Rust Removal (Wheel Example)
 

Building or restoring any metal project may need to be cleaned up to be salvaged. I want to share a cool technique that I do to make an otherwise hopeless rusty part into a rust free item.

My example is a way rusty CA95 rim.
http://www.fourwheelforum.com/pictur...&pictureid=275
The rim seems pretty rough and was purchased for low money.
Next purchase some Prep & Etch from Home Depot
http://www.fourwheelforum.com/pictur...&pictureid=276
Then buy a plastic tote to fit your part(my tote way large to fit a wheel) Remeber that any container will work depending on the size of your parts!

Fill the container with a 5 to 1 mixture of Prep & Etch. Make as much as you need. You can reuse the solution. Just filter through 0000 steel wool.

Once the container and solution is made soak the (wheel) in the solution for several hours or overnight.
http://www.fourwheelforum.com/pictur...&pictureid=277

Out of the bath the rim looks like this
http://www.fourwheelforum.com/pictur...&pictureid=278
After using some liquid chrome cleaner the rim is clean
http://www.fourwheelforum.com/pictur...&pictureid=279

Heavy corrosion on the inside of the rim or any part will have to be ground off. The chrome in the pic is damaged, but the rim would look fairly nice.

NOTE! DISPOSAL: NEUTALIZE WITH BAKING SODA. MUCH FOAMING WILL HAPPEN DURING THE NEUTRALIZING STEP. RINSE ANY SPILLED SOLUTION WITH BAKING SODE SOLUTION. TRY TO REUSE THE SOLUTION!

WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES AND GLOVES!

Also note that Phosphoric Acid Solution at a 5 to 1 mixture is fairly weak and of course you drink sweetened phosphoric acid....it's called Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola & The like.

This solution will darked aluminum. Brighten aluminum with 0000 steel wool. Try not to use this technique on aluminum..That's a whole other technique that requires more steps.

Another Chicom Spammer!

Here are a final couple of pics. The hub and spokes have been removed from the rim. I soaked the rim in a Phos bath for 4 days and then sandblasted the inside surface. I then took a brass wire wheel to the surface to produce a rust free surface. The surface is pitted but the rim is salvageable. I then masked off the inside to apply a 2 part primer then an acrylic enamel overcoat.
http://www.fourwheelforum.com/pictur...&pictureid=352
http://www.fourwheelforum.com/pictur...&pictureid=353

After painting and buffing the inside chrome I intend to polish the hub to a mirror shine, re-lace the hub to the rim and true the wheel. Then it will be ready for rubber

I painted the inside rim as forementioned and found pin holes near the spoke mounts. All in all, the procedure works well, but it also may indicate that the part is faulty. The rim needs to be replaced.