Vinegar for rust removal

[NortonDommi]

There is a large group of folks that feel that only Evaporust can be used to remove rust. I tried it once and found it no better than white vinegar at about 1/8th the price. For delicate items, vinegar is hard to beat.
Randy

Before Ultrasonic cleaners restorers who work in museums often used dilute Tea on delicate ferrous items. Tannic Acid rust conversion.

 

[JohnG]

I use vinegar on steel regularly. It's worth mentioning that edible vinegar is a 5% solution and cleaning vinegar is 6%.

 

[Bob Korves]

I like to say that I have no problem using vinegar on a rusty old shovel, but not on a nice Hermann Schmidt grinding vise with a little surface rust... YMMV.

 

[Tim9]

Norton Dommi... I was getting ready to post that same video. He does really good comparisons, tests.
Personally...if it’s surface rust I use Evapo-rust. For heavy rust...electrolysis

 

[Cadillac]

I like to say that I have no problem using vinegar on a rusty old shovel, but not on a nice Hermann Schmidt grinding vise with a little surface rust... YMMV.

If you have rust on your Hermann vise its already compromised by the rust forming probably out of their spec. You could always send it back to have them refurb. for a large fee. Taking away the rust with any remover is gonna take millionths off somewhere and with anything used.

 

[NortonDommi]

Tim9,
My attitude is whatever works best for the job at hand. The reason I like the molasses so much is that I can drop something in the bin and leave it, I've ruined a few things over the years with various Acids and with Electrolysis because both need to be monitored and life happens.
Vinegar would be my No.2 go to for a quick clean but I make sure I check regularly and not for fine stuff, the delicate things I use dilute tea.
Just saw this thread below https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/white-vinegar-derusting-disaster.28528/ food for thought.

 

[Cadillac]

Tim9,
My attitude is whatever works best for the job at hand. The reason I like the molasses so much is that I can drop something in the bin and leave it, I've ruined a few things over the years with various Acids and with Electrolysis because both need to be monitored and life happens.
Vinegar would be my No.2 go to for a quick clean but I make sure I check regularly and not for fine stuff, the delicate things I use dilute tea.
Just saw this thread below https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/white-vinegar-derusting-disaster.28528/ food for thought.

Man I wish I would have read that a year ago. I had bought some dividers and calipers from the flea market awhile back they were nice German made ones. Soaked in my go to vinegar and within about a hr I had come back to see all the spring steel in pieces. The hoops broke. Lesson learned luckily out only acouple of dollars. The only thing I dislike about vinegar is I stink like it and the shop for hours.

 

[nnam]

I used vinegar for a day or two and brush after. I also dipped in baking sodar later.I did saw a couple thin circular cutoff blades broken in half.
Another way I really like doing is cooking oil and metal brush or sand paper (if the items shape work out, and not to much rust)

I tried electrolysis and the result is almost the same as vinegar, but not quite if the shape is odd. Both came out coated with black layer that needs brushed off. If the part is not that important, I would do it again with vinegar.
Cooking oil is my first go to. My body cannot handle wd40.

 

[mmcmdl]

It will take off material including rust.
I’ve used it, it works, you wouldn’t want to use it on something you care about.
Evaporust is outstanding but it’s pricey.

I use vinegar , salt and Dawn for killing weeds . Never tried it on rust but I will . I tried Evaporust one time and forgot about the tools soaking in it . A month later the tools were absolutely ruined . Thread gages , feeler gages , etc got eaten up . I use WD-40 rust remover soak now , but I keep my eye on what it's doing .

 

[Janderso]

I never left anything in Evaporust more than over night.
A month seems a bit long.
Incredible results after just a few hours. You need to completely degrease it first though.