Oxalic Acid

Looking for advice, comments, having attempted several WD40 and steel wool makeovers I am wondering about OA for this bike. It is loaded with beautiful pinstripes and I know what happens when I get to rubbing. What amount acid to water? Does warm water make a difference? Does the acid dull paint that waxing will not bring back? I've had one guy here caution me about that on rims he done. I would just like to bring this back with og paint. Thanks for any reply, Rick

bar keepers friend

Now I have a question here. I heard this bar keepers pal stuff is basically oxalic acid .
no ingredients listed on can. what amounts do I mix this to water for de rusting solution?
Help me ...please. tink.

I filled a kiddie pool for the only complete frame I've done. I didn't measure how much powder I used, but it was probably under a cup for the whole pool. Warm water does make a big difference in how quickly it works. So I'd make it warm to cut the time it's in the water down. If the paint is far enough gone that you're leaning towards an OA bath, then you've probably already lost the luster in the paint anyway. There are solutions to try afterward.

As you pull pieces out, dry them out right away, air compressor, make sure to dry out the frame tubes, then hit it with WD-40. This is actually what WD-40 is made to do is Water Displacement. Run it all over, then you can later coat it in boiled linseed oil which will make the color pop back out.

I did a frame & fork + a set of fenders last winter. Winters here in MI rule out a pool to soak things, unless you want to set it up in the basement- not an option, for me. What I ended up doing was finding a couple plastic bags large enough to hold the stuff, mixed the OA and then wrapped the parts in wet paper toweling I soaked with the solution making sure everything was well covered ( at least 2 layers) Then I carefully put everything in the plastic bags and tied them tightly shut. Next day, I took it all apart and rinsed everything well in the laundry tub followed by a thorough dry and WD-40 spray. I used less than a gallon of solution, and it worked just as well as a soak.

acid bath

OK, here we go..... before I take the X 53 apart and stick it in this bar keepers pal stuff I figured I would try it on some other junk first. this junk is pretty rusty.
we will see if one cup of Bar keepers mixed with hot water works.
The only container big enough to fit the fenders in was one she had her Christmas junk in so you see what I had to do. I will let this sit to about noon tomorrow. Its 8 pm. now.
lets just hope she dont go down to the junk room for anything before then. If she does you guys can come over and get all my bikes for free cause tinker will be dead.
lets hope I live to post pictures tomorrow afternoon.

Ok, tried the bar keepers friend. dont work. If there is Oxalic acid in this stuff its too small of an amount to do anything. glad I did not put the X53 in this stuff without trying it out first. I will be buying the full strength stuff through the mail as no one carries even the wood bleach anymore. I think the E.P.A. might be behind this.
lots of stuff seems to have been" reformulated " lately, especially paints. sure glad the government is protecting me.

Go Green!



I've had incredible results using 100% Lime Juice. No joke. Not sure how cost effective it is against oxalic acid but you don't have to worry about ratios. Just soak for 2-3 days and you will have white metal only showing. I've done several rusty chrome rims, lots of bars, cranks, bolts... the works... if it's rusty it gets the juice. I have a special way to make it go a long way and not need gallons to do the work.

The juice method works because of citric acid. You can get it in powdered form on ebay ~ http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R1.TR12.TRC2.A0.H1.Xcitric+.TRS0&_nkw=citric+acid&_sacat=0

I can't tell you what it might/could do to paint and decals but it would probably be way safer than using something like muriatic acid which I have used before on small steel and brass items.

pap
.

Last night I tried the bar keepers friend stuff in the bin pictured, very hot water, cup or so of powder. very strong odor, not pleasant . after all night soak 0 rust removed. Broke a few of the wifes christmas ornaments, but thankful that no harm to the bike stuff I soaked . I see oxalic acid is really cheap on line so I will order some. like duck stated I will not use this inside. not supposed to get this stuff on you, and not to good on the lungs. best to do outside come spring. I bought a quart of this stuff called ACID MAGIC and this stuff will take a badly rusted rim and with only a parts brush going back and forth for a bit the rust was gone. the stuff is re usable costs $8 a quart and hardly any fumes or smell. I did use it outside. I submerged some rusty rocket ray lights in it and it cleaned them up nice. HOWEVER... it eats the aluminum light shield out so remove it. I soaked the lights 1 minute. I put a schwinn springer yoke submerged in it, and kind of forgot about it for a while. when I removed it the chrome was gone. so no long soaks for acid magic, but great on rims. not sure about the plating on spoke nipples. gets the rust off around them with no effort. I intend to try the lime juice . Hey, I like the smell, and can strain the stuff after i am done, add some sugar and I can serve" green river" drinks to the kids and maybe the wife can make a key lime pie too.
Thats the great thing about our hobby..... the whole family benefits. I would like to hear everyones de rusting stories, the good ones and the experments that didnt go too well.
most of all what every ones favorite de rusting stuff is and why you like it.