Removing rust

[akirk]

I have been donated a pillar drill by a friend, which has been sitting in a garage and has some surface rust...
what is the best method of removing the rust, and in particular, what finish shoud I have on the table? I have hammerite paint which I can use to refresh the painted bits but am assuming that the table surface should just be metal?
And I am curious as to why the foot has a non-painted bit...
odd bits are the handle and the screw for the table height...
Alasdair

 

[sploo]

I have been donated a pillar drill by a friend, which has been sitting in a garage and has some surface rust...
what is the best method of removing the rust, and in particular, what finish shoud I have on the table? I have hammerite paint which I can use to refresh the painted bits but am assuming that the table surface should just be metal?
And I am curious as to why the foot has a non-painted bit...
odd bits are the handle and the screw for the table height...
Alasdair

View attachment 96009
View attachment 96010
View attachment 96011

For smaller bits that you can leave in a bucket, Evaporust is superb.

Don't put any finish on the table or foot - paint isn't a sufficiently flat and stable surface where accuracy is required. Just use a flat block with sandpaper; maybe lubricated with water or WD40, and sand the surface rust off.

Liberon's Lubricating Wax would be good for protecting the sanded bare metal, though there are plenty of alternatives (e.g. oil, Boeshield, microcrystalline wax). Probably not oil if you're planning on drilling wood though.

The foot surface is also unpainted as it can be used as a surface for really tall material (e.g. drilling the end of a table leg, with the upper table swung out of the way).

 

[akirk]

thank you, that all makes sense and is doable!
foot surface as another table - hadn‘t thought of that but yes, explains it...
thanks

 

[TFrench]

My current favourites for rust removal -
small parts - mix citric acid with a bucket of warm water and chuck them in. Remove within 24hrs - I've had the citric crystallise if left longer. It's as good as evaporust and a fraction of the price.
large parts - wd40 and scotchbrite. Doesn't leave as bad scratch marks as sandpaper.

 

[akirk]

thank you, I have some citric acid, so can try that...

 

[sploo]

Vinegar also works, but as TFrench notes; remove within 24 hours. It's one of the reasons I like Evaporust - it doesn't risk damage to any sensitive parts as it only attacks the rust.

 

[TFrench]

Evaporust is great, but nearly £35 for 10 litres is crazy, especially when I'm doing some big chunks! I suspect they're heavily sponsoring people like keith rucker and abom79 who are throwing parts in entire vats of the stuff!

 

[sploo]

Evaporust is great, but nearly £35 for 10 litres is crazy, especially when I'm doing some big chunks! I suspect they're heavily sponsoring people like keith rucker and abom79 who are throwing parts in entire vats of the stuff!

It really hurts when you screw up pouring a vat back into a container and empty it over the floor

 

[Paul Narramore]

There are some excellent, and slightly over-the-top, videos on YouTube which show pillar drills being refurbished. I bought an elderly Ajax pillar drill some years ago and refurbished mine. It’s all pretty much common sense really. For the rusty bits I used a wire cup brush in an angle grinder followed by steel wool and WD40. For the painted parts I bought some special ‘industrial’ paint online in light grey. Compared to old Japanese motorcycles I often work on, pillar drills are very basic devices.

 

[kenledger]

If there are bits that cant be soaked, base and table, Get some 0000 steel wool (Liberon Steel Wool)
and use with oil or WD40, it will not scratch the surfaces. Have used it for years on all manner of things.

 

[akirk]

Some great ideas - thank you...
The handles are currently soaking in citric acid and I will try wd40 and 0000 steel wool!

 

[oldboffin]

my problem is de-greasing prior to the de-rusting. What have people found to be effective, I'm not thinking large items, perhaps anything able to fit a 5L bucket

 

[sploo]

my problem is de-greasing prior to the de-rusting. What have people found to be effective, I'm not thinking large items, perhaps anything able to fit a 5L bucket

White spirit and a toothbrush!

 

[greg@hilltop]

What ratio of citric acid to water do people suggest?

 

[TFrench]

For degreasing I use a pump spay with clutch cleaner, works well.

The ratio of citric acid I used was 1 bucket of water : 1 takeaway tub of acid powder. Worked a treat.

 

[greg@hilltop]

Thanks. Are those metric or imperial units? - LOL

 

[HamsterJam]

I gather camellia oil can be used to protect the bare metal once you have it refurbished. Apparently it doesn’t mark wood. I found some which I used on my bandsaw table and also lathe bed at the weekend. Too early to tell how effective it is at keeping rust at bay but makes the mitre gauge, tool rest and tail stock slide nicely. Has anyone else used it?

 

[Ollie78]

First a webrax pad in a drill or angle grinder followed by a the 3 grades of Gary block.
Should be enough but if not then go to wet and dry paper.

Ollie

 

[Sideways]

Read up about electrolytic rust removal. You need an old laptop power supply, plastic bucket, some wire and literally £1 worth of chemical from your local Tesco / whatever.
It's the best, cheapest and easiest way.
Your drill tables, I would scrape using a sandvik scraper or even just a stanley knife blade, then rub up with scotchbrite pad lubricated with gunk degreaser or a squirt of wd40. Wipe and repeat a time or two as needed.

 

[akirk]

Some slow progress...
handles have been in citric acid for a few hours and surface rust has come off - hurrah!
main drill table has been attacked with various things from wire wool to scotchbrite (both with WD40) and the dremel...
now looking much better: