Removing rust with vinegar aka pickling a jack

The mice peed all over my jack when I had the car stored since the 90s so it's pretty rusty. I've always wanted to try vinegar so here we go.

The mixture...a bucket and 3 gallons of vinegar. A jack and handle.



Hosed the mouse nesting off a little.



Now time to wait....will update.

 

Electrolysis might be a better process. It took 3 hours to do this
http://1bad6t.com/rust_removal.html

 

I have to say, I thought this was just some old timers crap, but I followed your "how-to" and it worked awesome!! I did my small bumper brackets. The hardest part was finding the washing soda.

 

Works slower, but a 6:1 water/molassis mixture works good, too. Cover the container and keep outside 'cause it stinks.

 

Took a look this morning and there are bubbles coming off the jack so somethings happening. Just wanted to try this as an experiment. I recently saw when someone had bought an old that had alot of rust on the roof. They covered the roof on fabric and kept applying vinegar for several days. Appeared to work very well.

Gonna leave it till maybe Wed. or Thursday.

Here's a vid about the process RThomas mentioned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ADeB6V1rQ

 

So it's been almost a week since I sank my rusted up jack in vinegar. I figured that was long enough so I pulled it out to give it a look.




I was not impressed.






So then I figured I'd spray of that vinegar and put the jack away. Then as I hosed it off......





It should be no problem to clean up and repaint now. It even works again!

 

Make sure you oil the pivot points and the worm screw or it will rust right back to a boat anchor again!

 

Nice.

I've done the electrolysis trick. Regular baking soda works fine. It isn't anything fancy. Something is needed to make the water conduct electricity. Salt would work, but would be tough on the metal.

I might have to try the vinegar trick on something. Smell up the shop.

 

Maybe vinegar with electrolysis? You never know! What ever mixture you use, I'd do it outside just in case!

 

If y'all hear about a massive explosion in Alabama, you know I mixed the wrong stuff... lol

 

Actually there was very little odor in my garage in the process. I probably should've kept the vinegar but I dumped it because I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to soak right now.

I hope it kills weed cuz I dumped it along my fence row.

 

I used vinegar to clean up all the pennies I have in parts cars over the years. I did not want to "spend money" just to clean money...so I used some vinegar my wife used to clean the coffee maker. Some of the pennies cleaned up real nice, and some did not....but at least the money is identifiable now.

 

kills weeds amazing..most products they sell now that are environment friendly are salt/vinegar mixes or just mixed with water.

 

I thought it was funny that the bama fans were praying in the last few min. of the game.
Don't they know that their head coach is SATIN!!!!!!!!!