How to cost efficiently clean rust from steel plate

I have a bunch of street plate steel, that I want to magically transform into welding tables.

They have rust on them, it is not horribly deep, but it needs to be removed.

What is the most efficient way to do it using, say, a 9 inch angle grinder. What abrasive things are best for it?

Reply to
Ignoramus25707
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I am a little leery of putting those plates in a fire, one is that the village may not like it, and two, the plates may get warped.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus25707

It depends on what the rust is like. But for rust as you describe, i wire brush and then use citric or phosphoric acid. For wire brushing, I use what I have. A regular 1/2 hp motor mounted in a yoke on a thing with three casters and a flexible shaft. A large angle grinder and a cup brush might be better.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

Can you take them somewhere to be abrasive blasted inexpensively? I agree with the caution on the angle grinder, the last time I used a 9" I could barely move my arms for a few days after.

Reply to
Pete C.

I don't know how cheap you want the rust removal, but I don't know what is better than wiping (20 or 30 type) car engine oil on the surface. It removes most kinds of rust and keeps it away. Apply every one or two months (as needed).

Reply to
Transition Zone

EvapoRust is your friend :-). Depending on size and weight, maybe put down a thick polyethylene dropcloth sheet on the floor, put a couple of bars down to hold the sheets 1/4" off the floor, then put a sheet down, prop the edges of the plastic up to form a pool, and pour in the evaporust so the metal is submerged. Put another plastic sheet over it to limit evaporation and go away for a day or three. Pick that sheet up, drain off all the evaporust you can, go wash that sheet and put in the next steel sheet. Will take some time but very little effort or labor. If you can arrange a "sump" to get the liquid deep enough in one spot, put in a little pump of some kind to keep the stuff flowing and it will work faster. Warm it up and it will work even faster - got any 500W halogen work lites? Just shine them on the rusty steel.

I have a bunch of street plate steel, that I want to magically transform into welding tables.

They have rust on them, it is not horribly deep, but it needs to be removed.

What is the most efficient way to do it using, say, a 9 inch angle grinder. What abrasive things are best for it?

Reply to
Carl Ijames

He can't put his shoes on without getting with his dick stuck in the toaster.

Reply to
PrecisionmachinisT

The way ig beats his effing meat on this ng, I'm sure he would have no problem with a 15" angle grinder. WhoTF would buy a 30" high welding table, anyway, besides a midget or a yogi with a strong back????

But steve's floor sander/screens is a good idea. A belt sander would also do.

Reply to
Existential Angst

Maybe Iggy is trying to post something that has to do with metal working. And here you are discouraging people from posting about things related to metalworking. Talk about idiots.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

Banquer, since you don't know anything _about_ metalworking, it might behoove you to read the query, first.

He didn't ask about prepping, he asked about rust _removal_, and the fastest, most efficient (count cost and time) way.

You spout crap you've read "on the web", and have never actually touched anything metal except for the c*ck ring you keep trying to suck on.

Lloyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

I know a welder with a table about that high if not a bit lower but the table is about 8' x 12' and often used for building structural steelwork.

Reply to
David Billington

Fuck off and die, Loud.

Please repost "Doing Business with Jon Banquer"

Reply to
ATP

A belt sander is often used for imparting "grain" to metal. Gives a nice finish. I use to program and machine a ton of face plates for Krell who makes very expensive audio amplifiers and this is how they were finished. Luckily we subbed out that job or I would have been stuck doing that as well. =======================================================

That is inneresting -- almost always in alum, it seems. I remember quite well the grained faceplates to stereo equipment, a very common (and nice) motif, and then anodized. I always wondered about that effect.

That's something I may be able to improvise, as well. I was thinking of building a kind of "square timesaver" sanding unit, with 4 belt sanders mounted on each face of square/rect tubing, and just shooting the tubing thru. Heh, mebbe next week.... LOL

Alum is such a pita, tho, really gums stuff up.

Reply to
Existential Angst

If you still have that Tenant floor machine, this might work.

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Reply to
Tom Gardner

Actually, I have the PERFECT solution! It' just not patented yet and in prototype.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

And we have some more encouraging remarks by Jon. Such a nice guy and patient with those that are new to metalworking.

When are you going to post the pictures of your home shop?

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

Wire brushes on a Roto-Tiller?

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

...get that "caressed" look on your lawn...

Reply to
Larry Jaques

How large?

If you have the room and they will fit you could use an electrolytic bath. I have one built from a water tank, Another one from a couple poly drums. For you maybe something like the kiddy pools or the small livestock tanks. They grab some PH+ chemical from a pool supply outfit ( soda ash, washing soda, sodium carbonate )

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You can basically make a tank out of anything that will hold water BUT it cannot be metal unless you line it with something non-conductive.

I have done full car frames. You can do the interior using electrodes with standoffs to keep them from grounding out. I used cheap foam. Works great on things like motorcycle tanks as well.

Reply to
Steve W.

Well I can remember when Iggy first started posting in RCM. It was not that long ago.

I have plenty of clues. One is that you are not someone that I would want as a friend. As far as being a moron, at least I managed to graduate from a respectable college.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

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