Rust remover

[Machinist Wannabe]

Hi everyone;
This is my first post asking for a little help.
I own an Atlas Lathe (10X24). it's been stored for quite a few years
and I want to get it up and runing.
I want to know of a good rust remover and the means to applying it
to the bed ways. Rust isn't very thick (looks like a thin, even film).
The lathe has not been in contact with direct rain, but the city here
has a little damp weather.
Also the lathe was stored without any kind of protection for the ways,
i.e. Oil, grease, etc.

my main concern is how to apply and remove the remover, I don't
want to harm the ways (flat for this lathe's model) by using a steel
wool on a drill.

Any imput will be great.
Thanks, George.

[lakeside53]

Don't use any of the usual acid based removers... it removes metal as well, and can build up iron phosphate.


I had the same problem on a very nice, but neglected (35 years stored in a damp basement) Emco V10P. I removed surface rust on the ways by soaking paper towels in Evapo-rust, and covering with plastic wrap. Inject fresh evapo-rust as required every few hours to keep it all wet. Clean up with "white" scotch brite.


www.evaporust.com

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/chaski%20resize/DSC_7270Medium.jpg

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/chaski%20resize/DSC_7271Medium.jpg


The threaded nose and spindle inside were de-rusted in the same manner, but the lathe was tipped up on end and a cork placed into the "bottom" to retain the evaporust solution. A sponge collar wicked the evaporust onto the external treads.


http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/chaski%20resize/DSC_7223Medium.jpg


Spindle nose after treatment, but before "polishing".
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/chaski%20resize/DSC_7225Medium.jpg

[Tinkerer]

Evrapo-Rust http://www.evaporust.com/

That's what I would use...;)

[Machinist Wannabe]

Thank you both, Tinkerer and lakeside for the info. I already went to
the evaporust page, I,ll order it tomorrow.

Thanks again, George

[Black_Moons]

Hmm, Looks promising for derusting my wood bandsaw I got..
Unfortualy, they want $33 to ship it via UPS standard. So thats another $40+ brokerage fees, or about $100 after shiping for a $22 item.

I think i'll try e-mailing them and see if they can ship USPS.

[x39]

For light rust, WD-40 and steel wool work quite well.

[hojpoj]

Hmm, Looks promising for derusting my wood bandsaw I got..
Unfortualy, they want $33 to ship it via UPS standard. So thats another $40+ brokerage fees, or about $100 after shiping for a $22 item.

I think i'll try e-mailing them and see if they can ship USPS.

Did you try any of your local home improvement centers or Busy Bee? I'm sure they've got it (or an equivalent) somewhere.

[Black_Moons]

Well im sure they have 'equivilents' but just what ones are actualy the same/as good, and what ones just eat the metal along with it.
If 2 people here recommend the same thing id like to give that actual product a dry, unless someone here can recommend an equivilent I can easily find in canada?

[Arcane]

Hmm, Looks promising for derusting my wood bandsaw I got..
Unfortualy, they want $33 to ship it via UPS standard. So thats another $40+ brokerage fees, or about $100 after shiping for a $22 item.

I think i'll try e-mailing them and see if they can ship USPS.

Crappy Tire has it. Seen a couple of bottles of it today when I was in the store and I think it was about $10/liter.

[lakeside53]

Next time you are down in the Seattle area, you can get it from Harbor Freight for $19 a gallon - less with the 20% off coupon.

There's also a dehydrated version (mail order) - comes in a 5 galloin bucket for about $65 - you add 4 gallons of water.

Keep the old stuff - it's usable until it's a filthy brown sludge...

[kc5ezc]

Orschlens, a farm supply store, has it here in Ada, OK for about $20 a gallon. Thanks for the Harbour Freight info. Next time I am there I'll try to use the 20% off coupon.

[Machinist Wannabe]

Hi again
I have bought today the evaporust. I also check the price plus shipping
and it was high. I went to my local auto zone and there it was.
Black moons, I think you could easyly find it in canada. I live in Mexico
and did find it. (I thought wasn't be available here).

