Post by felkman on May 23, 2011 14:12:24 GMT -4
I wrote this up on Indyvinmoto but thought I would share it here also incase you aren't on the email list.
Using oxalic acid for cleaning rust off of chrome. Forget using SOS pad or aluminum foil. Oxalic acid will not scratch the chrome.
(WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES AND RUBBER GLOVES)
(PLEASE NOTE - DO NOT USE ON ALUMINUM OR CAD PLATED PARTS)
Here is what you need. Wood bleach (oxalic acid), a tub large enough to fit your parts in and some water. I usually use about 1 tub of wood bleach to about 10 -15 gallons of water (if you have a 5 gallon bucket use less acid). Mix warm water and wood bleach together in tub, put your parts in and check every 4 to 5 hours. This is not an instand clean, it can take up to 2 days of soaking for very heavy rust as seen below.
I am into old 1980s BMX bikes so I thought I would show a test on some rusty bicycle handlebars I had in the trash. These bars, as you can see are in about as rusty condition as they can be in. The first pictures are before they went into the Oxalic acid and water bath.
The next are after 4 hours in the acid mixture.
The next are after 16 hours.
As you can see there is still pitting if the chrome is too bad but if
you were to use an SOS pad on these bars, they would never clean up
like this.
(DO NOT USE ON ALUMINUM OR CAD PLATED PARTS)
Using oxalic acid for cleaning rust off of chrome. Forget using SOS pad or aluminum foil. Oxalic acid will not scratch the chrome.
(WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES AND RUBBER GLOVES) 
(PLEASE NOTE - DO NOT USE ON ALUMINUM OR CAD PLATED PARTS) Here is what you need. Wood bleach (oxalic acid), a tub large enough to fit your parts in and some water. I usually use about 1 tub of wood bleach to about 10 -15 gallons of water (if you have a 5 gallon bucket use less acid). Mix warm water and wood bleach together in tub, put your parts in and check every 4 to 5 hours. This is not an instand clean, it can take up to 2 days of soaking for very heavy rust as seen below.
I am into old 1980s BMX bikes so I thought I would show a test on some rusty bicycle handlebars I had in the trash. These bars, as you can see are in about as rusty condition as they can be in. The first pictures are before they went into the Oxalic acid and water bath.
The next are after 4 hours in the acid mixture.
The next are after 16 hours.
As you can see there is still pitting if the chrome is too bad but if
you were to use an SOS pad on these bars, they would never clean up
like this.
(DO NOT USE ON ALUMINUM OR CAD PLATED PARTS)
