaps rough. Its complex things like drill chucks im wondering if i can dunk in the stuff

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Yes you can dunk it in PA but for something like a chuck the PA needs to be carefully washed out. I would boil it in deinioized water for ~10 minutes. Then the water needs to be displaced so heating the chuck in light engine oil for 10 minutes. This will displace the water and also lubricate the chuck.

We used Deoxidine (PA) when we were treating rust in vehicles. Worked extrembly well.

Must look into that

and this is what a forstner bit looks like after you accidentally forget about it and leave it in ranex for 2 days.

feels almost like charcoal or pumice. doesn't cut very well anymore either will push through but feels very spudgey. haven't yet tried to linish off that outer layer.

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Thanks for sharing that's a great lesson for me. "Don't forget because the chemical reaction doesn't"