[TheForge] coal or charcoal morph to Evaporust

[Albin Drzewianowski]

Keziah,

thanks for the details.   I will definitely be giving this a try.

D-ski
Westminster, MD
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne"




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Hirst" <saltydog335 at aol.com>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] coal or charcoal morph to Evaporust


> Molasses on rust
>
> OK, but just a tad more background first:  sometimes a little why can save 
> a
> lot of what. Molasses works by chelation,  essentially  by grabbinng the
> metal atom at two valence points - pinching it like a crab claw (The word 
> is
> derived from the Greek root "chele" the claw or pincer of a crab).  It is
> the process by which plants are able to extract minerals -- especialy
> metals -- from the soil.  Ergo therefore hence and consequently . . . it 
> is
> very user friendly and works best in a fairly weak solution.  You can use
> rubber gloves, but I don't bother.  Get the rawest form of molasses you 
> can
> find.  "Blackstrap" is best.  Dilute in water 9 to 1.  Best used in a
> covered container, since natural organisms will set off fermentation in an
> open container.  Plan to soak the workpiece in this bath for 2 weeks,
> although the red rust will turn to black much sooner.  The process can be
> moved along somewhat if the rust is heavy.  Outer layers will weaken in a
> few days and may be removed with an abrasive pad.  After 2 weeks, a rinse 
> in
> clean water will reveal almost bright metal.  Bright finish can the be
> achieved by thorough rinse and abrasive pad.
>
> Note, this stuff may look like a disaster after a couple of days:  brown
> foam black sticky solution, black work pieces. Never fear, its all beningn
> and cleans up nice in water.
>
> For a really nice satin finish, leave it black.  It behaves very much like
> forge scale.  It is chemically the same --FeO-- ferrous oxide, but seems 
> to
> have a more stable bond with the underlying elemental iron. Judicious
> application of the abrasive pad and wire brush will take it through every
> shade from dull black to bright.  Seal it with  your favorite varnish at
> just the right shade and voila,  a beautifull black oxide finish.
>
> I deal with so much rust around here I have set up a corner of the shop 
> for
> perpetual treatment.  A permanent molasses bath, a quick setup and break
> down evaporust bath, and a permanent electrolysis bath.  I usually spend
> some time there every day.  Among my projects is a collection of tongs 
> that
> have been waiting for over 20 years to be made pesentable.  A tool that is
> not worth the price even if free because of the restoration time may now 
> be
> worth the price.  A seized monkey wrench, say, might take an hour or more
> with penetrant, heat, disassembly and wire brush to restore to presentable
> appearance.  In the molasses bath its the amount of time it takes to drop 
> it
> in, take it out, scrub and oil  it.  Tools with tighter fitting parts may
> still need disassembly, but its still a lot quicker after all the rust 
> that
> the solution can reach has been broken down.  Box of nails left in a 
> corner
> found rusty?  Drop them in the bath.  Old post drill too rusted to be 
> worth
> it?  Pick it up for pocket change, degrease and throw it in a tub for a
> couple of weeks:  you really couldnt get to it before then anyway, now 
> could
> you?  Oops, left it in the bath for too long?  No such thing. Just take it
> out when you have time to work on it: it wont rust up or get etched as 
> long
> as it is submerged.
>
> I'll post more as the experiments continue
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Albin Drzewianowski" <dski1045 at qis.net>
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 8:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] coal or charcoal morph to Evaporust
>
>
>> Keziah
>>
>> Very interesting,  first time I have heard about using molasses.
>>
>> Could you explain how you use it?   straight out of the bottle?? can it 
>> be
>> used diluted? how long do you leave it on? any other tips on the process
>> of using it vs the why it works that you have already given us.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> D-ski
>> Westminster, MD
>> "The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne"