Recycling Rusty Fasteners

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dibbons

dibbons

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Evaporust supplies here in Mexico (Autozone) are now mostly available only in quart size whereas before I found it in gallons. This makes it super expensive, over and above what it already was, so I save it for important projects.

For my jar of rusty nuts, bolts, and washers, I gave 'em a bath in white vinegar. As a final step, a second bath in Ospho, which turned most of 'em black (the chrome screws only receive the first bath). Don't know what I can expect in longevity, but at least for now they have the appearance of being free from rust (photo#1). Sometimes (if the fasteners are prominent in showing) I actually punch the bolts and screws up in a sheet of cardboard and paint the heads with a couple of coats of RustOleum enamel and/or rust convertor/reformer (photo #2).

IMG_1129.jpg


bolts painted.JPG
 
I recently bought 2 gallon of evaporust from "Walmart" online delivered to my house. Don't know about to Mexico.

But it was 1/2 the price I had bought 1 qt bottle a few years earlier.
 
it depends on what it is if I can buy it I will if I cant find it i will evaporust it. i hear vinegar works also.
 
Mike69cuda said:
What is ospho? What does it do?
Click to expand...

The primary active ingredient in Ospho is phosphoric acid, it works by "converting" iron oxide (rust) to iron phosphates that are much more chemically stable and therefore resist corrosion for a much longer time - thereby extending the effective lifespan of the primer and topcoat. After the Ospho reacts with the steel surface it is completely neutralized and does not leave behind any film or deposits that might interfere with subsequent primer/topcoats.

There can be a small amount of powdery-like material that should be blown, brushed or rinsed off before painting. It is also important to allow adequate drying time before painting. Ospho is a water-based solution and the water can hide in nooks and crannies causing adhesion failure of the primer. Old car frames are particularly susceptible to this because of the pitting commonly found on frame members.

Ospho does not have any known compatibility issues with any modern coatings (epoxies, polyurethanes, etc.) but as an old paint chemist I always recommend coating a small test area to make sure the entire coating system is going to work well together. I will also add the fact that the ultimate success or failure of any paint job on any substrate is about 95% dependent on the surface preparation done prior to picking up a brush.
 
Plastic container with hot water and Lemi-Shine (you add it to soap in dishwashers) will same thing. You can soak as long as needed. You can get the same thing as Lemi-Shine at Amazon as a bulk packages cheap and even comes in food grade for use in things you eat. Yes it will be black.
 
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If I would use any acid on metal parts for any reason, I would neutralize it with baking soda or similar base before I painted it. That’s why I use my electrolysis tank to de rust parts. No harsh chemicals needed.
 
Ospho is very close to Parkerizing like what is done on military firearms, if you're familiar with that.
 
If I'm not mistaken, according to the company literature, it does not require a neutralizer. I don't rinse with water and have never had a problem in ten years. However, it could not hurt anything to do so.
I'll repeat the company info here is case it was missed in post #5:

"After the Ospho reacts with the steel surface it is completely neutralized and does not leave behind any film or deposits that might interfere with subsequent primer/topcoats."
 
It says tgat since most won't Rinse it right and get rust.
Rinse with hot water to prevent flash rust.
my office was next store to a Redi-Strip location. Became good friends of mine.
After everything was done it got a final phosphate bath. And rinsed with heater water. Then a wipe down with a wax, grease remover then epoxy
Never failed me yet or at my friends body shop.
Same goes for PPG DX 579
 
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A friend of mine does high quality restorations of military vehicles. He uses a vibratory tumbler and then has the fasteners cadmium plated (or whatever was original). They look like new. Why go through all that? Well in some cases like on Ford built Jeeps, the goverment did not allow Ford to put their name anywhere on the vehicle so Ford stamped their name on the head of EVERY bolt. By restoring them he keeps the most interesting part of the Jeep original.

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I got one of these! I have ceramic "UFO"s in there to clean the stuff. let it run overnight. Walnut shells with rouge polish for brass casings.
 
I wire wheel the threads after I sand blast the heads and shoulders (and captive washers if present).
Then I paint as above, through cardboard first with rust converter and then with paint.
 
dibbons said:
If I'm not mistaken, according to the company literature, it does not require a neutralizer. I don't rinse with water and have never had a problem in ten years. However, it could not hurt anything to do so.
I'll repeat the company info here is case it was missed in post #5:

"After the Ospho reacts with the steel surface it is completely neutralized and does not leave behind any film or deposits that might interfere with subsequent primer/topcoats."
Click to expand...
Here is a fact. Different epoxy primers have different chemical makeups. Trust me, IF Ospho is not properly neutalized there can possibly be a reaction and even months down the road. I'm no chemist and the best explainations I have received were from Southern Polyurethanes experts. Give them a call for a good explanation as to why such can happen.
 
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