Myford "4-inch Precision" lathe

[ths]

Try stripping the parts, leave them in a bin immersed in a weak vinegar solution for a few days (but check regularly), give them a scrub and see what you've got. Perhaps try just one part as a test. It has worked for me in the past, with good results. Hugh.

[PStechPaul]

Here's a rather amazing restoration of a badly rusted Jacobs chuck"



http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/atta...2&d=1253029550

Maybe you can machine everything down to the metal under the rust and make a 9/10 scale version? 

[kev]

Im with the electrolytic conversion, very little work and surface rust will disappear maybe a nice surprise in there afterall

[Jasonb]

What do you think - is it a complete gonner, or is it recoverable?
AS

With a good clean you may just be able to recover the crate

[pgp001]

Its quite a while since I have seen a bowl of lathe soup as big as that.

Maybe something like this would be worth a try
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-gel-rust-dissolver.html

Or even this
http://www.syrupmakers.com/rust/

Phil

[Arbalest]

Im with the electrolytic conversion, very little work and surface rust will disappear maybe a nice surprise in there afterall

Yes, a battery charger and some washing soda has worked well for me. 

[Allen Smithee]

Im with the electrolytic conversion, very little work and surface rust will disappear maybe a nice surprise in there afterall

Yes, a battery charger and some washing soda has worked well for me. 

Well that's something I can read-up on and try, although I have bench power supplies so I can fairly easily set up a controlled constant-current feed. I gather the "ideal" is a 10% (by weight) solution of caustic soda in water, and a gentle 100-250mA for 24-48 hours is that right? I just need to find some mild steel sheet for the anodes.

AS

[Allen Smithee]

Maybe something like this would be worth a try
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-gel-rust-dissolver.html

Interesting - anyone know of an equivalent pruduct that's available in the UK?

Or even this
http://www.syrupmakers.com/rust/

Even more interesting - is that REALLY suggesting a sugar syrup solution, or is that a trade-name?

AS

[Bluechip]

Maybe something like this would be worth a try
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-gel-rust-dissolver.html

Interesting - anyone know of an equivalent pruduct that's available in the UK?

Or even this
http://www.syrupmakers.com/rust/

Even more interesting - is that REALLY suggesting a sugar syrup solution, or is that a trade-name?

AS

Frost Auto have Eastwood products in the UK ... I think the stuff you want is in there:

http://www.frost.co.uk/search/?fq%5Bcategory%5D=Eastwood&fq%5Bcategory_id%5D=234&p=8&q=eastwood

Dave

EDIT could not get the item link to work .... just the generic 'Eastwood' search. Now it does ... ???

http://www.frost.co.uk/eastwood-rust-dissolver-946ml.html

[Ian S C]

Allen, if you don't want to go the electrolytic way, you could try citric acid it's quite slow,but works quite well.
                                                     Ian S C

[Arbalest]

Most of the things I de-rusted were not as bad as the stuff you have there Allen so it only took a few hours to remove the rust. You can get Washing Soda from most supermarkets, it's very inexpensive and doesn't contain anything nasty. No idea what's in those linked products but at $50 a gallon I certainly wouldn't buy anything like that if I could soak the items like yours in a bath of WS. The only thing I would add is to coat the cleaned items with something ASAP or they'll rust quickly again! 

[Allen Smithee]

Hmmm...

I might try multiple approaches. Given that it will be a few weeks before I can devote significant time to it I might degrease everything in petrol and clean out that crate, and then just fill it with something to soak fore a few weeks. Then if it still needs more I can try the electrolysis thing.

I'm reluctant to spend £40-60 on special stuff, so the question is whether to use citric acid (what sort of concentration?) or caustic soda?

Any thoughts?

AS

[Doc]

Im with Jo I did some electrolysis on some stuff and was amazed. Very little work evolved in it.
Some Washing Soda and a 12 volt charger and a bucket is all it really takes. It's amazing how the rut will migrate from your parts to the sacrificial electrode. That is the only way I'll ever clean rust now that I have done it once and seen the out come and the ease of it.
This video shows the amazing results you can achieve but you don't need the fancy set up just a sacrificial electrode hooked to the positive and part being derusted on the negative

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQNvhUYqCkw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQNvhUYqCkw</a>

[Allen Smithee]

One thing that mystified me was why the crate still had water in it. The Garage roof was repaired over ten years ago, and the crate isn't sealed (has some largish vents in the lid). It finally dawned on me this afternoon.

Along with the other bits in this crate were the two mainshaft bearing oilers (original Myford ones AFAIK). When I put them in the crate they still had oil in them, and when the crate filled with water the oil floated out to form a protective slick across the top of the water, sealing it against evaporation...

 

AS

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Allen, if you are in no rush, soak them in a 50/50 mixture of acetone and automotive automatic trans fluid till you are ready to really see how much they need. A good scrubbing with a wire brush, a rinse, then see where you are at. Just my $.02 Confederate, not worth much up North . WD-40 also makes a great rust solvent, may not be on your side of the pond

E