# Vinegar for rust removal



## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

I had a few axe heads that I wanted to clean up. Doing research on the web, I found that a lot of the axe guys use vinegar. I tried it out and it was fantastic. At 2.50 a gallon, it's about the cheapest route I've seem yet. Anyone else use this for tools other than axes? What are the cons?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Many weak acids work for rust removal.

Citrus - lime, lemon
Oxalic acid, aka Wood Bleach

Even molasses works. Potentially messy.

I paid $8 for a small container of Oxalic acid from a local hardware store. A couple of tablespoons per gallon is less expensive than vinegar (acetic acid).

Oxalic acid is not fast, and seems to like warmer temperatures or it takes longer time.

Evapo-Rust may work the fastest, but it is not cheap.


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

I think the cons with the acids is that if you leave it too long it will begin to eat the good metal.


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## John007 (Mar 15, 2014)

Hello Dave,

How many tablespoons per gallon do you use and how long do you leave the item in for? Lets see if they have Oxalic acid, aka Wood Bleach here in Ontario, Canada

John


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## John007 (Mar 15, 2014)

Hello,

For your vinegar solution how long did you leave you item in for? Was the solution diluted or was it used full strength?

John


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

i always have white vinegar on hand, so that would be a perfect solution for me. do you use it straight, or diluted it with water? what are the proportions? and how long do you soak it?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

John007 said:


> How many tablespoons per gallon do you use and how long do you leave the item in for? Lets see if they have Oxalic acid, aka Wood Bleach here in Ontario, Canada


My thread on using oxalic acid. It does work better when the mixture is warm. I use a translucent container and position in the sunlight.

It is not fast. At least overnight, perhaps 24 hours.

All the solutions work best with the rust exposed, so clean off any grime/dirt and knock off the loose rust.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/first-time-using-oxalic-acid-rust-removal-48107/


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I did a saw with white vinegar a while ago, though I neglected to take pictures. The rust came off pretty fast, but I ended up sanding the plate with 600 grit paper to get rid of the black coating that was left behind everywhere there wasn't rust.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

guys, it's a simple question ... full strength vinegar, or diluted with water?


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Sorry, I skimmed the thread and missed that.

I used full strength, out of a gallon jug I bought at the grocery store.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

And I soaked the sawplate overnight, for about 12 hours. The plate wasn't that rusty to begin with, though.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Full strength. Overnight. Works good.


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

I bought a 1 lb bag of citric acid. Its lasted over a year. I've probably done a couple dozen planes not to mention some other stuff. The nice thing about it is if you have something larger, you just need a little bigger container and throw in some more from the bag. 

I had some really rusty old large bar clamps that I picked up from outside an antique shop. I stuck the screw end in a 5 gallon bucket. Those soaked for a week, but that was because it took me that long to get back to them. Over night, wasn't enough for those though.

I usually leave them over night.


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## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks for all of the input. The vinegar did work fast and I could see that an extended Soak would probably start etching the good metal. On an axe, the steel turned black while the cast iron turned grey. A wire wheel shined it right up though.


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## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

Forgot to take a before.


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