Recommendations for parts cleaner fluid...

[great white]

.... ok ... here is a very *very* minor gripe, but if your petroleum solvent is high enough in sulfur compounds to stink (badly), it will also eat zinc. That keeps 7050, brass AND bronze out of your tank - well, because it leaches the *copper* out of the alloy almost as well as the zinc.

Now if all you do is dunk, brush, and blow off, no probs at all. if you *soak* like I do, then you have to go to 0% sulfur low odor varsol to stay away from the sulfur. (the stinky varsol has other components that seem unfriendly to 7075 aluminum, but I haven't investigated)

I now have a citiric acid bath for primary derusting, an evaporust tank for secondary derusing, and a low odor varsol bath for cleaning. I use acetone to clean off parts from the varsol tank before bead blasting and painting.

I derust electrically. Works much better, just as good as products like "evaporust" but without the "blackening" of the surfaces.

 

[Dabbler]

I derust electrically.

I don't get the electric de-rust. I've seen youtube videos about people doing it, and vids on *how* to do it, but none that tell me enough that I am comfortable doing it. (I would love to try it). but lots of questions.

I use citric acid for the getting the large bulk of rust off. works a charm. Many times there is some residue or rust not chelated by the citric acid, and then I use Evaporust, but not for long at all - just enough to discombobulate (i love that word!) the last bits of rust, so I don't see any blackening. Evaporust is too expensive to use exclusively anyway, so the long soaks are citric.

-- perhaps we can start a thread on this, the best electrolytes to use, etc? I know too little to do this myself.

 

[great white]

I don't get the electric de-rust. I've seen youtube videos about people doing it, and vids on *how* to do it, but none that tell me enough that I am comfortable doing it. (I would love to try it). but lots of questions.

I use citric acid for the getting the large bulk of rust off. works a charm. Many times there is some residue or rust not chelated by the citric acid, and then I use Evaporust, but not for long at all - just enough to discombobulate (i love that word!) the last bits of rust, so I don't see any blackening. Evaporust is too expensive to use exclusively anyway, so the long soaks are citric.

-- perhaps we can start a thread on this, the best electrolytes to use, etc? I know too little to do this myself.

I just use washing soda, water, an electrode and a battery charger.

Hasn’t failed me yet and no toxic mess to get rid of later. I can just open the garage door an toss the water on the driveway.

 

[Al 1]

+1 on simple Green. A friend of mine uses it in a heated tank. I use it pretty much straight to remove paint. Gets parts really clean, too!

Green cleaner also works well for washing parts before tig welding. Always rinse off well and heat dry. Al.

 

[Shotgun]

I just use washing soda, water, an electrode and a battery charger.

Isn't there something about polarity of how to hook up the battery charger and having a sacrificial piece that is also important?

 

[great white]

Isn't there something about polarity of how to hook up the battery charger and having a sacrificial piece that is also important?

That would be the electrode. Yes, polarity matters, just can’t remember right now which is which. IIRC, its DCEN…but don’t quote me on that.

 

[Mill Lee farm]

+ positive connection goes to your sacrificial metal (be sure to keep your alligator clips out of the water or they will sacrifice themselves as well!

- negative connection goes to the part to be de-rusted.

Copper wire is unaffected so use it to connect all your sacrificial metal bits together (rebar is common) and hang your good piece.

It tends to work 'line of sight' so the more you can surround your piece the better.

The mixture of washing soda is not very critical. It also does a good job degreasing at the same time.

DO NOT use stainless steel as a sacrificial metal or you will make hexavalent chromium and a hazardous wase site on your property!

This process does create a small amount of hydrogen gas so best to have some ventilation. IDK... I had my process setup under carport and tried lighting it a couple times but never got anything cool to happen LOL

 

[great white]

+ positive connection goes to your sacrificial metal (be sure to keep your alligator clips out of the water or they will sacrifice themselves as well!

- negative connection goes to the part to be de-rusted.

Copper wire is unaffected so use it to connect all your sacrificial metal bits together (rebar is common) and hang your good piece.

It tends to work 'line of sight' so the more you can surround your piece the better.

The mixture of washing soda is not very critical. It also does a good job degreasing at the same time.

DO NOT use stainless steel as a sacrificial metal or you will make hexavalent chromium and a hazardous wase site on your property!

This process does create a small amount of hydrogen gas so best to have some ventilation. IDK... I had my process setup under carport and tried lighting it a couple times but never got anything cool to happen LOL

Ah yes, I forgot electricity flows negative to positive…

 

[Dabbler]

This is all great! here's my thought: can you knowledgeable guys make a thread with all this (and perhaps more) in the forum:

Miscellaneous Tutorials and Tips

Tutorials and tips for doing everything else in the shop.

www.hobby-machinist.com

It needs someone (or a group) to explain all the things, in a complete form, by people that have done it - for guys like me to know everything they need to know before trying it out...

For instance: how much washing soda is too little? Are there alternatives to washing soda if you can't find any? Will table salt work? , etc, etc...

 

[Mill Lee farm]

Sure that would be good to have.
I'm surprised though. Has this never been covered on this forum?