I've tried the muriatic acid. It works but I almost passed out from the fumes. If you try it, make sure you spray some WD-40 or light oil to keep the nuts and bolts from flash rusting. I didn't and now I have a bucket full of extra rusty bolts. I'll have to try the vinegar next time, it should be less toxic and easier to dispose of.
Lazy way of cleaning part/bolts?
- Thread starter Trollhole
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Blue77FJ40
SILVER Star
You had little success with Castrol Super Clean??? When I bought my truck and started to degrease it, the Castrol was so strong that it ate the paint off my frame. In addition, it burned my hands so raw and red that it took 2-3 weeks to heal. From that point on, I use Simple Green. Takes a second coat, maybe, but no chemical burns.
For your situation, I'd put all the bolts or a batch of them in a pan and let loose with carb cleaner/kerosene/mineral spirits and let them soak for a while. Then put the batch in a collander/mesh drain bowl and hit it with compressed air. Repeat as necessary.
For your situation, I'd put all the bolts or a batch of them in a pan and let loose with carb cleaner/kerosene/mineral spirits and let them soak for a while. Then put the batch in a collander/mesh drain bowl and hit it with compressed air. Repeat as necessary.
vtcruiser60
SILVER Star
I want to find a process, chemical, shop tool that will clean these bolts down to the metal so I can have them plated. I want the easiest way possible.
Ideas.
These are all interesting ideas. I would just encourage you to phone the plating shop and ask them. Ask what they do to prep small parts for plating, then ask what they would recommend for the DIY.
- Thread starter
- #24
They said carb dip. It works but is a slow process. I'm going to try all the above ways. I'll let ya'll know what works best.
splitshot
Head cook, Bottle washer, and Peace keeper.
Hope you aren't using it straight..
Need to step on it hard with some water....
X 2 on Zepp, good stuff.
The lazy way is to pay your kid a buck a pound and give him a tooth brush and a bucket of detergent!!!!
I use a 2 gal bucket with simple green, strap an old vibrating sander to the side and let it go. Works great. If really cruddy, through in a couple of tubes of BB's. The vibrating BB's knock off lots of crud.
Buy new bolts. JIS standard. Just walk into the local fastener shop and order what you need. Easy here.
I do not keep used bolts. With the exception of the specialty items. The rest of it is just too cheap new to bother with.
I do not keep used bolts. With the exception of the specialty items. The rest of it is just too cheap new to bother with.
I just tossed some rusty bolts in some vinegar just for fun...
In a few hours, clean metal even on some that had been eaten up pretty bad by the rust.
It even stripped the galvanized parts of their coating!
In a few hours, clean metal even on some that had been eaten up pretty bad by the rust.
It even stripped the galvanized parts of their coating!
I used to buy vintage tools from a ol' farmer at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX. He resto'd the tools by soaking them in vinegar, and after the vinegar bath, he gave the tools a quick bath in baking soda and water to stop the acid of the vinegar. Works pretty good.
- Thread starter
- #32
Well it's been a long time and now I have 10 gallons of bolts to clean. Found a local company that will strip the metal in some sort of tank for about 80 dollars. I figure it's worth a try.
Caustic Soda will do it, but don't expect it to do it overnight, leave them in there for a couple of weeks. It will even get rid of the most stubborn hard carbon on steel engine parts. Save some bucks.
White vinegar once clean to remove plating if you want to do that.
White vinegar once clean to remove plating if you want to do that.
Vinegar works really well. I've read that the brown stuff (Apple vinegar?) works better. I think it has a higher percentage of acetic acid.
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Yes I think you are right on it having more acid, never tried the brown stuff but will give it a go next time.
Exactly my experience. No matter the condition I brought them in, the plating company put all my parts in their cleaning system.
GL
Ed
- Thread starter
- #37
I'm gonna try the vinegar. Will post the results.
- Thread starter
- #38
Well I have tried just about everything. The four below were soaked for 4 days.
Here are my results.
Vinegar
It did ok. Was cheap so I guess it was the most cost effective. Left a blackish patina on the bolts and didn't really clean the caked on grease well and if left out the bolts would rust quickly. Biggest surprise was the plastic bottle I had it in exploded when I started to take the cap off. So don't cap it!
Simple Green Max
By far the best results from my four attemps. Cleaned most of the grease but had a little trouble removing the paint.
Castoral Superclean
Did a good job but not as well as the Simple Green. Just had a hard time with the caked on grease.
Monster House Wash
Yes not what you would normally consider when cleaning parts but I had some handy. Did ok.
None of the above products removed rust, paint, or caked on grease. somewhat of a dissapointment even with the long soak and frequent shaking.
So today I decided to use the heavy hitter. I bought a gallon of Muratic Acid. Filled the 5 gallon bucket of bolts with enough water to just cover the bolts. Then slowly added about half a gallon of Muratic Acid. The fun began. Within seconds the bucket started bubbling and the grease started floating to the top. An hr later there was a thick coating of grease on the top. At this time I poured the liquid into another bucket and inspected the bolts. rust was gone, caked grease was gone, and the paint was gone. So I poured the bolts into a basket at hit the with a pressure washer. Any grease left came off easily. Next week it will be off to the plater. I coated the bolts in the bucket with a little rust preventative until the.
Going to try this on all my parts. Sure beats the heck out of bead blasting them.
Took me all of about an hr and a half to clean these.
Here are my results.
Vinegar
It did ok. Was cheap so I guess it was the most cost effective. Left a blackish patina on the bolts and didn't really clean the caked on grease well and if left out the bolts would rust quickly. Biggest surprise was the plastic bottle I had it in exploded when I started to take the cap off. So don't cap it!
Simple Green Max
By far the best results from my four attemps. Cleaned most of the grease but had a little trouble removing the paint.
Castoral Superclean
Did a good job but not as well as the Simple Green. Just had a hard time with the caked on grease.
Monster House Wash
Yes not what you would normally consider when cleaning parts but I had some handy. Did ok.
None of the above products removed rust, paint, or caked on grease. somewhat of a dissapointment even with the long soak and frequent shaking.
So today I decided to use the heavy hitter. I bought a gallon of Muratic Acid. Filled the 5 gallon bucket of bolts with enough water to just cover the bolts. Then slowly added about half a gallon of Muratic Acid. The fun began. Within seconds the bucket started bubbling and the grease started floating to the top. An hr later there was a thick coating of grease on the top. At this time I poured the liquid into another bucket and inspected the bolts. rust was gone, caked grease was gone, and the paint was gone. So I poured the bolts into a basket at hit the with a pressure washer. Any grease left came off easily. Next week it will be off to the plater. I coated the bolts in the bucket with a little rust preventative until the.
Going to try this on all my parts. Sure beats the heck out of bead blasting them.
Took me all of about an hr and a half to clean these.
I've been using the vinegar process with excellent results since this thread started
