Ultrasonic cleaners on tools (2023 Update)

[Michael]

Has anyone tried using ultrasonic cleaners to knock the rust off tools? It looks like an easy way to do it, if it works.

Thanks,

Mike

[Leon]

I may be wrong but ultrasonic cleaners remove dirt, not oxidation. It may remove loose rust but probably not surface rust. It will likely not get down to the metal surface.

You might ask at a jewelry store. They might be able to tell you what their ultrasonic cleaners will remove.

[John McGaw]

What gets removed is really a function of whatever cleaning solution is being used -- the ultrasonics just accelerate the activity. Cleaning jewelry calls for a mild detergent. Cleaning rust would require a chemical concoction that attacks rust and there are many on the market. Of course most of the commercial rust removers are pretty aggressive and usually don't need much more than soaking the metal for a while and then a scrub with a stiff brush followed by a rinse and dry.

[krw]

How about Coke? Phosphoric or tannic acid will convert rust to a more stable form. The advantage is that they don't actually remove metal, rather convert it from iron oxide to the more stable ferric phosphate or ferric tannate. Most acids will remove the rust, etching the metal. It does blacken the surface though.

[Markem618]

Electroysis is another way if you have a good dc power supply.

[krw]

Electrolysis will plate or deplate the surface, either adding or removing material. Sometimes that's the right answer. Conversion doesn't remove or add to the metal, rather replaces the oxygen atom for a different atom in the metal. Sometimes that matters, sometimes not.

Iron oxide is porous and will continue until there is no more iron to oxidize. If it's removed, the oxidation will continue on the exposed metal. The converted forms aren't porous and will prevent/resist further oxidation.

Conversion only allows Model-T colors (any you want, as long as it's black). Plating can do pretty much anything, as we know.

Again, what is the goal? Sometimes a Brillo pad is the right answer. It's what I do on my cast iron tables.

[Markem618]

My general go to to clean surface rust WD40 and 0000 steel wool.

[Puckdropper]

Michael [e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I have, it took forever. I had to run the parts through several 8-minute cycles (max of the tool) to make anything happen. I was using just hot water.

Evaporust worked much better.

Puckdropper

[Clare Snyder]

Use Enviro Rust. The ultrasonic will speed it up somewhat.

[Michael]

I'm going to try electrolysis to get rid of rust on some tools. I paid 25 bucks for a used car battery charger with a 2 amp trickle charge that should work. I have a question, though. What do you do with the sodium carbonate/rust water? Is it hazardous?

Thanks.

[krw]

No, not in the concentration or volume you're talking about (it is a pretty strong base). There probably is some greenie out there who will clutch their pearls and scream at you for polluting the planet or causing global warming, or some other nonsense.