8 replies to this topic

[DWPBG]

I have been working on a 1980s Super Polaris mount for my C8.  Some of the nuts and bolts have some surface rust that I have removed the rust as follows

 

1) Soak in vinegar for 1 day

2) Scrub with brass brush and re-soak if necessary

3) Clean metal with borax and rinse thoroughly

4) Dry and spray with WD 40 to remove remaining moisture and temporarily prevent rust

 

Some of the hardware still has its original finish on it, while it has corroded off in places on others.  I was going to apply a light oil to prevent further rust, but they leaves an oily residue that I know will find its way onto an optical surface.  I have been told to try wax.

 

I thought that I would ask this group what their recommendation is.  I could easily replace some of the hardware with new stuff, but it would not match and it would drive me nuts.  Any thoughts on different rust removal techniques would also be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

dan   

[vidrazor]

Why not use rust sealing paint? Chemically bonds with the rust and forms a seal.

[shooze]

I use Boshield T-9 on all my bare ferrous metal parts.  It is non-greasy and leaves a thin film that is water repellant.

https://boeshield.com/why-boeshield-2/

[RichA]

I have been working on a 1980s Super Polaris mount for my C8.  Some of the nuts and bolts have some surface rust that I have removed the rust as follows

 

1) Soak in vinegar for 1 day

2) Scrub with brass brush and re-soak if necessary

3) Clean metal with borax and rinse thoroughly

4) Dry and spray with WD 40 to remove remaining moisture and temporarily prevent rust

 

Some of the hardware still has its original finish on it, while it has corroded off in places on others.  I was going to apply a light oil to prevent further rust, but they leaves an oily residue that I know will find its way onto an optical surface.  I have been told to try wax.

 

I thought that I would ask this group what their recommendation is.  I could easily replace some of the hardware with new stuff, but it would not match and it would drive me nuts.  Any thoughts on different rust removal techniques would also be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

dan   

Or spray the metal with phosphoric acid. Available from Home Depot garden department.  Let it set then rinse with water.

May impart a colour to the metal.  This is for steel/iron since aluminum and brass do not rust.

"Phosphoric acid can be used to protect steel from corrosion by removing rust and creating a protective barrier. It's used in many industries, including automotive, aerospace, and construction."

[Jethro7]

I have been working on a 1980s Super Polaris mount for my C8.  Some of the nuts and bolts have some surface rust that I have removed the rust as follows

 

1) Soak in vinegar for 1 day

2) Scrub with brass brush and re-soak if necessary

3) Clean metal with borax and rinse thoroughly

4) Dry and spray with WD 40 to remove remaining moisture and temporarily prevent rust

 

Some of the hardware still has its original finish on it, while it has corroded off in places on others.  I was going to apply a light oil to prevent further rust, but they leaves an oily residue that I know will find its way onto an optical surface.  I have been told to try wax.

 

I thought that I would ask this group what their recommendation is.  I could easily replace some of the hardware with new stuff, but it would not match and it would drive me nuts.  Any thoughts on different rust removal techniques would also be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

dan   

Hello Dan,

Here are a couple of other treatments.

(1) - Ospho. "Phosphoric Acid" Turns the surface Iron into a tough Iron Phoshate coating. We used this stuff on NAVY vessels. Turns flat black.

https://www.amazon.c...970&sr=8-6&th=1

 

(2)- Birchwood Casey Perma Blue. Turns turns the steel surface with a Iron sulphate coating. Not as strong as Ospho but still works great. Can be polished with 000000 Stailess steel wool to a pretty shiny blued surface.

https://www.basspro....liquid-gun-blue

 

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

 

P.S. I just remembered a third way. " Case harding" You can polish the nuts and bolts. Coat with bone meal heat in a char coal fire to bright red hot then quinch in oil. This process is an ancient technique that  leaves a very hard grey surface coat. 

Edited by Jethro7, 24 February 2025 - 06:58 PM.

[jragsdale]

I use Rust-Block from Evaporust, dries quick and not oily. I haven't tried a lot of different options though. 

