White vinegar for rust removal?

[CRASH]

Has anyone used it? What's the technique? I've got some Oxilic Acid I'm going to try, and I'm going to get some Evaporust to try out as well. I've read that someone used vinegar, so I wanted to compare the 3 of them. I need to start getting some rust off some fenders and insides of rims and such.

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

CRASH,
I use vinegar all the time. It's pretty good at removing rust and it's non-toxic and fairly reusable.

I've used it to de-crustify seats, nuts, bolts, etc....just smells like pickles!

Cheers,
Dr. T

 

[the12volt]

I tried it for the first time about a month or so ago and loved the results. I was even able to get a stuck pedal off a crank easily after soaking it overnight that I thought would never come off prior. I have a Rubbermaid container with a lid so I don't have to smell it all the time and I'm still using the original four gallons with the same results. I also keep a small plastic container with a lid filled for small parts.

After I take a part out, I just wipe the rust off with a shop rag, then spray it with WD-40 and wipe again to prevent it from flash rusting, which it will do very quickly.

Cheers,
Volt

 

[the12volt]

Here's a photo of the pedal that was stuck and soaked and the other pedal before it was soaked. Both looked the same before soaking.

Cheers,
Volt

 

[panelman]

I just did this for the first time but was told to use lemon juice in it as well. I used 3 gal of white vinegar and 1.5 gal of lemon juice.
After 3 days it took all the paint off an old elgin rack I wanted stripped. Also did a chain, dropstand, and kickstand worked wonderfully but yes pull it out and put something on it or it will rust very very fast almost immediately.

 

[CRASH]

Will it harm chrome finish? I have a couple fenders that have rust under them, but look good outside.

 

[the12volt]

Worked just as well on the chrome pieces I've done, but if the plating is gone, it's gone.

Edit: Will post another photo or two in a bit.

Cheers,
Volt

 

[the12volt]

Here's another before and after with a chrome crank and sprocket I just bathed a few days ago...

Cheers,
Volt

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I don't have a before and after, but I soaked an old rusty chain in white vinegar for a few days and was amazed by what came out of it. After several hours of soaking I began to see bubbles starting to emerge. After about 24 to 36 hours I went back and was shocked to find this! :shock: ...

There's a clean chain under that crust!

 

[Lewie]

Mmmm...bike chain pie

 

[noodlenoggin]

I'm doing vinegar baths on the bike I'm cleaning up for my wife.


Firestone Bike Before 2 by sunliner500, on Flickr


Chainwheel by sunliner500, on Flickr

This is the tank and chainwheel before...


Tank After Vinegar Bath by sunliner500, on Flickr


Chainwheel After Vinegar Bath by sunliner500, on Flickr

...and after 4 days in vinegar. I also did all the small nuts, bolts and "things" with the same results. And I decanted the vinegar back into the jug so all the bits and residue stayed in the bin to be thrown out, and the "white vinegar" jug now has a suspicious red liquid in it.

 

[mobilrods]

As long as it's not seriously pitted, Chrome can be buffed with aluminum foil it's messy and takes a long time but it works great!