"Safest" rust removal -- Evapo-Rust

ddean · Jul 4, 2003

Tested it once.
It seems to work great.

Anyone with experience with it?
__________________________________________
http://www.evapo-rust.com/index.html
Not an acid or solvent.
Requires immersion or other 'wet' contact.
Solution reusable until 'used up'.
Removes ONLY rust, not solid iron.
Only acts on iron, chelates it into solution.
Dried onto steel, it "acts as a rust preventative".

http://www.evapo-rust.com/page5.html
"Q) How does it work?
EVAPO-RUST works through selective chelation. This is a process in which a large synthetic molecule forms a bond with metals and holds them in solution. Most chelating agents bind many different metals. The active ingredient in EVAPO-RUST bonds to iron exclusively. It can remove iron from iron oxide but is too weak to remove iron from steel where the iron is held much more strongly. Once the chelating agent has removed the iron, a sulfur bearing organic molecule pulls the iron away from the chelator and forms a ferric sulfate complex which remains water soluble. This frees the chelating agent to remove more iron from rust."

Bill Martino · Jul 4, 2003

I just use sandpaper.

etp777 · Jul 4, 2003

steel wool soaked in oil is my general choice. THough sandpaper works when I screw up and leave it too long.

Or if i'm feeling really lazy just turn on belt grinder and make rust disappear really fast.

btice · Jul 5, 2003

Dean, I have some very delicate stuff this would be great for. What does it cost?

Snarlin Stef · Jul 5, 2003

ouch! UB sandpaper?

i like naval jelly personally... but then i have the polish the hell outa my khuk to get back that mirror shine...

if i see rust i try to just polish the rust out of it even if it takes longer.. its safe and ensures that my khuk will look nice without ruining the finish.

if its deep rust i use naval jelly... then polish.

ddean · Jul 5, 2003

Originally posted by btice ...Dean, I have some very delicate stuff this would be great for. What does it cost?

I don't recall exactly.
A quart bottle cost me maybe $6.
Unlikely more as I grabbed it in passing and wouldn't have paid more
without first researching it.
??? Walmart, Ace, Lowes, grocery, I don't know off-hand.

ferguson · Jul 5, 2003

Online sources are MidwayUSA

and Brownells

It's 29.99/gallon at Midway.
Looks interesting.

Steve

ddean · Jul 5, 2003

Originally posted by ddean .....I don't recall exactly.

But I found the reciept.

Walmart / Quart / $6.78

I don't recall if they had larger bottles.

ferguson · Jul 11, 2003

Dean I found some a the WalMart in a neighboring city. They didn't have it at mine. I had worked on the Khyber knife that I posted recently with oil and and 0000 steel wool, as specified in the sword forums conservation article. There were still some persistant pits of rust that were active even after soaking it with several types of oil for several days.
I glued a cap on a piece of 2" pvc pipe to make something to soak the knife in. The chemical was used full strength. I soaked for 20 minutes and could see that it was working, but there was still red rust in some of the deeper pits. I continued to soak it, checking progress at 30 minute intervals for a total of 2 hours. It took some, but not all of the patina off the blade, Leaving it looking still old, but clean. The heavily pitted areas were cleaned out of active rust, leaving bare metal. The steel was not etched by the action of the chemical as most other rust removal products will do. The blade was washed with soap and water, then dried with first an air hose, then a hair dryer to make sure all traces of water were removed. A coating of lubricant was then put on the blade.

I was pleased with this product and will use it again when traditional methods fail. With old blades I always think that the less you do to them the better, but you can't leave active rust on the blade.

Steve

Sylvrfalcn · Jul 11, 2003

My preferred "rust removal" system is to wipe the blade clean and oil it anytime it's been exposed to stuff that could rust it. Carry a tube of Chapstik in your pocket and you can "oil" your khuk anytime, anywhere. "An ounce of prevention....." yada, yada, yada.

Sarge

p.s.: Sand crushed to the consistency of talcum powder works really well on a dampened rag for scrubbing/polishing off rust. Problem is, you need a couple of columns of armored vehicles to run back and forth on the sand to get it that way.

ferguson · Jul 11, 2003

Me too Sarge! I don't let stuff get rusty. This is an antique piece that looks like the scabbard filled up with water about half way and stayed wet for a while. Major pitting from the tip back about 12".

Steve

Sylvrfalcn · Jul 11, 2003

Oops, I wasn't thinking about it being an antique Steve, totally understand why you'd want a non-destructive chemical process on that one. Still, got me to thinking, I wonder if anybody's ever taken their khuk to a machine shop and had the blade glass bead blasted?

Sarge

firkin · Jul 11, 2003

bead-blasting...

I'm of the school that believes the smoother the finish, the harder it is for rust to start.

I guess others think that a rougher surface holds protective oil better.

Maybe another case of six being six whether counted singly, or as a fraction of a dozen?

ddean · Jul 11, 2003

Originally posted by ferguson .........With old blades I always think that the less you do to them the better, but you can't leave active rust on the blade.

Agreed.

But I've no experience yet and you do.

Still, seems this product would be milder on the existing steel than 0000 steel wool.
It's only supposed to (mostly) work on active rust.

Including removing the patina.
Doesn't the steel wool harm the patina just as much?

Maybe this product could be spotted onto the areas of rust
in very small drops and the area or blade covered to keep it moist.
Then it could work without full immersion?

hmmm.

?

ddean · Jul 11, 2003

Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn ...... Sand crushed to the consistency of talcum powder works really well.......... Problem is, you need a couple of columns of armored vehicles to run back and forth on the sand to get it that way.

Maybe this is a potential new industry for the economic recovery of Irag.

ddean · Jul 11, 2003

Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn ....... I wonder if anybody's ever taken their khuk to a machine shop and had the blade glass bead blasted?

I seem to recall some reference to using ground walnut shell
(available as litter material in pet supply stores)
to clean items without harming the base material.

Yvsa · Jul 11, 2003

Originally posted by firkin
I'm of the school that believes the smoother the finish, the harder it is for rust to start.

That's not necessarily a school thought. It is a foundational fact and therefore true.
The smoother the finish on steel the less apt it is to rust under most conditions.

What everyone is calling a mirror finish on the khuks is not. It's a highly polished finish that's less apt to rust under most conditions.
If it was a mirror finish there would be no scratches at all, and especially not the highly polished deep scratches found on many blades.