What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Cleaning Steel - Surface Rust / Mill Scale

nvrenuf

nvrenuf

Holy crap, it's running!
 Premium
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Jan 7, 2002
Posts
22,125
Reaction score
12,097
Location
Mobile, Al.
Any suggestions for cleaning tubing? I need to clean my cage before painting, I'd rather not use acid since I'd have to handle it by wiping each piece. Is there any other chemical I can use?

Surface rust, I've been lazy and never painted my tube doors so they've got an orange haze of surface rust. I can sand most of it off but what about down in the tight spots? Any chemical I can use for rust?
 
For the rust removal I’d use electrolysis (google it). Build a tub using a wood frame, line it with plastic sheeting, put your part in and come back the next morning with bare metal. Gets into all the hard to reach spots.
 
I used scotch brite and brake clean. My pain lasted about 5 years of never being inside.
 
I thought that some have used a vinegar solution, but not sure. I don't believe that it would remove mill scale though.
I do know from experience that Evapo-rust works well. Still don't think that it would get mill scale, but we had great success with dipping parts in it. Now I know that you can't dip your cage, but reviews years ago said that they had used paper towels to keep areas damp with it, and I did see that there is a gel version now.
Otherwise, do what @obijuank5 said. But I like to use lacquer thinner instead because I like to just pour some on a cloth rag.
 
the scale usually won't come off without some sort of sanding and the preferred removal method is usually a flap wheel. For the rust removal any of the above methods will work.
 
rampage said:
For the rust removal I’d use electrolysis (google it). Build a tub using a wood frame, line it with plastic sheeting, put your part in and come back the next morning with bare metal. Gets into all the hard to reach spots.
Click to expand...

It’s a roll cage so I’d probably have to use my neighbors pool.
 
there are varying degrees here... it can be as aggressive as muriatic acid to phosphoric acid to vinegar.. or even molasses in some cases...

first thing I'll say is, you would be wise to just remove as much as possible mechanically.... a DA sander with 80 to 150 can get to 80% of a cage... hand sanding with a scuffpad/paper can more than likely get another 15%.. it will be the best, and most trouble-free way to do it... yes, it's some work, but trust me you'll be working, scrambling just as much doing acid.. and still need to sand it anyway...

if you do decide on an acid approach, vinegar is the mildest, slowest, safest method.... best mixed with baking soda and salt... that said, roll cage tube is not exactly an easy thing to do.. the best way is to keep it saturated, if something can't be soaked, usually the best approach is soaked rags laying on, wrapping it, and to reapply when it starts to dry.... than you come in with a scuff pad, steel wool, or even tin foil....

phosphoric is a bit different in it's actually a converter that turns it into iron phosphate.... ospho is the most common brand... but even with ospho, it's best if you can go in after and mechanical remove as much of the phosphate as possible... which, at that point, you should have just spent the time mechanically removing it in the first place. ;)

muriatic or hydrochloric is the most aggressive, it will need to be diluted... as someone who plays with it on an almost daily basis in the marine biz, be forewarned, it is a nasty product.. it will suck the oxygen right out of your lungs... very well ventilated, safety glasses and especially gloves are required...



mil scale.. good luck with that! ;) only way I know to get it off is mechanically... the DA with 80 to 150 will work thru it... i do like to remove it whenever possible, but you can just sand it and prime/paint too.. I've never tried a nasty acid like muriatic on it, but I'd bet it won't budge it...
 
Roll cage tubing shouldn't have any mill scale on it anyways. Any of your mount plates that do have scale, I'd hit with a sandblaster. Hell, price out having the cage professionally stripped and primed. You might be surprised...
 
Good to know @tRustyK5 I thought the tubing would have that coating like most other steel, that'll save me a bunch of heartache AND PROCRASTINATION. LOL
 
Mill scale you would find on hot rolled plate, and pipe. Tubing generally just comes oiled, which is why it ends up flashing fully with surface rust. Stuff with mill scale takes a lot longer to rust, and the scaled over parts are the last to start. A scotch brite pad and some WD40 should get most of the surface flash off. If it's heavier, maybe some sand paper, but even then it should clean up easily enough.
 
Every part that works it's way through the shop at work gets sandblasted before paint. It sucks and makes a huge mess but it works very well.
 
Some powder coating ships will sand blast everything you give them to coat. Might be an option that wouldn’t cost all that much extra. I’d like to get my cage powder coated sometime as the rattle can paint gets hammered by the sun.
 
My powdercoat guy would actually rather sandblast the stuff himself, than trust his coating on whatever you are somebody else did.

My truck frame and front crossmember was $300 to have blasted, I didn't have him powder coat it because I wasn't sure if I still needed to weld stuff or cut stuff on it. But it would have just been another $350 I think to have it powder coated too
 
muddermilitia said:
My powdercoat guy would actually rather sandblast the stuff himself, than trust his coating on whatever you are somebody else did.

My truck frame and front crossmember was $300 to have blasted, I didn't have him powder coat it because I wasn't sure if I still needed to weld stuff or cut stuff on it. But it would have just been another $350 I think to have it powder coated too
Click to expand...

Wow, that’s expensive. I had a local company do both for a trans tunnel for ~$100. The blasting was only $20. Guess it depends on what’s available.
 
bp71k5 said:
Wow, that’s expensive. I had a local company do both for a trans tunnel for ~$100. The blasting was only $20. Guess it depends on what’s available.
Click to expand...
Well a complete longbed truck frame is a little bigger than a trans tunnel...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom