Author Topic: Oxalic Acid? (Read 2904 times)

Moose · « **on:** February 02, 2007, 12:29 AM »

Anyone use it? If so where are you getting it?

I've found some on the tinterweb, but it's £15 for 5Kg - will I need 5Kg?

Any advice welcome

Trev · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2007, 12:33 AM »

never heard of it, dunno what it is or what you do with it, but it seems a reasonable price and remember, you can never have too much oxalic acid...

Moose · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2007, 12:35 AM »

You can use it to remove rust from chrome and apparently it's very good $:-\$

kdw712 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:13 AM »

have you checked out VBMX tech restro section Phil
theres long how to there and the results are spanking

blagged some pics

good stuff eh !

Moose · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:25 AM »

Those pictures are what made me start looking for some

Look's like excellent results

kdw712 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:32 AM »

well keep us posted then

those pics make me wish i hadn't brought new spokes for a few sets of wheels now

kdw712 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:37 AM »

from the main VBMX thread by Ted Carl

Oxalic acid is typically marketed as a wood bleach in hardware stores.
It costs less than 10 bucks.
All you need to do is mix a few ounces of Oxalic acid in a large tub of water,
and soak the parts for 12-36 hours.
You simply wipe the parts free of the rust occasionally with a white (soft, non-abrasive) scotch-brite pad, and you are done.

seems very simple
my old oil drum may get the dye washed out and some of this dropped in

Moose · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:41 AM »

OK, I'll order some tomorrow and try it out on that Motobencane I just bought

kdw712 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:56 AM »

you know it make sense

Dingobmxer · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2007, 06:50 AM »

can we have before and after pics when you have done please

DINGO

gt0733 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:07 AM »

when you go to your hardware shop ask for wood bleach. the active ingredient should be oxalic acid. i got a litre already mixed and dropped some headset bits in and a day or so later the surface rust had disappeared. alternatively you can gat a granulated form that you can mix at your own strength and in bigger volumes. the best part is you don't have to throw it out, you can store it for later use.

oh by the way, when using the granulated form add the acid to the water.....not the water to the acid. very important that.

dj_benice · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2007, 08:43 AM »

yup tis good tackle I have used it quite a bit, if you use the search on here (topic subject only) there are a couple of threads, one has link to some very reasonably priced stuff from memory

dordymush · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2007, 10:01 AM »

is this stuff like caustic.
does it burn ya lol.

harris · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2007, 10:03 AM »

i could do with a drop of that kit

theRuler · « **Reply #14 on:** February 02, 2007, 10:05 AM »

Quote from: dordymush on February 02, 2007, 10:01 AM

is this stuff like caustic.
does it burn ya lol.

i was just gonna say that

dj_benice · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2007, 11:05 AM »

nup, i still wear black rubber gloves as found nothing on health and safety while using it but have dipped me hands in no burns or irritation

harris · « **Reply #16 on:** February 02, 2007, 11:06 AM »

dj did you get i over in uk

Moose · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2007, 11:37 AM »

Quote from: theRuler on February 02, 2007, 10:05 AM

Quote from: dordymush on February 02, 2007, 10:01 AM
is this stuff like caustic.
does it burn ya lol.

i was just gonna say that

It will burn you, although not a severe as Caustic. Here's a good MSDS

http://www.catalogue.fisher.co.uk/scripts/search.dll?ViewMSDS&SheetNumber=17361

Quote

nup, i still wear black rubber gloves as found nothing on health and safety while using it but have dipped me hands in no burns or irritation

In that case you were using quite a dilute solution

Del · « **Reply #18 on:** February 02, 2007, 12:45 PM »

1kg will do about a bucket full, make sure the water is hot/warm otherwise the oxalic acid crystals will not disolve.

I put about 750g into a gorilla bucket with about 8litres of hot water and it did my GT bars in less than 2-3hours.. just use an old tooth brush and the rust comes straight off.

dj_benice · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2007, 12:48 PM »

just the recommended one

got it from the states

I have used a kilo bag of crystals to do a couple of f/f's, bars and some cranks in a plasterers bath. I used the quantitys advised on vintage which assumes the bits will be allowed to stand for 8 hours plus, 1kilo to a bucket seems a bit excessive or maybe I am just tight

Wayne Ryder · « **Reply #20 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:17 PM »

The thread on VBMX is pretty long now and there's some impressive results. How quickly the rust comes back again isn't mentioned, or how to stop it from doing so. The metal or chrome should be no more or less prone to rust than before in theory, but is it in reality?
There's some rust on my Basher frame that looks like more of a spot-job than a full dip, so I'm wondering if I could do something I saw on some rennovation TV show a few years back.
The presenter covered an old table leg in paint stripper, then put cotton-wool wadding & clingfilm over the top so it couldn't evaporate & the paint/varnish couldn't dry. Left it overnight, and peeled the lot of in more or less one piece. Miraculous.
Assuming I can get wood bleach, anyone think this'd work similarly on a frame?

double chevron · « **Reply #21 on:** February 02, 2007, 02:09 PM »

Never tried for myself but definetely have to one of these days.
I asked a friend of mine who is in chemical research, he told me always to wear protection gear (gloves)
and to work outside (anyway don't breathe vapors too long as you don't feel anything
but this thing replaces the potassium in your metabolism and can cause I don't remember what... but dangerous

)