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Oxalic Acid Bathing

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Any idea how much cold air reduces the effectiveness? I’d like to try in the garage but it’s in the 20s.


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Temp needs to be at 70 degrees, so if you can't keep that up you might want to wait until the weather gets better.
Sean
 
Does anyone have experience with this treatment on small non-painted and non-chrome parts, such as fender braces, spokes, brake arms, nuts & bolts?

What if anything, should be done to these parts after treatment?
Poor results on plated parts. Do not use it. There are much better solutions, such as Evaporust, that are safer and easier to use. the OX will turn your plated parts "yellow " and it's not only hard to get off , the results aren't that good. Do not be fooled that OX is a harmless powder that can be used indoors. It should only be used outdoors. The vapors are subtle but harmful to breathe. The hotter the solution , the better results. Painted pieces should be checked after the first 10- 20 minutes. Badly rusted parts may be soaked over night, with excellent results , however paint may soften to the point that your finger nail can scratch it off. Also, most red paints do fare well with the OX. Red paints commonly have an iron oxide pigment in them. The Ox will attack it, turning your piece lighter, possibly pink. Lastly, as with any de-rusting solutions, when dipping anything that is painted, the entire piece should be submerged under the solution. This sometimes requires a larger container that you have at hand, but only soaking half of something will result in noticeable "line" between the two soaks. I just wash my stuff off with soap and water afterwards, and then wax. The baking soda sounds like a good idea, but I have never tried it. OX is available at some Ace Hardware stores.
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Above are some photos I posted some time ago in the restoration thread. I tossed these fenders in the trash, light and all. Decided to experiment on them before tossing out. They were off a Huffman. Actually sold them later at a swap, as they turned out excellent. Soak time was overnight. The rust was removed from the insides of the light. The OX did not attack the aluminum Light shield, as some other acids will. The fender braces needed a heavy scrubbing , but turned out ok. I am having some computer problems with posting these photos. I hope they are shown.

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How do you dispose of OA?

The results looks great! I have a survivor I will eventually do but will most likely try it on something else 1st
 
How do you dispose of OA?

The results looks great! I have a survivor I will eventually do but will most likely try it on something else 1st

I just dump it on the weeds to see if it's a better weed killer than white vinegar. :p

Applications[edit]
About 25% of produced oxalic acid is used as a mordant in dyeing processes. It is used in bleaches, especially for pulpwood. It is also used in baking powder[12] and as a third reagent in silica analysis instruments.

Cleaning[edit]
Oxalic acid's main applications include cleaning or bleaching, especially for the removal of rust (iron complexing agent). Bar Keepers Friend is an example of a household cleaner containing oxalic acid. Its utility in rust removal agents is due to its forming a stable, water-soluble salt with ferric iron, ferrioxalate ion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalic_acid
 
I did an OA bath indoors a few weeks ago. It was negative wind chill outside and about 45 or 50 degrees in my basement. Had a windows cracked with a few fans turned on to help circulate air. 48 ounces to about 60 gallons of water. Used cold water. Had excellent results after 6 hours. Could have soaked for a few more, but wasn't looking to completely remove all of the rust, just most of the oxidization on painted parts.
 
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