How To: Degreaser, the power of ZEP

[chris vickery]

Restoration tip.
We all have parts that require degreasing, paint and rust removal.
One of the more important considerations these days is the substitution of more environmentally and health friendly chemical in our world.
A new take on an old product that I recently started using in my shop.
ZEP Purple Industrial Degreaser, about $12 bucks at Home Depot.
Contains a bunch of stuff but a certain amount of an old time cleaner, sodium hydroxide.
Mix up with water and clean away.
This stuff works great on grease and will dissolve rust and paint given some time.
I find it works best when you use hot water and a wire brush.
Most recently I cleaned up a bunch of filthy hub and steering knuckle parts.
I’ve been back to them a couple times over the last couple weeks letting them soak in between.
Let’s just say it’s like having a poor mans hot tank less the normal hazard of using a straight sodium hydroxide solution.
Rinse and dry the parts and they come out clean almost the same as OEM castings.
Pics to follow

[rob love]

After spending literally weeks to months trying to remove the rust/dissimilar metal that formed in between the sled and cradle of an old German gun, I poured in some muriatic acid. It immediately started to smoke and the rust dissolve. I am starting to see the brass rails.

I had tried all the usual rust dissolving products, and only the naval jelly gave some results. But, alas, the product is no longer sold in Canada. I resorted to hacksaw blades, reciprocating saw blades, bandsaw blades, and was even welding multiple blades together on the reciprocating saw with very little luck.

The fumes from the muriatic acid are quite strong, and I did get a good whiff of it the first day which kind of stuck with me for a day or so. Wearing the proper mask now, and with each application of the acid, things are looking better. I also noted it cleans and etches the bare metal. I may be using it in the future on small parts to strip them and remove the rust.



By the way, it is not environmentally friendly nor safe....but damn, it works.

[chris vickery]

Rob, alas, the bain of us old skool guys…
All the good old fashioned stuff worked the best, but of course with a price.
Everything from good old asbestos brakes to trichloroethylene brake cleaner to naval jelly. Diesel fuel, xylene, mineral spirits etc.
In my shop, I’d rather not burn the place down or poison the family pets so I’m finally beat by trying to keep it green now, I guess.
Even the fun of sandblasting has lost its favour, now hard to find anyone to do it.
Did I forget to mention lead paint and isocyanates?

[David Herbert]

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....

David

[Lynn Eades]

Rob, Muriatic acid (I believe) is a certain strength of phosphoric acid. Btw, It is found in some of your food.
Aside from the H&S, be careful using it, as some non ferrous metals will soon disappear and high carbon steels won't like it either. I have had some inhibitors put in it and I use it to clean out engine blocks, heads etc. The inhibitors stop it from attacking the good metal. Im talking cast iron here.
Probably you know all of this, but I post it for those that don't.
A very useful acid.
Chris, when I was an apprentice (Army) the recon shop had a trich bath. It was a wonderful thing. It did what the acid does in seconds. I never new 'til years later how dangerous it was. I remember topping it up from a 210l. drum.
The one thing you left off your list was antifreeze (although you did mention family pets)

[rob love]

The muriatic acid is a diluted strength (to about 30%) of hydrochloric acid. Like most things, it will attack whatever is easiest, which is the rust followed by the soft metals, then the steel. So before it is even eating the brass strips, it has neutralized itself on the rust. I can only put a small amount on the surface due to the small space . I have elevated the trail to get the gun close to neutral elevation, have it tipped to one side slightly, and pour an ounce or two onto the front of the rail. I put a bit of plumbers putty at the back which helps retain a little of the acid to where it is needed the most. I was going to use RTV silicone, but the reactions of the two would not have been favorable. Seems like anytime you have the word "chloro" in the formula, it can be released thru heat or mixing of chemicals.

Phosphoric acid was the main ingredient in almost all of the rust eating products I tried, but if allowed to dry it converts the rust into a very hard material. Before going on holiday, I broke off small pieces of rust and sat them in small containers with samples of each product. When I came back, the piece of rust was still in each. Phosphoric acid is in Coca Cola, which is rumored to eat a penny or clean a toilet bowl. Doubtful as it is only at around a 1% solution.

I go out of my way to find the products that work. I still use solvent (mineral spirits) in my parts cleaning tank, and only buy the chlorinated brake cleaner. I take suitable precautions with each. I may well pay the price one day, but like the muriatic acid, I look for whatever works easiest. I find the words "environmentally friendly" do not always lend themselves to that requirement.

All that said, my days of sandblasting with a simple dust mask or respirator on are long gone. I now have an air supplied hood, which has the added benefit of keeping one cool on the warmer days.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi

I have found that good old fashion Arm and Hammer Washing Soda is an excellent degreaser, paint softener, when used as a hot soak. I put small parts into a tank of water at 140 to 160 F let the parts soak then rinse with hot water. To remove heavy paint scrub with wire brush while the part is hot.

Cheers Phil

[Lynn Eades]

Here's a bit about heat transfer and the use of muriatic acid.