Non-Toxic Rust Remover :)

[SQ]

I can only assume there are many rust removers on the market, but I like to steer clear of toxic chemicals when I can.  Apple cider vinegar really works for those unfamiliar with it.  

Anyone else using this method for rust removal?

SQ

[John Moody]

Vinegar seems to be the wonder fixer. Takes away orders, sanitizes and removes rust and on top of that it is consumable. I wonder what it removes from your pipes when you consume it?

[lew]

Thanks for the tip!!!!!

[SQ]

John,

I love vinegar and all it's uses.  I make a lot of homemade vinegar salad dressings and I'm confident our internal pipes aren't rusty.    I just checked online and yes, there are many health benefits stated.  

SQ

John Moody said:

Vinegar seems to be the wonder fixer. Takes away orders, sanitizes and removes rust and on top of that it is consumable. I wonder what it removes from your pipes when you consume it?

[SQ]

Lewis,

Glad you liked the tip.  I use it on old cast iron skillets which are always covered with rust when I get them for little or nothing.    

SQ

Lewis Kauffman said:

Thanks for the tip!!!!!

[John Moody]

We do also Sue. I was looking in the cabinet the other day, (my twentieth time for the day) and noticed we must have about five different types of vinegar. I use white vinegar to sanitize my cutting boards.

[SQ]

John,

I do, too.  It works great on cutting boards.  

Interested in another wacky vinegar tip?  

1 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda makes a wonderful toilet bowl cleaner.  It fizzes when these two ingredients are combined.  Leave mixture in bowl for about 10 minutes, use brush on interior, and flush to rinse.  
I works great and is economical.  

SQ
John Moody said:

We do also Sue. I was looking in the cabinet the other day, (my twentieth time for the day) and noticed we must have about five different types of vinegar. I use white vinegar to sanitize my cutting boards.

[steven newman]

Works on clogged drains , too.  

We have a Citrus Mold Cleaner at work.    Since everything we make is to "Food Grade"   so is the stuff to clean the molds with.  Smell like a big Orange Julius.     Evaporates away.     Be ready, and wipe away the crud it leaves behind. 

As for my planes I refurb, I tend to stay away from chemicals, soThese get rid of any rustiness on a plane..

[lew]

Hate to tell you this, but as kids we used to put that stuff in jars (soda wrapped in paper) seal the jar shake it and run like heck. Our parents couldn't figure out where their supplies went!

SQ said:

John,

I do, too.  It works great on cutting boards.  

Interested in another wacky vinegar tip?  

1 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda makes a wonderful toilet bowl cleaner.  It fizzes when these two ingredients are combined.  Leave mixture in bowl for about 10 minutes, use brush on interior, and flush to rinse.  
I works great and is economical.  

SQ
John Moody said:

[SQ]

Steve,

Yep, I use it for clogged drains, also.

That looks like a very effective rust removing remedy.    

SQ

steven newman said:

Works on clogged drains , too.  

We have a Citrus Mold Cleaner at work.    Since everything we make is to "Food Grade"   so is the stuff to clean the molds with.  Smell like a big Orange Julius.     Evaporates away.     Be ready, and wipe away the crud it leaves behind. 

As for my planes I refurb, I tend to stay away from chemicals, soThese get rid of any rustiness on a plane..

[SQ]

LOL  I can see how kids could get into a lot of trouble with that combo.  

SQ

Lewis Kauffman said:

Hate to tell you this, but as kids we used to put that stuff in jars (soda wrapped in paper) seal the jar shake it and run like heck. Our parents couldn't figure out where their supplies went!

SQ said:

[Cliff]

I use a lot of Citric acid.  It's also good  for SST that's got to be re-passivated because rust set in.

I've seen a guy who does electrolysis using carbon blocks as his electrodes. they don't break down much and the parts come out cleaner.

I'm pretty sure that  those pre-made rust removers are not toxic at all, but rather just acids of various kinds  like citric  and phosphoric  and usually with a healthy dose of EDTA. None of which is likely to cause you any harm.  Acids are not toxic  per se.  There is one that will do enormous harm (hydroflouric) but no one works with that  outside of exotic lab and commercial applications.

I think Evapo-rust is EDTA.

The older MSDS

http://www.evapo-rust.com/info/EvapoRustMSDS.pdf

Lists it as a chelating agent and that's what EDTA does.

It lists the LD50 as >2000 mg/kg which is exactly the same as EDTA

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923980

LD50 and flash points are usually unique to specific things.

The new  MSDS tells you nothing at all

[SQ]

Appreciate the clarification on rust removing products on the market.  Have actually used electrolysis to clean old coins found while metal detecting and it does work well on corrosion. Never tried citric acid in this capacity.  Thanks for the information.

