How do you remove rust/corrosion?

[TubeGeek]

Is their a product out there that will remove rust from cabinet corners, chassis straps, i/o jack washers and nuts and restore the chrome appearance?

[Stankfut]

You might try rusteco

www.rusteco.com

All natural, environmentally friendly. Its expensive and I have never tried it but I hear great things. I have some projects I want to use it on when cash allows

[xm52]

There are a lot of good products out there. Some techniques date back a few years.

- Years ago people used to use crumpled aluminum foil and coca cola on their cars. The idea is the coke is acidic and helps remove the rust, the aluminum foil is softer than chrome and harder than iron oxide so it helps mechanically remove the rust. It does work to some extent. Aluminum can get deposited in scratches in the chrome.

- Another old product is BonAmi. It works well.

- I like a product called Autosol (www.autosol.com/shop/category/metal-care/). It reacts with the rust, the cream polish removes it, it leaves behind a protective wax. Any cream polish like the stuff available from auto supply shops is worth trying. This is a very good product, available at www.leevalley.com

- Chrome polishes are available that you use with a buffing wheel. Like a jewelers rouge but for chrome. Check out www.caswellplating.com

[SILVERGUN]

I have been using this for years and it's pretty good at removing surface rust and hazing:
http://www.competitionchemicals.com/simichrome/

I can send you a little sample if you'd like to try it for free....just pm me your address

[stratele52]

Is their a product out there that will remove rust from cabinet corners, chassis straps, i/o jack washers and nuts and restore the chrome appearance?

#0000 steal wool work great

[alerich]

I have been using this for years and it's pretty good at removing surface rust and hazing:
http://www.competitionchemicals.com/simichrome/

I use that to polish my frets during string changes. Makes them shiny and slick. A little goes a long way. I bought this tube back in the mid 80s and it's still probably 1/3 full.

[thermion]

I had a fender 75 through the shop that must have spent some of its life at the coast or similar. After trying a bunch of localized removal the rust keep coming back, and popping up elsewhere at which point I stripped the chassis bare, masked it, got after the whole thing with a grinder, and sprayed on 3 heavy coats of black rustoleum.
Lesson learned...half-measures usually give half-results. i checked her out again recently and the rustoleum is holding up very nicely 2 years later, not even crinkle spots where rust can start to reform under the paint layer.

Rustoleum makes a clear coat that may protect well after the rust has been removed, no experience with it though.

[stratele52]

  the chassis bare, masked it, got after the whole thing with a grinder, and sprayed on 3 heavy coats of black rustoleum.
 Rustoleum makes a clear coat that may protect well after the rust has been removed, no experience with it though.

Too bad IMO , like a guy who paint is old vintage guitar. It's better to have a some rusted chrome than a Peavey look for a Fender amp

[jjasilli]

In my experience you can get the rust off  -- chemicals, blasting media, or wire wheel -- but then the chrome is gone.  If the part is replaceable that's one option.  For unobtainable replacement parts, there was a post a while back about a home chrome plating system that might work well for smaller items.

[HotBluePlates]

In my experience you can get the rust off  -- chemicals, blasting media, or wire wheel -- but then the chrome is gone.  If the part is replaceable that's one option.  For unobtainable replacement parts, there was a post a while back about a home chrome plating system that might work well for smaller items.

Yes, and you'll need to have it plated soon after removing the rust, because the rust will try to reform where it was removed.

If it were me, I'd give the part to a chrome plating shop, and ask ahead of time if any prep work is needed for the part after the rust is removed.

[topbrent]

This stuff works like magic to remove rust and corrosion.  We use it on rare, expensive, sensitive old musclecar parts and it does wonders.  You can buy it in small quantities from car part stores like Autozone, O'Reillys, ect.

http://www.evaporust.com/  http://www.evaporust.com/evaporust.html

[TubeGeek]

Thanks for all the recommendations.

I ended up using a product called CLR and it worked well enough.