Using citric acid to remove rust vs Evaporust

[ARC-170]

I have a drill press column that need the rust removed. Has anyone used citric acid to remove rust? Does it work better than Evaporust? The Evaporust is really expensive (over $30/gal) even though it can be re-used. I'd like to find a cheaper alternative for larger items.

 

[mickri]

You have to be careful with some of the home brew rust removers. Besides removing the rust they will also eat into the metal. I used some white vinegar and salt on some parts on my MG Midget and it etched the metal to the point where I had to buy new parts. I used lemon juice to remove some rust on the table of my mill/drill. I soaked paper towels in lemon juice and laid them on the table. Took awhile. Over night as I recall. Did an ok job.

 

[mikey]

WD-40 and some fine Scotchbrite will usually get the rust off the column. Try that first; bet it will work fine.

 

[DavidR8]

The other challenge with Evaporust is that you have to submerge the item. Do unless you want to put it in a PVC pipe and ill it with the solution it's really hard to do long objects.
It go at it wit some steel wool and WD40 as Mikey suggested.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

i use phosphoric acid for rust removal all the time. about 18 bucks a gallon
it is commonly sold as driveway cleaner and metal prep solution for painting.



phosphoric is only really interested in rusted surfaces, so it is safe to unaffected areas.
it can etch metal if soaked for too long, but that can take days

i use it in conjunction with stainless wire brushes, scotchbrite pads, rags and elbow grease- it works fast and very well

 

[Ulma Doctor]

The other challenge with Evaporust is that you have to submerge the item. Do unless you want to put it in a PVC pipe and ill it with the solution it's really hard to do long objects.
It go at it wit some steel wool and WD40 as Mikey suggested.

i have soaked rags with evap-o-rust for long shafts and covered with plastic wrap, the effect is the same as long as you keep the rags wet

 

[DavidR8]

i have soaked rags with evap-o-rust for long shafts and covered with plastic wrap, the effect is the same as long as you keep the rags wet

Good to know, I'll remember that for the future.

 

[vocatexas]

There are rust CONVERTERS and rust REMOVERS. Evaporust is a remover. Phoshoric acid or Ospho is a rust converter. It converts rust from ferric oxide to ferric phosphate.

I've used Evaporust gel on large areas like my K&T milling table. I spread on a thin coating of the gel and cover it with saran wrap over night. Peel off the wrap and use a razor blade followed by fine scotchbrite to remove the rust.

 

[llamatrails]

Evaporust is $15 a gallon on Amazon.

 

[ARC-170]

You have to be careful with some of the home brew rust removers. Besides removing the rust they will also eat into the metal. I used some white vinegar and salt on some parts on my MG Midget and it etched the metal to the point where I had to buy new parts. I used lemon juice to remove some rust on the table of my

mill/drill. I soaked paper towels in lemon juice and laid them on the table. Took awhile. Over night as I recall. Did an ok job.

I was originally going to try vinegar and salt, but someone recommended citric acid.

WD-40 and some fine Scotchbrite will usually get the rust off the column. Try that first; bet it will work fine.

I'll have to try this; it will save me the trouble of removing the drill head and base.

The other challenge with Evaporust is that you have to submerge the item. Do unless you want to put it in a PVC pipe and ill it with the solution it's really hard to do long objects.
It go at it wit some steel wool and WD40 as Mikey suggested.

That was my intention. I have a PVC drain pipe and I was going to put some capped-off PVC pipes in the middle to take up space so I didn't use too much liquid. I calculated I'd use about 3 gallons if I just put the column alone in the drain pipe. At about $33/gal that's too much. I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative for when I want to de-rust larger objects. I know you can re-use Evaporust, but I don't really want to store 3 gallons.

i use phosphoric acid for rust removal all the time. about 18 bucks a gallon
it is commonly sold as driveway cleaner and metal prep solution for painting.

View attachment 350497

phosphoric is only really interested in rusted surfaces, so it is safe to unaffected areas.
it can etch metal if soaked for too long, but that can take days

i use it in conjunction with stainless wire brushes, scotchbrite pads, rags and elbow grease- it works fast and very well

This seems a bit caustic. I'm also trying to find something safer that I can hose off in the bushes or on the grass.

There are rust CONVERTERS and rust REMOVERS. Evaporust is a remover. Phoshoric acid or Ospho is a rust converter. It converts rust from ferric oxide to ferric phosphate.

I've used Evaporust gel on large areas like my K&T milling table. I spread on a thin coating of the gel and cover it with saran wrap over night. Peel off the wrap and use a razor blade followed by fine scotchbrite to remove the rust.

Gel, you say? Hmmm... I wondered if they actually made something like this. I've never seen it in stores. I'm not big on getting stuff delivered because I like to shop local.