Rmoving paint and rust

[chevynut]

I haven't been able to find a "stripper" compay locally (no jokes please) like we used to have in the past. These guys dip furniture and car parts, and were able to remove paint and rust in one process. I need some parts cleaned and stipped (not sheetmetal) and bead blasting is taking too much time. I found a place in Denver that apparently does this, but by the time I could take them down there and bring them back, I could have them all bead blasted. It's an hour one way. Shipping cost would be too high because they're heavy.

Is there a chemical dip that you can do at home that will accomplish this and leave the part clean? I'm thinking of something like the "hot tank" that dip engine blocks in. Do you think I could get one of them to do it?

[NickP]

What's the base metal? Steel? Then yes, a caustic hot vat like we are used to seeing for automotive engines will certainly remove most all of the unwanted crud. BUT, with the EPA BS we see today, I don't know if you can purchase it anymore.

[Maddog]

sand blast

[chevynut]

I'm already blasting the parts. It takes about 4 minutes per part to blast them, and I have almost 50 of them. That's over 3 hours of blasting time. A dip would be much faster, imo. Time is money.

I've pretty much finished these parts by bead blasting, but I would like to dip the next batch. Maybe I'll call an engine shop and see if they can do it.

[56-210Sedan]

Wonder if milkstone will take it off http://www.tractorsupply.com/cattle-handling/dairyland-milkstone-remover-acid-rinse-2214079

[chevynut]

Marty, I have heard Milkstone Rinse is good for removing rust, but I don't think it will touch paint. I'd hate to have to use a 2-step process, but even that would beat blasting. When I was in Texas last spring pig hunting I went to a Tractor Supply to get some Milkstone Rinse, and nobody in the store had ever heard of it.

[Bihili]

For the past few winter months I have restored old rusted vises, anvils, farm tools and odds & ends.
Google electrolysis for details.
This is very simple and works great for rust.
On old rusty painted items, I use oven cleaner first to soften the paint before it is dipped into tub for electrolysis.
Four to six hours on small items and 48 hours on the large anvil using my old two amp battery charger.

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/bihili57/vise/IMAG0044.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/bihili57/vise/IMAG0025.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/bihili57/vise/IMAG0045.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/bihili57/vise/IMAG0448.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/bihili57/vise/IMAG0003.jpg
The bottom wrench is before and the top wrench is after.
Use a wire wheel on the bench grinder shortly after it comes out of the tub, for a new metal look.
Then either wax, oil or paint for the look you want.
Hope this is something you can use for your situation.

[chevynut]

Thanks Bill, I remember reading about that electrolysis process before.

Rust isn't as big of a problem for me as the combination of rust and paint. I dip rusty parts in muriatic acid, the same acid they use for pickling steel to remove mill scale. The rust comes off pretty easily. But when there's paint and rust, and I dip it in the acid it doesn't take the paint off. So I have to go through another step. I'd like to avoid that second step if possible. I just remember seeing engine blocks get pulled from the hot tank and all paint, rust, and grease was gone.

I tried the Trisodium Phosphate that Runem suggested in a prior thread, and it softens the paint but doesn't remove it too well. And it doesn't touch the rust.

[WagonCrazy]

A few years back, I had a local one man transmission shop rebuild the 200-4r trans in my 9 passenger wagon. He had an machine that he used as a parts washer that probably took a few hours of time, but when the case came out..looked like brand new iron. I'm sure it was mostly a degreaser, and probably a very hot one at that...but maybe there's a small amount of abrasive in there to break up the crud.
Try asking a local engine or trans rebuilder if they have somethign that would work?????

[Rick_L]

The old caustic baths that the engine machine shops used to use have been pretty much eliminated by the EPA and the like. As Wagon Crazy said, they use a very high temperature pressure washer/degreaser now. You might contact an engine shop or transmission shop to see what they could do for you.

For small parts/small batches, EZ Off oven cleaner will attack grease and paint fairly well. You'll still need to neutralize with a water rinse and then blast, but the gross stuff will be taken care of. You could build your own caustic tank and use Drano or lye as the chemical, but you have the hazard of dealing with the caustic plus the problem of disposing the spent chemical and waste (crud you removed from your parts). Same problem with bihili's electrolysis method.

[warren57]

My brother built a hot tank out of a 55 gallon drum with an immersible heater with Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide) and it did great. He just wasn't sure how to dispose of it. As I remember he left it in the garage when he sold out and moved...
Some mechanical contractors use condensed citric acid to clean drains. We used to buy it at a commercial janitorial supply. Pretty good cleaner and neutralized with water.
We also used trisodium Phosphate to clean the inside of piping systems. Has to have the water heated to work. Cleans driveway stains pretty good too.
Lastly, any plating shop should be able to dip the parts, if they will... I was at Denver Bumper checking on re-chroming a painter bumper and they told me to bring it down and they would strip it and see if it could be chromed???