Need rust removal ideas/advice.

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I have two oil lamps that have metal fastened onto the glass, then the burner part screws onto this. These are very rusted, we lived in an area for 4 years where anything metal rusted, and it wasn't damp either. Anyway, I first thought I'd purchases replacement burners but with the metal piece that is attached to the base I couldn't find anything. My new option is to clean up the rust, I think they will work when this is done. But, how do I get the rust off? I can soak the burner parts in something, and perhaps stand the lamp bases in a container to soak. But what do I use? I have no idea how to proceed, so all suggestions or past sucesses would be helpful. I was thinking perhaps a metal brush and give it a bit of a scrub, but this won't work inside the wick area.

-- Thrifty Sarrah (olefashion@hotmail.com), March 16, 2002

Answers

steel wool ?

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 16, 2002.

Naval jelly should work well.

-- SteveD(TX) (smdann@swbell.net), March 16, 2002.

Coke-a-cola

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), March 16, 2002.

Hey sarrah,

My advice is my favorite rust remover. we have well water so I do this alot.... Bar Keepers Friend. You can find it at Wallyworld next to the comet. It is about $1.67 per large can, and works wonders. We use it for nearly all our stubborn rust problems. Hubby even uses it on his rims, wont scratch stuff.

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.


Sears sells a rust remover

-- ron in WV (mr_swift_26547@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.


Fill a 5 gallon bucket with water/laundry detergent.

Hook the negative leat from your battery charget to the lamp.

Hook the positive leat of your battery charger to a piece of steel and drop in in the bucket.

Suspend your lamp in the soapy solution...be sure to keep thelamp from touching the piect of steel.

Let it electro soak over night.

Rinse and see if it needs more.

Paint will come off too...

Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), March 16, 2002.


WD-40 + elbow grease..

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), March 16, 2002.

Diluted muriatic acid,say 1 cup acid to 1 gallon water.Be careful it will eat cheap finishes and tarnish stainless steel.Dave

-- Dave (duckthis1@mybogusemail.com), March 16, 2002.

Thank you everyone. I'm going to try starting with the grocery store cleaner then if that doesn't work, I'll work my way up to the meratic acid. Hubby has some for cleaning his mineral specimens. But I expect it will eat that poor old rusted metal. Here's hoping, if I destroy these I'll see if I can get all new fittings, I've had these lamps for years and of course don't want to part with them. Thanks again, I knew someone here would help! :)

-- Thrifty Sarrah (olefashion@hotmail.com), March 18, 2002.

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