Cleaning Up Rusty Fasteners - Dremel Bronze Brush ?

[KTMsm]

I've been buying and selling a few bikes and I'm looking for a fast and effective method of tidying them up.

If they are really bad I'll just replace fasteners, currently I have been using a dremel with bronze brush which works quite well on minor corrosion

I saw some had mentioned using the scotch brite attachments do they work better ?

I've seen mention of phosphoric acid or does that send them black ?

Any other cleaning tips ? I have been using kerosene and TFR but it's a time consuming, messy process, I have been wondering about buying a steam cleaner.

For reference I'm talking about sub £3k bikes that been neglected.

[Jack.77]

I just replace rusted bolts and screws etc if they are visible or sometimes a wire brush that goes on a drill can be good for this sort of thing (got these at Halfords )
I was mug enough to buy a junk heap of a bike for a few hundred quid and now trying to make it look new again!

[NMNeil]

I use electrolysis on very rusted parts. Works well, but may be overkill for nuts and bolts.
https://www.instructables.com/Electrolytic-Rust-Re...

[T24AES]

I take rusty bolts out and drop them in a stainless jug of white vinegar for 24 hours then a quick rub down/wire brush then there fresh for paint or i seen some folk use the home diy electroplating kits.

A quick buzz in a bench mounted grinder with a wire wheel is also a quick way to clean them up.

Taes

[Krikkit]

If you're prepared to remove them then wire wheel on a bench grinder then replate them will be the best way, on the bike I'd say a very careful wire brushing and something like ACF would do

[podman]

I'm using Vaporust on a couple of pushbikes im doing up at the moment, it worked very well in the fuel tank of one of the bikes so I thought id give it a go, its the best thing ive ever used against rust...and I have a wire wheel on a bench grinder and other all the other brass brushes as well.

A couple of days soak and a rub with a scotchbrite gets these results...does the same magic all the fasteners as well.

[KTMsm]

Some of those look like good ideas for other projects but I was just looking to tidy up fasteners in situ really.

[rodericb]

I've used scotchbrite on a Dremel to clean up bits of stuff like that. Buy a bag of the little Scotchbrite wheels from Ebay in various grit levels and clean away. But you'll probably need more scotchbrite if you really get into it. The Dremel branded ones are quite expensive so I just got a bag of fifty knockoffs from Ebay.

[Tardigrade]

podman said:

I'm using Vaporust.. .

Vaporust is brilliant if you have time for an overnight soak. Super effective with least corrosive harm to the part. It kills galvanised finishes, but so do acid methods.

[KTMsm]

As it's mostly galvanised fixings I'm trying to clean up it wouldn't work for me.

[podman]

Tardigrade said:

podman said:

I'm using Vaporust.. .

Vaporust is brilliant if you have time for an overnight soak. Super effective with least corrosive harm to the part. It kills galvanised finishes, but so do acid methods.

Think you may have a product mixed up there or perhaps not tried it yourself...I sell (industrial ) cleaning chemicals for a living and Vaporust is fairly Ph neutral and is not either an acid or alkali...certainly not at all corrosive, ive put items with rubber and plastic on them (as they claim you can) with no ill affect to those or any plated finishes on fasteners.

[podman]

KTMsm said:

As it's mostly galvanised fixings I'm trying to clean up it wouldn't work for me.

Traffic Film remover will definitely attack those without some diligence..

Do let us know what you do end up using anyway!

[Steve Bass]

Use a parts/rock tumbler with cat litter in. Takes everything back to a clean matt finish. Just polish as required.