I've wanted to share this and even more so after the thread on electrolysis.
White vinegar.
I know some of you guys use it but wanted to just provide some pictures on how well it works.
This was a front license plate mounting plate off a '65 that probably sat outside most of its life.
Covered in rust and what I thought was pitting.

I soaked in vinegar for a total of 48 hours. I helped it along occasionally with a soft brass brush...but honestly you really don't have to.
Looks like it brought it back to zinc?
enjoy!
-peter

Fresh off parts car


Definitely had some scale

Submerged in a 1" pan


After about 18 hours

After about 30 hours
And done after 48 hours.

Also a few bumper bracket washers. This works unbelievable well on restoring old bolts and hardware.

 

Very impressive. Thanks for the before and after pictures. Incredible job. Plus it will smell like Easter eggs around the house. Ha ha.

 

I've been using white vinegar for years restoring old bicycles.
I've tried the oxalic acid, Coke and aluminum foil, etc... Vinegar beats them all, especially from a cost perspective.
I soak a rusty chrome wheel in a tub overnight, and can wipe the rust off with a rag.

 

Thanks for the demo! I will have to give that a try. Amazing!

 

Is the vinegar you used the standard 5% concentration? I want to do some bucket seat lower frames and figure I'll need about 20 to 25 gallons. But the prices I'm seeing for 5 gallon pails of vinegar is the same or more than 5 gallons of Evaporust which I can get for $80.

 

We used to use vinegar when I was in the Navy and it worked great. The only thing that worked better was "bug juice". That was the Navy's version of Kool Aid. We would drop rusty deck drains into a bucket of it, wait a few hours, and then they would shine like new when we pulled them out.

Needless to say, I stopped drinking the stuff after my first cleaning experience.

 

Yes, (white) vinegar works great. I use it for cleaning motorcycle gas tanks. It's safe and effective (ha, ha). A couple days and she is bare metal.

Use it full strength right out of the jug you bought at Wally World.

Do not use on high strength steel (grade bolts, alloys, etc.). The acid can cause the metal to become brittle, allowing it to crack. On soft, low carbon steel, it is not too much of a problem.

 

Would the white vinegar work on steel wheels?

 

Did you treat the metal with anything after rust removal, or do you think the acetic acid in the vinegar pickled the steel enough to deter rust?

 

I’d assume it would work on wheels.

I was not aware of the problems Bry mentioned though.

-peter

 

I left a '68 hood latch in 10 % vinegar and forgot about it for four or five days. Let's just say I will not be using that latch any more.

 

Thats good to know!
I thought it only attacked rust.

Maybe its best to use a brush then and not let the vinegar do ALL the work.
peter

 

For motorcycle tanks I rinse with tap water, then dump in a bottle of isopropyl alcohol to soak up the water and prevent flash rust. Soon as dry, I dump in a two-part epoxy and swish it around until all surfaces are coated (careful with the tank vent!).

No, acetic acid does not form an oxide barrier like phosphoric acid, and will rust quickly if not treated immediately.

For wheels, i.e. old model T wire, I'd glass blast them. However, acids won't cause too much of an issue on steel wheels since most are not high strength steel. The issue with high strength is hydrogen embrittlement. Look it up online if you care to know more about it.