Jump to content

vinegar bath


Brent B3B

Recommended Posts

wow, I am sold. I took off the fan shroud on my B3HH and instead of having the thin sheet metal blasted I tried the "vinegar bath" for it.

Before

before.JPG.2ad04206e5ca7f489b3002ff54daa902.JPG5a2eee3708c78_before(2).JPG.18568b7189f133bfb057ddf8b493c65d.JPG

after

5a2eee4737008_after(1).JPG.57c924476fbd01db4c2cb514b19e28e4.JPG5a2eee48805ea_after(2).JPG.2dbce3dc074a0eab60451db6aeaaa859.JPG

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, they turned out fantastic Brent.  I used to use vinegar and steel wool to clean the on the bare steel cone pipes on my MX bikes when I was still able to ride and race and it worked great. I built a couple of electrolysis tanks (1 gallon and 5 gallon) out of plastic pails and they do a great job too. The biggest parts that I put in the 5 gallon was the body from the Model 36 heater.  I put a throttle cable for one of my Wheel Horse garden tractors that was frozen from rust in one for a few hrs and when it came out I rinsed it off and  the cable was free. I blew it dry and oiled it up good and Ive been using it for years.   

                              John 

Edited by John Rogers
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steel wool! Great idea! 

Did you use baking soda to neutralize afterwards?  I did but I was told I didn't have too. 

 now I am trying to figure out how to get my fan blade free (and set screw) from my heater motor..... Think the bath will do any good?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never thought to use it but it makes perfect sense since it would neutralize the acid. I just rinsed it off then blew it dry with air. Then I immediately gave it a good spray all over with WD40 to protect it. Some guys would paint their aftermarket pipes but most just leave them bare metal because they look trick that way but they get nasty real fast and rust so I made sure to use the vinegar and WD40.  If you could find a way to only submerge the blade and set screw portion I think it would work good. I have freed up some really stuck pieces with the E tank. I found the remains of a 1930 Buick Series 50 roadster in the desert out here a year or so ago. it has been out there for a good 60 years. I brought the door hinges that were laying on the ground home. They were stuck solid. I put them in the e tank for a day or so and they freed up great.  Have you tried PB Blaster or Kroil on it and let it soak real good to see if it would break it free? 

Resized_20161013_090202.jpeg

Edited by John Rogers
Link to comment
Share on other sites

wow now that^^^^^ is rusty :)

yeah, I sprayed it with the PB blaster for a couple days with no luck. it's that silly shallow little, slotted set screw...... I am afraid to strip it out just yet.

5a348b832ae4e_fansetscrew.jpg.c68715fd088df13f12dd054085f9c026.jpg

I set it in the bath this morning, blades down........ fingers crossed :)

if this doesn't work, I might try to cut the slot deeper (some how) and try a "new" screwdriver .......

was your E tank a "kit" or home made?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope that it comes loose without being a pain. Just a thought, if you decide to deepen the slot, you could possibly use a Dremel with a worn (smaller diameter) cutting wheel. Being smaller it would probably fit down into the screw to cut the slot easier. Ive had to do that a few times.  I made The E tank. its really easy. I just used a 5 gallon plastic pail from Ace and attached the steel rods that I had laying around on the inside for the sacrificial anodes. Then I connected them all together with some wire.   I use a small 12 v  battery charger it is 2 amp and I think the high setting is 12.  I attached a couple of photos. The dirty one is the one I made, the clean one is a pic I got off the internet to remind me which clamp goes on the part and which goes on one of the bolts connecting the steel rods together. You use water with a tablespoon of Washing Soda per gallon of water. If you decide to make one, make sure to use Washing Soda not baking soda in the water. I got the washing soda at Walmart in the laundry soap isle. Anyway you suspend the part being careful to make sure it doesn't touch any of the steel rods in the tank then you connect the negative cable to the part and the positive to one of the steel rods . Rather than use a steel rod or rebar like the pic shows to suspend the part I use a piece of wood since it wont conduct elect and short if it contacts one of the steel rods in the tank. I usually use the 2 amp setting but if the part is really nasty I sometimes get in a hurry and use the higher setting :) I run it for a few hrs , more if its really crusty. You will notice it start making bubbles when you turn on the charger. It will pretty much stop bubbling when the rust is gone. The rust will literally be taken away from the part and get deposited on the steel rods surrounding the part.Then I take the part out and rinse it off. There will be a black coating on it what will come off real easy with a wire brush exposing the bare metal. The process will also remove most if not all the paint on the part.The cool thing is that I read that when your done the water isnt toxic so you can just dump it without worrying .I did read that you cant put galvanized parts in a e tank because it produces toxic gasses and also make the water toxic as well.  

           I hope that you get the set screw out without too much trouble.

IMG_20171216_092413989.jpg

image_9813.jpg

Edited by John Rogers
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

those rods you used look like the concrete "form stake rods"....... I gonna have to give that a try next :)

have you ever done any home made zinc, chrome or other plating?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Yup, thats what I used. I had a few laying around so I put them to work :) I've never done any plating but I have thought trying it. I have a friend thats done some here and there on small parts.  Hey did you get the set screw loose? Its so annoying to have one little thing like that hold everything up. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Negative... I have a screw loose but not the one I need  :D

i couldn't get it cut with a dremel, so I drilled it and I am on the edge of the hole, soaking the shaft/ blade with pb blaster. 

I had to leave it and walk away..... I tend to focus to the point of destruction  :)

Thanks for asking 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 9:30 AM, John Rogers said:

 I've never done any plating but I have thought trying it. I have a friend thats done some here and there on small parts. 

 

set up my own this weekend, works VERY well.

I used 1000ml of vinegar,  100g of Epson salts, two sections of roofing zinc strips and stir.... let sit over night and hooked two D cell batteries up, + to the zinc and - to a wire holding my part.  watch for the bubbles again, let it sit for 10- 20min rinse with water (distilled), dry with air hose, polish if wanted with steel wool, and enjoy :)  

5a68d2616e612_zincplate.JPG.95c3698f196424f13c293f1cd0aed75e.JPG

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/24/2018 at 11:37 AM, Brent B3B said:

set up my own this weekend, works VERY well.

I used 1000ml of vinegar,  100g of Epson salts, two sections of roofing zinc strips and stir.... let sit over night and hooked two D cell batteries up, + to the zinc and - to a wire holding my part.  watch for the bubbles again, let it sit for 10- 20min rinse with water (distilled), dry with air hose, polish if wanted with steel wool, and enjoy :)  

5a68d2616e612_zincplate.JPG.95c3698f196424f13c293f1cd0aed75e.JPG

 

 

 

Thats awesome. I gotta try that, I have a lot of little pieces / parts that could use plating . That will be a fun project for me to tinker with :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Terms of Use