Letter 7543

Did I remove enough rust? 

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I have recently purchased a wrought iron console which needs a little rust removal and repainting. I sanded, cleaned with a wire brush, a tack cloth, soap and water. While there is no flaking paint or raised rust anymore, the rust colored spots remain.

Should the piece be without any rust color on it at all? Is this even possible? If so, sanding just isn't going to do it because I sanded hard for hours and did remove a tremendous amount of rust and totally smoothed the finish of the piece..Once I get the answer to the rust problem, do I need to prime the piece before painting? What is the authentic color of old wrought iron? Was it flat black, or more of an iron/grey/black color?

Sandi S . [last name purged for privacy due to age of posting]
- Raleigh, N.C.

One way of removing oxidation would be to dip the piece in an acid solution. However, following this step you must not allow the piece to be exposed to air prior to finishing. Blackening can be accomplished by purchasing a blackening compound for steel traps at a sporting goods store. An old-fashioned way of accomplishing this is to boil the red tips of the sumac tree and immerse the piece in liquid while it is boiling. I used this process to blacken traps when I was younger and it worked well and inhibited rust formation.

Brian DeBadts
- Rochester, NY, USA

Remove the remainder of the rust with a commercial rust remover (like naval jelly). Rinse well and allow to dry thoroughly. Paint with Rustoleum or similar material. These contain chemicals that inhibit further oxidation.

George Brackett III
- Utica, NY

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Ed. note: see letters 26857, 32772, and 33964 for additional discussions on this topic.

De-rusting canal boat. I need to remove/convert rust on a narrowboat I am painting. the boat is new so only surface rust is present. can you please confirm what is the best product I should use (eg. acids, )and in what form. thanks for your help - Mike

Michael John Lewin
hobbyist - Peterborough, UK

i am attempting to refinish a very rusted iron bookcase.
bookcase is constructed of 1/4" round iron "bars" seperated approximately 2". as this is my first project of this type any/all help would be appreciated...especially in the stripping phase.

michael johnston
- houston, texas

Hi, Michael. I'd start by sanding away the heavier and looser rust and then, as mentioned by George B., naval jelly is a good starting point as it will convert the powdery red rust to adherent black rust. Then you can simply use Rustoleum or Krylon paint for metal. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

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