How to Clean a Rusty Fender Tag.

[hemi-hampton]

I had a Fender tag so rusty I could not read it. I soaked it in Oxalic Acid & it cleaned the rust off pretty good. now readable. Before & after pics below. LEON.

[tan top]

that stuff worked well 

[moparnation74]

Good info, thanks.

What is your next step on restoring this tag?

[twodko]

The process I used was to soak the tag in Lacquer thinner.
Then I brushed off as much crud as I could with a brass
bristle brush and finished up running it under a wire wheel.

After this it's ready for paint or a clear coat.

[Ghoste]

That's quite an improvement, stupid question but where would one typically look for oxalic acid?

[Mopar Nut]

That's quite an improvement, stupid question but where would one typically look for oxalic acid?

I was going to ask the same thing.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Would that new Evapo Rust product work as well?

[Dmichels]

You can find Oxalic Acid at any hardware store as "wood bleach" or you can buy online from many sources. It is usually found as a powder. DO NO breath the dust. This also is great for cleaning out radiators it was the active ingredient in the old 2 part radiator cleaner. the other was borax to neutralize after cleaning

[Ghoste]

Learned three useful things in this thread then. 

[Chad L. Magee]

Vinegar solution will do the same thing (over a longer period of time though) and is less toxic than oxalic acid (which has a 3 health rating, severe).  I use it all the time to clean old, rusty license plates in a large plastic container with a lid.  Don't forget to neutralize the acid after you remove it from the bath or it will start the rusting process over again, even if you clean off the visible rust.  I use a sodium bicarbonate paste for the neutralization process...

[Mopar Nut]

Learned three useful things in this thread then. 

Same here. 

[John_Kunkel]

I just glass bead 'em.

[bill440rt]

I used oxalic acid when I restored this set of road wheels:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,113265.0.html

Found it at the local hardware store in the paint supply section. It was near the deck refinishing supplies area.
I wanted to use Evaporust, but reading up on the stuff said it would affect or discolor chrome.

It was a slow soak process, but it did work pretty good. I found brushing the rusted area every so often sped up the process.

[hemi-hampton]

I use Heavy Duty pure white crystaline Pharmacutical grade 99.9% pure Oxalic Acid. This is much stronger then Wood Bleach or Zud, both of those use Oxalic acid also. I typically use this acid to clean my rusty beer cans. Pic below. LEON.

[hemi-hampton]

Another Pic.

[fc7_plumcrazy]

looks good congratulations

Carsten

[polywideblock]

what about good old fashioned molasses /water          mixed 9:1 water/molasses    its been used for years  

         something thin like a fender tag I'd check it every hour or so   

                             

[Dmichels]

amazing how the paint stayed on the beer can after cleaning I need to remember that one thanks for the tip
please explain the molasses process I am not familiar with that one
Thanks
Dave

[polywideblock]

simply mix 1 part molasses with 9 parts water in a large tub, immerse what you want rust removed from in it and check every couple of days. takes about a week or so for brake drums etc.  froths and fumes and smells a bit too    basically some kind of fermentation  I think

  look online I'm sure there will be YouTube clips showing how

like I said I'd be checking every day for something as thin as a fender tag    
 
also note where there was rust there will be "nothing", as in rust dissolved and gone (maybe holes in a very corroded tag )

 sure one of the scientific types on the site can explain what chemical process is taking place

[TUFCAT]

On Leon's beer can photo the green paint was preserved underneath the rust scale the at was removed.

That seems like a very gentle process to me, almost what you would expect from Evapo-rust, or a similar product.

The big question is how much does it cost? 

[Dmichels]

not much I paid about $10 for 2 pounds try EBay
Dave
Again do not breath the dust it is bad for you

[bill440rt]

On Leon's beer can photo the green paint was preserved underneath the rust scale the at was removed.

That seems like a very gentle process to me, almost what you would expect from Evapo-rust, or a similar product.

The big question is how much does it cost? 

I think the container I bought at the hardware store was about $5-6 bucks or so? It was powdered oxalic acid, not deck cleaner or something similar.
The only drawback I found was that although the painted or chrome finish was not disturbed, the metal left behind still remained discolored. Polishing, etc did not remove or help the discoloration at all.
I think Evapo-rust would probably work better, but not sure what the affect would be on painted or chrome surfaces. Forums I researched stated not to use on chrome, that it would affect the chrome.

[kamkuda]

I use phosphoric acid to remove rust and it works wonders.  We use it as a stain and scale product for swimming pools/  It is also what most companies use as a rust convertor.
I put it in an old cooler.
I first used it by soaking a set of rusted seat rails.  Made them like new.

[hemi-hampton]

2 pounds of Oxalic Acid can be used in probably 100 gallons of water. Evaporust is what? $30 a quart or something. $30 of Evaporust is = to .25 cents of Oxalic acid. LEON.

[b5blue]

I use phosphoric acid to remove rust and it works wonders.  We use it as a stain and scale product for swimming pools/  It is also what most companies use as a rust convertor.
I put it in an old cooler.
I first used it by soaking a set of rusted seat rails.  Made them like new.

That's the main agent in OSPHO. Citric acid works well but slow, that is how molasses works. The molasses triggers bacteria that form citric acid. You can buy a bag of citric acid to use. Pure vitamin C, food grade online. 

[Dmichels]

While we are on the subject of rust I here good things about electrolysis. I never tried it myself but I have seen videos and pictures and the results are amazing. One of these days I will try it
Dave

[moparnation74]

There is a lot I learned in this thread

Thanks to the OP and the comments