Polishing Stainless / Removing Rust Stains

[Joe CD MS 300]

Last summer I tried using Flitz on my stainless stanchions, handrails, etc. which had a fair amount rust stains. It worked pretty good but was slow and required a lot of rubbing. I had taken the swim ladder off the boat to work on the teak steps over the winter. Before putting the finished teak back on the ladder I wanted to clean up the SS but had left the Flitz back on the boat so I searched around the garage and found some automotive chrome polish. "No. 7" Chrome Polish found in all auto stores. It worked far, far quicker than the Flitz. I don't know how it will hold up but it is almost quick enough that it won't matter if I need to redo it. Anyone else ever try this? It also did a great job on an old Chelsea clock and barometer set with a lot of pitted lacquer. A little more effort than the SS but still took off the old lacquer with not too muck effort.

[Didereaux]

oxalic acid is the material used most commonly and successfully for removing rust stains. It is the main ingredient of FSR and is used by gem and rock people in its pure form; find a rock shop or chem supplier it is very cheap.

g'Luk

[Sea Hunt]

The cleaner "Bar Keepers Friend" is primarily oxalic acid. BKF may be cheaper and easier to find than other more esoteric or specialized products that also contain oxalic acid.

[Rperlot]

Woodworkers use Oxyalic Acid to brighten wood that has blackened from getting wet. The tanins in some woods like Red Oak will react and get black when exposed to water. It is a common sight in flooring when the finish starts to wear off. You can find it with the wood bleaches in the wood finishes section of your local hardware store its pure form.

It comes in a small (pint?) container as a powder. You mix it in "hot" water. The use of heat is critical. I haven't tried using it on metals. This is a very interesting thought I must try. One of those "too obvious to think of it" things for me. I use Oxyalic Acid all the time with my wood working. I also tried it on rust stains in carpets and it worked perfectly. Pour it on, it seems to carry the rust right off with no rubbing. Then rinse it off with clean water. Very simple.

[Oswego John]

Joe,

# 7 cleaner. What a blast from the past. I didn't realize that the stuff was still on the market.

You ask, "Anyone else ever try this?" I've been using #7 since 1947. It originally was called DuPont #7. Then Borden, "Elsie" brand, bought the product. I have no idea who produces it today.

It used to be a heavy liquid, pinkish/tannish color. It was considered a compound in liquid form. We not only used it to shine up the chrome on our cars, but also to clean the oxidized paint before Simonizing.

My first few cars were 4 cylinder Ford, Model As. Old Henry Ford made them in any color you wanted as long as you wanted black. After the war, I upgraded to a 34 V8 Tudor, a real jackrabbit. Then I went whole hog and got hold of a four door 38 Ford V8.

My father wanted to disown me. He always said that Ford was a four letter word. He was a Buick and LaSalle kind of guy. Fortunately for me, my mother prevailed.

The cars today are all plastic trimmed. The cars of yesteryear tried to outdo each other with heavy chrome on brass on steel. They were solidly built. When you slammed the door, it went kah-lunk. Up to about 1955 or so, they were six volt systems.

Our cars back then were real woo wagons, real chick magnets. Of course we all had the mandatory fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror. The car was naked unless you had the shiny chrome swan for the hood ornament. Spinner hub caps? But of course. Wheel spinner, too. And I must mention the clear plastic seat covers. Does anyone know what a wolf whistle was. We all had them. They were mounted on the intake manifold. You activated them with a wire to the dashboard. Wheeet-wooooh. Hubba-hubba. It didn't operate too well when the vacuum wind shield wipers were on.

Before the war, gas was 6 gal. for a dollar with free road maps and oil check. After the war, gas shot up to $.29 a gallon. What was this world coming to?

On the down side, the pre war cars had no heaters or defrosters. I installed a South Wind gasolene heater under the dash board. Toasty warm.

Aren't you sorry that you asked if anyone ever tried #7? I'm just getting started. Now that you have piqued my interest, I'm going out tomorrow and see if I can get me some #7. For the boat, of course.

All the best,
O J

[tartansailor]

John,
Remember the "Neckers Knob" the steering wheel attachment
and the fender skirts to complement the "lowered" rear.
That all seems like another world.
Any way, trying to maintain Cape Dory relevance, I like Bar Keepers friend for polishing SS.
Dick

[Carter Brey]

I had a neckers' knob on my '51 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup. Great piece of American iron. The truck, not the knob. Other options: exterior windshield sun visor, dash-mounted prismatic stoplight viewer.

