At
BarnevognVerksted, rust removal forms a part of most our repairs. Usually we remove rust as a part of general
“overhauling” assignments and the purpose is mainly aesthetic. On occasion, such as when mechanical
components rust inside and no longer function, rust removal becomes a practical
necessity. This short blog entry will
deal solely with rust removal for aesthetic purposes, derusting mechanisms will
be featured later in its own article.
Chrome yields
the best results when removing rust.
Apply the product generously and allow it to work for 2-3 hours. Remove with a cloth or tissue paper, never water, and polish after at
least a few hours with wd-40.
Non-chrome metal
such as steel or aluminum can work as well, but with reduced results. Don’t leave the product on for more than 20
minutes and expect a little bit of discoloration (a sort of white stain where
the rust eater was applied). With very
rusty metal, the surface rust is removed and the underlying rust remains though
its color is dulled and darkened. A
protective layer is left on the rusty metal preventing further oxidization.
In
the case of painted metal, where rust has caused the paint to crack, rust eater
really only acts as a cleaning procedure before applying paint. With rivets or screws emerging from black
plastic, I find that black paint will yield a better effect than rust
removal. Remember also that rust eater
will discolor plastic, though this can generally be cleaned up later with a
good scrubbing.
We
have produced several videos concerning rust removal, you can click on the
links below to view them.
-Rust removal and spray painting wheels
As
usual, feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.