Rust

Futbalfantic

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Location
Charlotte
I have a piece of metal that has just more than surface rust. I want to spray cosmoline on it to prevent further rust. Is that a viable solution or is rust like a cancer and will just spread?
 
Phosphoric acid/naval jelly, evapo-rust etc will neutralize the rust, but they also will leave a transformed layer. Cosmoline may slow the rust, but won't stop it. What kind of part is it?
 
It's a linear rail for a CNC machine with a rack gear system. Has some lightish surface rust
 
"Just" more. As in slightly more. And lightish as in just over. I wanted to be confusing as possible
 
In that case, gently scotch Brite with WD40, wipe very clean, polish gently, wipe clean again with a WD40 soaked rag, then cosmoline.
 
We have a 5 axis fryer mill sitting out back that we got for a steel. Waiting on a spindle currently. The machine is in pieces out back, control is inside. The table and casting are out back under a roof. We started to see rust so we wiped it down with wd, then got out the grease and layers it up good and thick.


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jeepinmatt said:
Yeah, im pretty sure Evapo-rust and the WD40 stuff is the same. They are a little more gentle than phosphoric acid or naval jelly. But also not as aggressive, which could be good or bad depending on your patience level :D
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Too aggressive for linear rails?
 
I think the end result is the same, but the straight phosphoric acid gets it done a lot quicker. What you have to watch out for is the phosphate coating if you leave the rust converter on there for too long. I'd still try to just scotch Brite and WD40 it if it's pretty much just surface rust.
 
jeepinmatt said:
I think the end result is the same, but the straight phosphoric acid gets it done a lot quicker. What you have to watch out for is the phosphate coating if you leave the rust converter on there for too long. I'd still try to just scotch Brite and WD40 it if it's pretty much just surface rust.
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Depending on how precise the rails are, the phosphate coating could be beneficial as it will soak up whatever grease/wax/oil he uses and keep it protected longer. But I would only go that direction if rust is more severe than light surface rust.

First I would try scotchbrite and WD40 as mentioned, clean it well. Then I would maybe determine the usual travel of the machine, heavy cosmoline over the untraveled portion, or areas of the rail the trucks/bearings don't touch, then keep the travel areas with a light grease, cleaning and regreasing on a regular maintenance schedule.
 
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