Anyway, I've had good success with Never Dull on my SS.

CB.

[tartansailor]

Oh yes, the sun visor! "A car without a visor is like a hat without a brim"
Carter, did you have "Duals" Remember "Nosed & Decked" and of course "Quads"
My first car was a 41 Merc convert inspired by Deborah Carr's; wheels from the flick "From Here to Eternity"

My inspiration has since changed to sailboats.

Dick

[Oswego John]

We can't forget curb feelers. Some of the smoothies had painted flames coming out from under their hoods. Gauche? Nah. Kinda neato.

O J

[Tom in Cambria]

Thanks for the reminder about curb feelers. We had to clamp them on the running board so you wouldn't scrape the running board on the curb when parallel parking. And the necker knobs were also called brode knobs because you used them to spin the steering wheel with one hand to break the rear wheels loose and skid the car sideways what was known as a "brode" (pronounced bro-dee). And don't forget the mechanical brakes where you had to screw the fittings on the ends in and out to try and get all the wheels to brake at the same time when you stepped on the brake pedal. They went out when automatic transmissions came in because you couldn't use the engine to help brake the car anymore and you needed better brakes. When hydraulic brakes came in we thought you had to pump them to get the pressure up. Geez you guys must be really old to remember this stuff.

[Russell]

Maybe my rust stains are not as bad as others, because i am able to get them off with a green scrubby pad and joy dish soap and water. The more stubborn ones I just use a mild abrasive cleaner. Though unfortunately down here in the caribbean where its impossible to keep salt water off the stainless and you cant do full fresh water rinses, the stains come back quickly and keeping them away is a constant processes.

[Oswego John]

Hi Russell and all,

I'm wondering just what's rusting aboard ship. Is it chrome plated metal, stainless steel, or what?

On some SS, you might try to stick a magnet on it and see what quality the SS is.

When dealing with plated surfaces, it might be cautious to go light with abrasives.

When shining bright metal, *DON'T* use anything like CLR (calcium, lime, rust remover). It can etch and stain the shiny metal surface.

As was mentioned earlier, use #7 or similar cleaner for stubborn rust. I suppose, like in olden days, after cleaning, a good application of Simonize or other quality paste wax might deter rust from reforming.

FWIW,
O J

[Russell]

Oswego,

On my boat its all the stainless that gets rust stains, stanchoins, wind generator pole, pulpits, rigging, dodger and bimini frame, etc... Its not rusting per se, just rust stains. Very normal for stainless which gets salt caked on it constantly. All the stainless is top grade (I forgot which one is the top). I only have a little plated metal on my boat, just the winches at the mast (cockpit winches are bronze) and the plated metal gets no stains. But like I said I run into no problems getting it off, just a green scrub pad wipes it right off without even much scrubbing.

[Bill Sonntag]

All cleaning suggestions sound viable. I use either Neverdull or McGuires plain old one step cleaner wax - I think its No. 50 - works great on mild surface rust stains. I keep after the rails on a fairly regular basis.

Now - old pick-um-up trucks - my 51 Chevy was something else. Black primer, five window with a cow rack out back. The the cab floor boards were augmented by multiple layers of funky carpet in which I discovered a number of 38 caliber shell casings from the previous owner. The old truck got so loose I could adjust the clutch at will by taking corners at a precipitous speed left, then right to get the clutch right where it should be. I remember it had a Chevy 216 ci six with splash oil lubrication - didn't burn a drop with a regular can of STP in the mix.

I was working on a boat restoration project then - the pick-um-up got me to and from the Chesapeake Bay, sometimes on a borrowed $2 or $3 dollars of gas, sometimes filled from my friends farm equipment pump next to the shed. It didn't draw a second look in the farmlands of south central PA northern Maryland. Never a worry about a speeding ticket, but state inspection, that was another matter....

Happy Sailing.....

[Dick Villamil]

The best way I know of to reduce the rust on stainless is to keep your boat in fresh water. After 32 years on Lake Champlain I have never had to remove rust from any stainless steel fittings!!! I still like my 55 Chevy ragtop with the chrome tailpipe extenders and burning oil faster than gas!