Thanks again for the info.

[Machinist Wannabe]

Keep the old stuff - it's usable until it's a filthy brown sludge...[/QUOTE]

I was going to ask exactly that, (is it reusable?)

[Machinist Wannabe]

Again??

lakeside, what did you use for polishing the spindle nose? is the same
method/substance good for the ways?
(by the way, I wish my lathe was half as "neglected" as that in the pic)
I mean, the paint on it is the original no?

[Black_Moons]

awsome i'll check all the usalle suspects for it.

[Fasttrack]

I use "scotch brite" pads; the maroon colored ones. They are much cheaper than chemicals and will do virtually no damage to the way surfaces. Don't get too caught up worrying about the way surface. Odds are, they are already fairly worn so a few scratches aren't going to make a lick of difference in the performance of the machine. Removing the rust will leave an uneven surface, anyway. If you really want to bring it back to like-new condition, you need to scrape the ways or have them ground.

If you are interested, your machine would be an excellent candidate for scraping because it has flat ways. They are much easier to scrape that the inverted V design.

[isaac338]

I think Lee Valley sells evaporust in Canada.

[Machinist Wannabe]

Fasttrack;
Thanks for the tip on the scotch brites, I guess I'll only do the rust removing
and left the scraping/grounding for "later".
George.

[lakeside53]

Again??

lakeside, what did you use for polishing the spindle nose? is the same
method/substance good for the ways?
(by the way, I wish my lathe was half as "neglected" as that in the pic)
I mean, the paint on it is the original no?


I use the "white" Scotchgard - non abrasive.

Yes, the paint is orginal. The machine was in sad shape -I bought it as spares for another lathe, but apart from 35 years of grime, a partial flood (the motr had a tide-line half way up and inside) and some rust, there was nothing really wrong with it. It took a couple of months and a handful of bearings, but it runs like new.

Spindle before treatment (compare these pics with those earlier)

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/AV10P-8.jpg


Leadscrew and power feed shaft before reverse electroysis (another great way to de-rust without destroying metal):

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/DSC_7232Large.jpg

After:
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/DSC_7238Large.jpg


Change gears before evaporust:
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/AV10p-4.jpg

[lakeside53]

After:

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/lakeside53/Emco%20v10P%20rebuild/DSC_7273Large2.jpg


The great thing about evapo-rust is that it will not affect paint, aluminum, brass plastic or pretty much anything other than iron oxides... So be careful if you want to retain any black oxide finish - it will take that off instantly! The tumbler and QC gear selector knobs were once black oxide (and rusted)...

I had a big gear cluster completely rusted to the shaft. Pressing them off would have destroyed something. I left the assembly overnight in evapo-rust. Next day I tapped it on the bench to shake of the soultion, and all the gears slid off:o

[Machinist Wannabe]

Lakeside;
thanks for the info an the pics. that stuff sure seems to work fine.
I have applied it to the ways of my lathe (also the leadscrew) as you described previously, I'm gonna let it soak overnite.
I'll let you know the outcome.

Regardful, George.

[lakeside53]

For the ways, overnight may not be the correct option - you need to make sure it doesn't dry out and there is plently of active solution in contact with the ways. I had to add more fluid under the plastic wrap a few times.

For best results, you also need to thoroughly degrease the ways (and everything else) first - I use CRC brake cleaner (In the RED can, not the "green"..

[Machinist Wannabe]

Ok great, I guess since I have started I will have a long night for
adding more solution.
The brake cleaner that you mention. CRC stands for a brand or for
a given formula?

[lakeside53]

It's a brand - The Red can is a tetrachloethylene (?)- The Green can has a lower VOC but is just basically carb cleaner - a mixture of acetone and other solvents.


If you let Evaporust dry into puddles, the area around the dry/wet will get slightly corroded by the action of rusting/derusting.

[Machinist Wannabe]

Ok, I'll check if my local auto zone carries it, if not I`ll look for the
tetra..something in another brand.

I'll keep in mind your advices.

Sorry for being so slow with my typing.