SQ

[Cliff]

The stuff they put in bottles and sell to us for big bucks is more often than not really stupidly simple and terribly easy to replicate. So they do various things to prevent us from sussing out the stuff.  One of the most common is the "trade secret" trick where they get a permit from the Fed that lets them only list the hazardous potential and things.  Others manage to end up listing things like flash point  and some small vague descriptor and pretty much nothing more.

It's government telling us that we can trust it with out lives children and heath  After all if they say it is so then  it must be so - - right?

WD40 uses Aviation grade kerosene they don't tell you what it is because they don't want you to know it's just a cleaner version of #2 fuel oil. So they use Aviation and the CAS  number, which they list on the MSDS sheet, is very hard to look up on the interwebs.

But it's still just Kero.

Armed with nothing more than the flash point of any petroleum product  you can look it up online.  Each of them has a unique flash point & no two  are alike.  This is because of how petroleum products are distilled in a cracking column that separates the chemical products by their  vapor temperature points.

 Others use vague terms like light parrafin oil or hydrotreated oil, pump oil -   ( see the list:  http://www.melodyjurick.com/melodyjurick/MineralOils.pdf  - it is an incomplete list too) yadda yadda  because they really don't want you buying mineral oil for  $0.99  a pint when they can sell you a few tablespoons for $5.00.

 Bullfrog rust blocker is  mostly  Ester Alcohol  which is the coalescent  found in latex paints and  a solvent to clean the surface.

Metal Glanz (Felder's propitiatory product) is coconut oil and a surfactant ( to spread it out)

Boeshield is mineral oil.

Goo Gone uses distraction and confusion.  It is really just is mineral spirits and some orange smelling stuff to make it smell nice.  Plus it has another solvent-like substance: Propylene glycol monomethyl ether which is found in cosmetics and sunblock lotions.  I doubt that Propylene glycol monomethyl ether does a single thing  to lift  and remove goo, but it surely makes for an impressive MSDS.  Impressive enough to make one imagine that it's a mystery ingredient without which the stuff wouldn't work.

Now mind you,  I ain't sayin' that these tricks are bad. They are smart and good business. But with a little diligence you can see around them.

[SQ]

Yep, simple ingredients in a fancy bottle or container equals big bucks for the company selling it.  Is the convenience really worth the price?

A prime example is window cleaner.  So easy to make and it sells for ridiculous prices premixed and packaged.  http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-best-window-cleaner.html 

With the savings - I can buy more shop tools and wood.  

SQ

[Cliff]

I remember Vinegar and newspaper.  Used it a lot.

It didn't work after some bozo used Windex.

Now I know why.

But, with that formula  don't you then have to use water (or more vinegar) to remove the soap film ?

And Newspaper  - - does that still apply what with all the environmentally driven changes to the ink?

The ink now will go into solution almost immediately.  Back in the day it was not water soluble.

I gotta say though I get a tad peckish when words like ORGANIC and SUSTAINABLE  are thrown around.

Organic vinegar?

[SQ]

That formula recipe should work just fine as is - assuming the proportions are the same.

What do you think about produce being grown in sewage sludge?  It's a widespread practice.  

SQ

[Cliff]

In mexico I know they use raw sewerage on fields.

Never heard of Sewerage Hydroponics.  I should think it would be a stinky practice with plenty of E-coli, tetanus, anthrax and other dangerous microbes in large supply.

The thing about pooh is that once organic matter has passed the digestion system it is broken down  so well that a great many minerals are reduced to the ionic state.   Composting  reduces them further increasing the level of ionic minerals available for plants.

Plants only use or consume a very few things: Minerals in an ionic state, water, sunlight, nitrogen. O2,  and CO2. They don't consume anything organic.

So when you hear people complaining about chemical fertilizers  you can shake your head and smile.  The fertilizers  are all nothing more than minerals.  The reason excrement makes such a nice fertilizer ( especially composted excrement)  ((Most folks prefer the delicate delicate word "manure," but not all excrement is from animals and all of it is great stuff)) - well - the reason it's so good is simply because it is almost impossible to overdoes a plant.  The mineral content of excrement is very well balanced being as how it started out as healthy lifeforms. 

The thing about manufactured fertilizer  is that using the wrong kind or too much can overdose a plant with too much of something and that is as bad or worse as too little.  It is easy to use too much or the wrong kind.

But still fertilizing plants is all about minerals.

[steven newman]

Watched water buffs and Momma-sons  both "going" in the paddies.   Few months later, rice is served!  

[steven newman]

There is an item out there that will clean rust.   Just DO NOT use it on Cast iron.     Called "The Works".     Fairly cheap, too.