Who needs digital

[graham-xrf]

The is a good chance the the spring steel hoop at the top will fall into pieces if left to soak in Evaporust. Not always ,but it does happen. Don't know what you want to call it. I have had a pair fall apart in an overnight bath. The spring steel fell into pieces. Also it will ruin the finish on gauge blocks. Just my experience.

This is the kind of thing where we want someone who knows to tell us why this happens!

If it happens with a chelation agent like EvapoRust, then it might well happen with almost any other chemical rust removal procedure, including those urged on with a voltage.

 

[graham-xrf]

not sure why I can't get rust to form on these. Still no rust ..

I can stick them on evapo rust, but I believe I need rust to see full results.
anyone got an idea how to get rust on them w/out screwing the test up?

If you have a steam cleaner thing, as used for kitchen floors, etc. and if there is any iron in them, try it.

After steam cleaning, leave in an oven for a bit. Getting the micro-surface exposed is what does it. That is why one should seal up the surface of new exposed cleaned metal by putting in boiling water, or using alkali, going for magnetite (a kind of "rust"), and then rubbing in oil. After I cleaned up a lathe bed with solvents, followed by steam-clean, I saw the whole thing turn orange in about 5 minutes. Washing soda seems to block the process, and then sealing with oil does work

Things thoroughly cleaned, then swabbed in vinegar, or pool acid, or almost any acid, and warmed up, should rust in air.

 

[mmcmdl]

One of these will be the sacrificial lamb tonight for testing . These were feeler gauges that Evaporust ate up and fell apart . Had a few radius gauges and thread pitch gauges that also went to $hit . We'll see what effect it has on the spring steel though .

 

[woodchucker]

If you have a steam cleaner thing, as used for kitchen floors, etc. and if there is any iron in them, try it.

After steam cleaning, leave in an oven for a bit. Getting the micro-surface exposed is what does it. That is why one should seal up the surface of new exposed cleaned metal by putting in boiling water, or using alkali, going for magnetite (a kind of "rust"), and then rubbing in oil. After I cleaned up a lathe bed with solvents, followed by steam-clean, I saw the whole thing turn orange in about 5 minutes. Washing soda seems to block the process, and then sealing with oil does work

Things thoroughly cleaned, then swabbed in vinegar, or pool acid, or almost any acid, and warmed up, should rust in air.

I don't have a steam cleaner.
so you are saying throw some iron into the mix?
sure.

 

[benmychree]

Other than the DROs on the mills , I go with the old stuff . Dial verniers and beam type verniers for larger stuff . I use a trav-a-dial on the lathe which I love . The older divider / calipers still get some usage for layout work on occasion , but mostly go unused in a sealed bucket .

Words for the wise ...................................................never put these older dividers in Evaporust , WD 40 rust remover etc .

I quite agree on using non digital such as dial calipers and Travadial, also calipers and dividers and vernier calipers, especially the 50 division style; when I was an apprentice, I bought Starrett 12" caliper and height gage, all the shop had was 25 division calipers up to 72", back then I could read the 25s without magnification, that went away long ago, now need to use cheaters for the 50 division ---

 

[graham-xrf]

I don't have a steam cleaner.
so you are saying throw some iron into the mix?
sure.

No - not at all. When I said "if there is any iron in them", I meant the Fe content in the metal pieces. Some alloy materials have no iron at all, or very little.

If you just scrub them clean, dunk them in vinegar, and then put them on a wire tray, or other means to hang them, over some simmering water. One of those pots used for steaming vegetables would do. Maybe drop them into a rice collander strainer in the pot with a little water cooking in the bottom.

With enough heat, and wet air, you can corrode away even stainless steel. Even the best stainless steels, if stood in water, will rust a brown line along the interface where the water meets the air in a process called "differential aeration". You can use calcium chloride to madly promote rust, but ordinary salt works pretty well also. Spread salt quite thick over the steel, and keep it wet with vinegar while heating the metal. That might best be done in a pyrex oven dish. You don't need to have it smoking hot. That kind of treatment surely must start to rot the metal quite quickly!

 

[brino]

anyone got an idea how to get rust on them w/out screwing the test up?

Maybe use them temporarily as the anode in a electrolysis tank.
I used a junk pair of slip-joint pliers once for this and they came out looking like I just got them off the Titanic.

-brino

 

[mmcmdl]

OK , test is on ! These are the guini (sp) pigs . Cleaned out the plastic tote and filled the level as to both were fully submerged . They just went in minutes ago . I have to get up early so I'll check them at 7am .

 

[WobblyHand]

OK , test is on ! These are the guini (sp) pigs . Cleaned out the plastic tote and filled the level as to both were fully submerged . They just went in minutes ago . I have to get up early so I'll check them at 7am .

Those dividers look less rusty than what I am trying to clean up. Be great to see the results.

 

[mmcmdl]

Yes , we'll see . Remember this is WD-40 rust remover and not Evaporust . Although I believe them to be the same ..............maybe they aren't .

Those dividers look less rusty than what I am trying to clean up. Be great to see the results.