Oxalic acid?

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LOL,Toe...its not a problem. My juice eats rust off overnight. And I really only dip chrome parts.I did dip the chainguard on one that was partially painted, and it ate that away. It works so well, and fast, I will keep using it full strength.
 
i just picked up some wood bleach oxalic acid crystals. im anxious to try it. are there any DEFINATELY NOTS i should be aware of?
 
not really. I have even fished parts outta the vat ,bare handed. Not recommended, but my arm is still OK. 1 day is usually enuf time. I pull the part out, rinse with warm water, and if its not clean, let er soak another day. I have the sediment on the bottom, I dont mess with it. I add water that I lose due to evaporation, the concentration stays fine.. My current vat is about 4 months old, about 6 bikes have been dipped,including wheels.
 
<--quality control chemist, 12 years.
FYI, make sure HCL (hydrochloric acid) is diluted and dont get it on your bare hands. it soaks into skin readily and likes to pull calcium from the bones. I doubt its readily available commercially in concentrations i'm used to dealing with but it will fume and the fumes can be strong and overpowering. Non-diluted HCL is strong stuff and will ruin paints quickly. end of my PSA. have fun and be safe.
 
redstar said:
<--quality control chemist, 12 years.
FYI, make sure HCL (hydrochloric acid) is diluted and dont get it on your bare hands. it soaks into skin readily and likes to pull calcium from the bones. I doubt its readily available commercially in concentrations i'm used to dealing with but it will fume and the fumes can be strong and overpowering. Non-diluted HCL is strong stuff and will ruin paints quickly. end of my PSA. have fun and be safe.

I agree witg redstar! My mom works in a lab all day lol she's a medical technician of some sort, and she brought me home 25mL of pure 100% HCL...stuffs not good. I don't know how strong the stuff you can buy at the local hardware store is but with this stuff I wear goggles and gloves! And I always do it outside (you'd probably be fine inside if you have a fan blowing out of a window) seriously though HCL is deady stuff. They used the gas form of chlorine in gas chamers because when you breath it in it forms hydrochloride acid in your lungs and destroys your insides! So please everyone be careful when using it!
 
I've heard some folks have good success with straight vinegar and also some have used citric acid powder.

Both of those are non-toxic.
 
Acid flashback! This here is becoming a confusing thread. FYI- Do not accidentally inhale Hydrochloric acid vapor. I would love to hear more about vinegar. Steve's secret detailing ingredient? Also more about the Oxalic acid please.
 
vinegar contains acetic acid. it is a weaker acid than oxalic acid. it should still do the job of rust removal but will take a little longer soak.
 
i just stripped a sears spyder mark vii ( got it from a trade with highship) and chucked all the wicked rusty chrome tid bits in my brew of oxalic acid ( my first time trying it )
all the good things i hear about it here got me interested in giving it a shot. the bike ( nice paint , just real bad chrome )was a rust bucket so i figured it'd be a great test dummy :mrgreen:
im very anxious to see how it works ( its neat how it kindda faintly bubbles when it needs the rusty patient, must mean it means business i guess :lol: )


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what U will find is the discoloration will be gone. U will be left with a nice looking chrome from 5 feet away. Up close, the pock marks are still there. I clear enamel alot of my fenders ,after the treatment. Looks great for a rat.
 
The way I always look at oxalic acid is: it makes things "better". Not mint, not necessarily great, but often much much better than before you started, for not a lot of money. It's not a magic replacement for rechroming, so don't think you'll end up with a show-winner when you're done, but given the shelf life of the stuff and the mix ratio, you're looking at less than a buck investment per bike. It can't heal chrome that has bubbled up, or fallen off entirely, but it can make chrome look like it has a lot less years on it than it actually has, and it can do the same thing as chrome polish with a lot less effort.
 
im really happy with the progress .( the chrome was REAL bad).... so its been in the brew for 28 hours now , ive stirred it a few times to make sure it doesnt settle. ive also used the edge of a plastic disposeable spoon to scrape the "cling-ons". man this stuff really works!! now ive got the other half of the rims in the brew with the shiny complete side above water . the gooseneck and crank and chainring are near MINT!! like a 9 outta 10 id say. ( extreemly happy with the results) i even threw the chain in there too. its loosening up ( was seized before) and now the links move more freely ( i moved every link individually and put it bank under , should be done 2morrow i would say )
thanks to this forum for the coaching! :mrgreen:
( never even heard of woodbleach or oxalic acid before here )
thanks again!
 
junknutz, I dont think ya gotta stir that stuff up. I understand it to be the bad part of the rust, so let it settle. The only time mine gets stirred up is if I had a bunch of parts in it at one time, and taking them out I disturb the mulm. Otherwise, let er alone. JMHO
 
I'm no expert at this.
My experience with OA is that it dissolved rust and left a yellow coating that I had to remove, but it did remove the rust.
I may have mixed it incorrectly, as I was only guessing.

Plain White Vinegar is more effective than you would imagine, and it is safe.
Do check your parts after a few hours or overnight.
If you use vinegar on a chain, check it often, and de-grease it before you put it in the vinegar.
I had read this here somewhere from someone here, but it will dissolve a chain left in long enough.
I put a perfectly good chain in vinegar and kind of forgot about it for a week or so,
I ended up with a handful of plates and pins. It dissolved the rest, so check often.
 
kevin,
are you using vinegar or oxalic? im always willing to try something new :)
i know my signature reflects my love for rust, but some bikes rust doesnt look right as i own all different types of bikes :mrgreen:
 
OA. On a seat.


Ive used phosphuric acid also. Does a great job. It will leave a coating that prevents rust for some time on bare metal. Therea also molasses, Ive never done that, but it takes a long time as I understand. The H.A.M.B. forum has a lot of discussions on rust removal.

Ive also used navel jelly on large areas that cant be dipped after sanding to get at the rusdt in the pits of the metal. Basicly phosphuric acid in a jelly form. Takes a little time and attention and scrubbing with a wire brush , but it works.
 
So Im guessing that temp affects the speed at which OA works. Still not done, but close. The rust spots have turned black where it is completely disolved, and theres still some rust left but not much.

I do think for a frame that naval jelly would be the way to go after wire brushing and sanding any thing you can get off. Or jsut find a huge tub and do the OA. lol.
 
Is OA safe on all metals? I know it supposedly is not good for cad plate. Should spokes be okay? My spokes are fine but I want to soak a whole wheel without disassembling (other than removing axles, bearings, brake parts, etc)
 

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