Shopsmith Forums

The Lowes here carried it for a short time in a special display in the aisle a few months back but they now tell me that they never heard of the stuff and never carried it I ordered 2 gallons from Amazon and it cost me $21.00 per gallon. I just finished giving my retractable casters a soaking overnight and everything came out great. The rusty saw blades that came with my latest 10ER are now taking a bath. I also soaked the bottoms of my stands in a shallow plastic tub and the rust is now gone. I have lost only about a pint to evaporation over the last 3 days because I try to seal up my bucket and pan with foil to try to keep it from disappearing.

I suggest distilled vinegar if you guys want something cheaper, or something that's not a "chemical". Let the part soak in a bucket the same way, just clean it off well and spray some oil on the part when you are done to prevent flash rust.


I buy in in gallon jugs from walmert for $5 or so, it works great for cleaning/disinfecting too. Our household cleaning supplies cabinet was cleaned out and replaced with just vinegar, green scrubber pads and dish soap when our daughter was born. Oh and for you welders it takes off mill scale too

Vinegar will attack the base metal. Evaporust will not.

heathicus wrote:Vinegar will attack the base metal. Evaporust will not.

Do you have any experience with this phenomena? I have used vinegar a number of times, even on un rusted metal and haven't seen it myself. Vinegar is a pretty slow working acid, maybe if the metal was left in the vinegar for a month or more?

jere wrote:I suggest distilled vinegar if you guys want something cheaper, or something that's not a "chemical". Let the part soak in a bucket the same way, just clean it off well and spray some oil on the part when you are done to prevent flash rust.


I buy in in gallon jugs from walmert for $5 or so, it works great for cleaning/disinfecting too. Our household cleaning supplies cabinet was cleaned out and replaced with just vinegar, green scrubber pads and dish soap when our daughter was born. Oh and for you welders it takes off mill scale too

Since when is 'acetic acid' not a chemical?;)

heathicus wrote:http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/metal ... d_491.html

Interesting link, I think that verifies that long term effects might be a problem. Vinegar was in the same category as milk, so I don't think short term exposure shouldn't be too bad.

jere wrote:Interesting link, I think that verifies that long term effects might be a problem. Vinegar was in the same category as milk, so I don't think short term exposure shouldn't be too bad.

Vinegar would not be as 'bad' as naval jelly!:eek:

FWIW coke/pepsi also work(phosphoric acid). ]at all[/B].

P.S. Methinks the milk is easily contaminated by steel/iron pipe.

I picked up a gallon at the local auto parts store for $21. I poured about a pint and have cleaned lots of drill bits, files, pliers, scissors, and more. Now, my SS chuck is hanging out in that slippery, oily gook since yesterday. I think it is great!

So from what i am seeing is that it is great for removiing light rust from way tubes etc:

I recently picked up a complete MK V 510 from a storage unit that has been stred for many years " date code 12-11-04 " with some rust on tubes.