# Dissolving Rust From Whizzer F-Tank



## Vintage-Whizzer (Apr 19, 2017)

Hi there, I bought this old Whizzer model F tank, and realized that there was allot of the original grey paint left.
I am all about preserving original finishes, so I decided to remove the rust using acid.
You can use this method on just about anything! Well maybe not chrome, but I have tricks for that too.
This works very good for old painted rims, frames, or any painted part that is covered in rust.
Once the rust has been dissolved the original color will be revealed.
I am doing this to a whole Whizzer motorbike. Once finished I will post the results.
Back to the tank. Now it is not completely finished, but you get the idea.
Will it ever be perfect? No! But it looks allot better, and you will preserve a part of history.
Thanks for looking, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Before and after pictures below.


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## bricycle (Apr 19, 2017)

Nice!
Might put also under restoration tips area...


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## Vintage-Whizzer (Apr 19, 2017)

I thought there was a section for that. Thanks!


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## bricycle (Apr 19, 2017)

Oh, what acid did you use? Oxalic or Muriatic? amt? duration?


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## Vintage-Whizzer (Apr 19, 2017)

I used Rust Mort, and Fast Etch. I applied it on with a brush and then put the tank in a plastic bag to keep the acid wet. When the acid dries it stops working. On a bike frame you can paint on the acid, and then wrap the section with plastic wrap. I hope this helps. Sorry, I am not sure what kind of acid those two products are.


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## bricycle (Apr 19, 2017)

Kool, thanks!


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## Vintage-Whizzer (Apr 19, 2017)

Sorry, on the duration it can be pretty fast on a thin coating of rust. If there is any grease or heavy rust it can be slower.
I just apply the acid until I reach the desired look. Sometimes it will seem like nothing is happening, but when you go to wash the part off with water the original paint will come to life.


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## Stichtersharpening (Apr 22, 2017)

Vintage-Whizzer said:


> Sorry, on the duration it can be pretty fast on a thin coating of rust. If there is any grease or heavy rust it can be slower.
> I just apply the acid until I reach the desired look. Sometimes it will seem like nothing is happening, but when you go to wash the part off with water the original paint will come to life.



Cleaned up nice! After the acid did you do anything else? I have cleaned some parts with a acid before and it seemed to rust back quickly? Read something about neutralizing the metal?


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## Vintage-Whizzer (Apr 23, 2017)

Thank you! Since allot of the original gray paint is left I did not coat it with anything. I don't think this tank will ever sit outside of a barn again, so it should be fine. For bare metal you really need to paint it or plate it, or you use the grease method below. Also, if you are not planning on painting the part for a while you can leave the acid on, and it shouldn't rust for a long time. I once coated my bare metal 1946 Chevy truck cab and it sat for two years without rusting before I sold it. It was stored in a dry garage the whole time. If it is a part that you do not want to paint, or plate you can always wipe the part down with bearing grease. This works better then anything I have ever tried! The cleanest part of any old vehicle or bike is always the part that had grease on it. I use this method all of the time for parts that I clean. You can wipe it on, and then wipe it back off. If water beads off the part, then you are good. 

Electrolysis is another great way to remove rust. I use this method before applying acid on most parts. It will however destroy springs, and aluminum, so you do not want to soak an old bike seat, or crank case. You can submerge any standard rusty part in a bucket, and within hours you wipe the rust off with your fingers. This works better then sandblasting, as it wont remove any extra metal. I once went out to visit my Mom, and after discussing electrolysis with her, she asked me to clean this random chunk of metal that she dug up in her yard. We knew it was something, but we couldn't make out any detail. It looked like it came off of the Titanic. Anyway, I soaked it over night, and the next day gigantic chunks of rust began breaking off. I took a soft brush and hose to it and voila, it was the front of an old cast iron stove. It had a door with hinges that actually opened and closed again. The door was nickel plated and had a boy and girl sitting under a tree with a picnic basket. We thought this was some random glob of rusty metal, and had no idea what we were going to find. The whole point was to show her the magic of electrolysis. Anyway, sorry for the long story, but it is an important testimony to the cleaning power of electrolysis. I hope this helps. If anybody wants to know more about this method, feel free to send me a message. Thanks


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