Serious rust treatment products

[The Deerhunter]

Most Thai shops only want to sell sandpaper or metal primer when you ask about rust treatment products. I'm looking for a product that will do more than that. I am repairing a few items on the property that have bad rust. In the west we have products based on phosphoric acid. (Jenolite is one commonly seen.) They turn rust into a stable compound called Ferrous Phosphate, good enough to paint on. Does anyone know any brand names for this sort of product here and where would I look for it? Thai Wassadu, & Homepro are a reasonable drive so I would want to be sure I knew what to ask for before I made the trip. The small town hardware shops have nothing to offer except abrasion & metal primer. I have (and use) an angle grinder & floppy wheels. I want to kill rust.

[EyesWideOpen]

There is a phosphoric acid product in HomePro. It was in the liquid products section where

they have WD 40, spray grease, etc. I will get a photo next time I go there...

[The Deerhunter]

There is a phosphoric acid product in HomePro. It was in the liquid products section where

they have WD 40, spray grease, etc. I will get a photo next time I go there...

Thanks. Just what I want to hear.

[ravip]

I wouldn't know if this will help...

But here you see a different opinion. http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/welding-fabrication-painting/14749-rust-treatment-jenolite-kurust.html

[NeverSure]

Are your rusty items small and portable so that you could soak them in a large tub? Alternatively, could you wrap them with towels and soak those and let them sit wet for 24 hours?

If you could find some oxalic acid powder and mix it in warm water according to directions it will dissolve rust down to bare metal with no further effort. Just rinse with water. The water doesn't have to be warm other than when mixing. Oxalic acid is sold as wood and deck cleaner in some home improvement stores. It does wonders on old dirty wood but also dissolves rust. I buy it a lot cheaper in bulk on Ebay.

I don't have a picture of a bare metal part I've done although I've done a lot. I restore antique bicycles and here's a picture of a wheel I soaked for 12 hours and rinsed.

[The Deerhunter]

I wouldn't know if this will help...

But here you see a different opinion. http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/welding-fabrication-painting/14749-rust-treatment-jenolite-kurust.html

I will grind it away with floppy discs then treat it & paint it with proper antirust primer & then enamel. Those things said Jenolite works best. My experience also. Just want to buy a suitable product in Thailand. Have you any advice on brand names or where?

[The Deerhunter]

Are your rusty items small and portable so that you could soak them in a large tub? Alternatively, could you wrap them with towels and soak those and let them sit wet for 24 hours?

If you could find some oxalic acid powder and mix it in warm water according to directions it will dissolve rust down to bare metal with no further effort. Just rinse with water. The water doesn't have to be warm other than when mixing. Oxalic acid is sold as wood and deck cleaner in some home improvement stores. It does wonders on old dirty wood but also dissolves rust. I buy it a lot cheaper in bulk on Ebay.

I don't have a picture of a bare metal part I've done although I've done a lot. I restore antique bicycles and here's a picture of a wheel I soaked for 12 hours and rinsed.

DSC02378.jpg

Looks promising. I will consider oxalic acid if I cannot get the Phosphoric acid stuff. Currently I want to do a steel farm cart that has been left outside for years 1.2m x 1.2m x .50m. A bit big to soak

[NeverSure]

Phosphoric acid is a rust converter, not remover. It's what's used in paints that are promoted to paint over rust. It turns iron oxide into iron phosphate, rendering it black, harder, and stable. If I had used it on the wheel above, the rust would have just turned black and harder, and would have been harder to remove. It does "kill" the rust in that it will no longer keep being a cancer.

Oxalic acid completely dissolves the rust which then rinses away. It won't touch the unrusted metal, or even paint on the metal if not left longer than 24 hours. It didn't touch the chrome. It isn't safe on non-ferrous metals like aluminum, cad plating, brass, etc., but even they can usually be exposed for a reasonable time. See the cad plated spokes and nipples on the bike wheel.

Neither of those acids will get through oil and grease as they are water based. As with any surface you want to paint or treat you need to degrease it. I use liquid dishwashing detergent because it's made to cut oil and grease.

[rhythmworx]

Bag of citric acid powder mixed with water.

[weegee]

There are a lot of places n Thailand where you can get it sandlasted....have you thought of trying that?