Question about using Vinigar to clean iron

[Airborne80]

I just put a bunch of items (cannon ball fragments, wagon wheel hub, etc.) into vinegar to soak for 24 hours per someones advice. My question is.... when I remove them... what do i do next? Just dry them off? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Happy New Year to you all.

 

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[ivan salis]

vinager is a form of very mild acid -- so wash them off to get the acid off and put in some clean water with baking soda which will stop the acid effect on the iron -- then dry them off very well and put whatever your going to use as a protective coating on it to seal off the iron from the outside air to prevent it from just rusting all over again. --- good luck -- Ivan

 

[Old Dog]

Just a basic chemestry warning...

Depending on the strength of the acid used one of the by products will be nitrogen.

The strength will determine the nitrogen output.



Use a well ventilated space to perform this project.

Nitrogen ..... EXPLODES.

Thom
OD

 

[ivan salis]

always do this outdoors not indoors and not smoking of course

 

[EDDE]

Nitrogen ..... EXPLODES.

no it doesn't HYDOGEN DOES
An example occurred shortly before the launch of the first Space Shuttle mission in 1981, when two technicians lost consciousness and died after they walked into a space located in the Shuttle's Mobile Launcher Platform that was pressurized with pure nitrogen as a precaution against fire.

 

[Old Dog]

If you are using Hydrocloric acid .....
The reaction with iron will make Hydrogen,
and yes it will explode as well.

Nitrogen and oxygen will explode.
quite nicely as a matter of fact.
especially flamable in an enclosed area.
You are correct to say pure nitrogen won't.

OD

 

[Airborne80]

Oh My GOD! You guys really are great!!!!

Thank you all so much for the advice! I learned so much from you..... like ask the questions and GET the answers PRIOR to starting something!!! Sure enough... I did everything wrong. I was soaking the items IN THE HOUSE and in the kitchen... all night! That could have been a disaster. I moved it all outside now.... thanks to you all. I really do thank you and i am so impressed with the caliber of people on this site. I do have one more question. After washing the items... should I paint them with clear spray paint? I have no idea of how to perserve them. Thanks again and Happy New Year!

 

[ivan salis]

for iron most folk choose use a flat blaclk paint --

 

[Section10]

For finishing rusty old iron I will either use stove black and then buff it a little or else get a propane torch and a cake of paraffin canning wax and heat the iron and melt the wax onto it and rub it with a rag. I'm kind of partial to the waxing method, since if the stove blacked piece is handled too much it will make for black fingers. The only drawback to the waxing is if the piece is left in bright sunlight it will look wet since a little film of wax will melt although it doesn't really hurt anything. I firmly believe though that stove black or wax always look better than paint.

 

[ivan salis]

waxing is a great sealent

 

[Old Dog]

A thin coat of Boiled linseed oil works well too.

OD

 

[Airborne80]

Thank you all very much for the suggestions. I do appreciate it greatly. I have some very cool items and am ready to clean and preserve them. By the way.... if any of you know something about CW artifacts.... please take a look at the "What is it" section where I posted some pics of some of my finds. I have not received any replies since i posted and have no clue how to identify them. I know that they are from the CW because I found them at the same location and the same depth as bullets and other recognizable items. Thanks again.

 

[SomeGuy]

Nitrogen and oxygen will explode.
quite nicely as a matter of fact.

No it won't. Air is approx. 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. This is hardly an explosive mixture. Perhaps you're thinking of a nitration reaction, where one or more NO2 ions are substituted onto a hydrocarbon, as in the manufacture of TNT. This is completely different.