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[apfever]

I feel like I've spent my whole life explaining this. I use what I get at garage sales, estate sales, moving sales, country neighbors that we just swap and give away to, etc.  I'll get back to that.

 

THIS LINK is for TC-11. I bought some new as it was discontinued at an Ace Hardware that was closing out.  Great inhibitor, nice working texture not runny like solvent, convenient workable film.  I watched this freeze the patina for 10 to 12 years on the Colonel Scope. I let the scope acquire just the tone I liked and then applied the spray and wiped down.  I like this so much I cut the can and poured the last of it in a small glass jar when the can finally stopped spraying after several years. 

 

Compare the site hype of Boshield T-9 to TC-11.  I find it all the same.  I don't condone $20 spray lubes. I wouldn't buy TC-11 for that now. OOOHHHH, AHHHH it's aviation oriented.....so what. I fly. The T-9 gives a list of what it Doesn't have like Teflon or MEK (MethylEthylKeytone, I think), etc.  I'm OK with Teflon and we used MEK  on a lot of calendered cloth aircraft wings and I flew those. It's all 'Stuff' (Carlin) with something a nightmare in it. 

 

Serious cool tip:  Heavy zinc 'galvanizing' spray paint. Does great over all in the caustic military tank test. I call it the dishwasher tests but respectably barbaric inhibitor test. Been using these on all kinds of open land stuff for a long time.  Most of the time it's kind of zany great and hangs as long as good galvanized it laps onto...for all we can remember... . There are other makes, all the same idea. 

 

Two cans galvanizing, one left side, one right side. True to form,  stuff like this for wrenching garage is in the garage. I titled this one "Shelf Life".  If you ask about grease, I'll abstain. 

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Edited by apfever, 25 February 2025 - 05:05 PM.

[Kasmos]

I have been working on a 1980s Super Polaris mount for my C8.  Some of the nuts and bolts have some surface rust that I have removed the rust as follows

 

1) Soak in vinegar for 1 day

2) Scrub with brass brush and re-soak if necessary

3) Clean metal with borax and rinse thoroughly

4) Dry and spray with WD 40 to remove remaining moisture and temporarily prevent rust

 

Some of the hardware still has its original finish on it, while it has corroded off in places on others.  I was going to apply a light oil to prevent further rust, but they leaves an oily residue that I know will find its way onto an optical surface.  I have been told to try wax.

 

I thought that I would ask this group what their recommendation is.  I could easily replace some of the hardware with new stuff, but it would not match and it would drive me nuts.  Any thoughts on different rust removal techniques would also be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

dan   

I usually don't use chemicals to remove rust since it will take off whats' left of the original finish. 

You might be surprised how only using stuff like Nevr-Dull, Blue Magic, and sometimes #0000 Steel Wool will clean hardware up.

And afterwards, with a little care the restored finish will last longer than one might think.

Keep in mind most of these older scopes rusted because they were left out to extended exposure of some kind.

 

The Mizar I restored had some fairly rusty hardware and it would have been very expensive to replace it all with new stainless.

Plus I also wanted to retain as much of it's original hardware as possible.

 

Sprinkled thru it's thread there are several sections showing the hardware being cleaned up.

But without going thru the whole thread, below are some relevant highlights.

 

Before shots

https://www.cloudyni...0mm/?p=10010671

 

Some Hardware Clean Up

https://www.cloudyni...0mm/?p=10061151

 

Tripod Hardware II

https://www.cloudyni...0mm/?p=10063306

 

Some Mount work (and check the post following it when it's done).

https://www.cloudyni...0mm/?p=10127081

 

I've used similar techniques on several scopes and the example below is of an out come that really surprised me.

https://www.cloudyni...pes/?p=12912448

[YourNotSirius]

Evap-O-Rust works very well at removing rust. It's easier to prevent it from forming in the first place, though. For that we use Mother's Carnauba Automotive Wax or Corrosion-X. The latter is for parts that are normally out of sight and hard to reach. It is used extensively in the aviation industry for linkages and other things to which access is almost impossible.

 

FWIW

 

Q