I see Evapo-rust online for $17-24/gallon. I don't know how much of your 5 lb bag would be used in a typical rust remover solution or how fast it will lose it's efficiency (3-4 times?).Agreed that Evaporust is an awesome product...I use it all the time.
It's also expensive and I've found it's re-use efficiency falls quickly. I was looking for an alternative that's more friendly to the wallet.
What does it look like after scrubbing the rust off? I've never seen a before and after picture but lots of folks claim it works very well as does Evapo-rust.I pour water in the half gallon milk jugs, stir in a 1/4 cup of citric acid, and put plane parts in it. If no bubbles come, then just add more citric acid. 1/2 cup citrate to a gallon water - can use large HD or Lowes buckets for plane bodies. This works well for me. Rust scrubs off easily
I pour water in the half gallon milk jugs, stir in a 1/4 cup of citric acid, and put plane parts in it. If no bubbles come, then just add more citric acid. 1/2 cup citrate to a gallon water - can use large HD or Lowes buckets for plane bodies. This works well for me. Rust scrubs off easily
I see Evapo-rust online for $17-24/gallon. I don't know how much of your 5 lb bag would be used in a typical rust remover solution or how fast it will lose it's efficiency (3-4 times?).
Your Spicy World citric acid is about $17
I have used a batch of citric acid solution to de-rust several several hand planes. It seems to last quite a while. If it starts to slow down, you can add incrementally more to the solution to get it going again. In my opinion, it is more economical than using a commercial product like Evapo-rust.Although it is difficult to translate weight to volume when measuring, based on the above statements, it takes about 1/2 - 1 cup of the citrus powder (4 to 8 ounces??) to 1 gallon of water for a good solution, so that would give you 10 gallons or more of mix. I doubt the mix would stay viable for multiple uses, so it would depend on how man times you could re-use the evapo-rust. I have reused Evaporust up to three times, but I have not used it extensively enough to really give a definitive answer.
Another consideration is the ability to use citric acid in other applications. It makes a very good spot remover for some carpets for example ("try in an inconspicuous spot first").
Looks good, but how does it compare to Evapo-rust?The pics don't do justice... The rust residue you see just wipes away.
I'm a believer.
Looks good, but how does it compare to Evapo-rust?
Thanks. The metal may still a bit pitted but that's not a surprise I guess. I wouldn't expect it to have a smooth and polished look like new.I'd say about the same.
I put more parts in the solution to see how well it works on a second run. Just checked and it's bubbling away.
I didn't add any more acid to the bucket.
Lots of soft drinks have an acidity (pH) similar to citric acid which is also used in the food and drink industry.Have you tried a soft drink? Coke removes rust, and I'm sure Pepsi would do the same. Two bucks a gallon (on sale.)