Any Rust Removal Experts Here?

[Luke]

I scored some dumbbell plates recently in an old school gym firesale. They were in OK condition but I wanted to get what rust there was on them off before a repaint.

I followed some YouTube tutorials - 50% water/vinegar baths, sanding visible rust - and applied some Penetrol http://www.floodaustralia.net/products/ ... netrol.php yesterday to dry for 24 hrs before I planned to prime and paint today. Mother Nature taught me a lesson and I woke up to find they had flash rust in areas.

This Penetrol stuff is meant to convert the rust into a barrier against further corrosion, and the manufacturer directs you not to remove granular rust from your objects.

I know moisture and oxygen causes rust - and there's a lot of moisture in the air right now (I also live relatively close to a bay) - but I can't for the life of me figure out how I can leave them for 24 hrs for the rust converter stuff to dry, as recommended, without this happening?

Was my error perhaps in not applying mineral spirits to clean the plates before the Penetrol? I sanded, wiped with a microfibre cloth, then applied the solution.

I have Rustoleum paint - and their Rust Reformer looks like you can apply without needing to sand...

Anyone got any tips?

[nafod]

If I was to do this, after the rust removal process I’d subject them to a hair dryer or room heater or stick them in an oven on low to heat them dry, then immediately paint them.

I looked at the penetrol product, and it seems like it is more for wood then metal. And their penetrol for aluminum to prevent rust? Aluminum doesn’t rust. Sounds sketchy. Your test confirms this.

I’d follow these directions.
https://archive.is/20010508064152/http: ... tconv.html

[Alfred_E._Neuman]

Evapo-Rust is good stuff and pretty safe to use. After that, hit them with medium to coarse scotch brite pad to get any remaining off. Then prime and paint immediately after they're dry.

[Alfred_E._Neuman]

NM.

[Luke]

Thanks nafod and Alfred!

I will grab the Evapo Rust and then follow your procedures. Nafod's tutorial stated not to work within 24 hrs of rain so I'll heed that. Something I suspected but thought I was being too overanalytical about!

[Alfred_E._Neuman]

I live in the southeast US, and used to restore old rusty British cars as a hobby. Once I was onto the bodywork part of a project, I would seriously have to strip the panel bare to see what I was working with, do any repairs and welding, then re-strip it to bare metal and prime it immediately. It's so humid here in the summer that a sand blasted panel would flash rust enough overnight that I would worry about problems later if I didn't take it back down to shiny.

[Grandpa's Spells]

Luke if you have access to a battery charger, you can go nuclear and remove it with the electrolytic method. Upside here is it removes it all and there's no waiting afterwards as with some chemical processes. Maybe dry it in a hot oven for 10 minutes but then you can cool/paint immediately. This is popular with the cast iron restoration crowd.

[Luke]

Luke if you have access to a battery charger, you can go nuclear and remove it with the electrolytic method. Upside here is it removes it all and there's no waiting afterwards as with some chemical processes. Maybe dry it in a hot oven for 10 minutes but then you can cool/paint immediately. This is popular with the cast iron restoration crowd.

I have thought about going this route! I don't have a charger but appealing that it would be very comprehensive.

[Luke]

I live in the southeast US, and used to restore old rusty British cars as a hobby. Once I was onto the bodywork part of a project, I would seriously have to strip the panel bare to see what I was working with, do any repairs and welding, then re-strip it to bare metal and prime it immediately. It's so humid here in the summer that a sand blasted panel would flash rust enough overnight that I would worry about problems later if I didn't take it back down to shiny.

Hi Alfred, would you just quickly work off the flash rust and get on with it?

[Alfred_E._Neuman]

Yep. Just a quick work down with an abrasive and then an etching primer. Then the build primers in alternating colors to aid sanding. Then final prime and paint.

[motherjuggs&speed]

Next you guys will discuss how to get dog shit off the floor. Just leave it there, it's a gym ain't it?

[Alfred_E._Neuman]

I don't want to live in a world where I can't paint my plates and 'bells dayglow pink.

[Luke]

Next you guys will discuss how to get dog shit off the floor. Just leave it there, it's a gym ain't it?

The issue is their last owners did that and some of them might not be usable too much into the future. They're old-school Samson plates which aren't common in Australia so I thought I should do my part to preserve them.

Plus it's a fun activity to do now that I think I know what's going on. Having creative stuff to do away from a computer screen is always a bonus.