Tool Talk
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: amecks on March 14, 2014, 07:52:50 AM
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Hi guys, I'm at work and I have a rusty Ridgid soil pipe cutter - the tool with cutter wheels on a chain. I just put it in a 5 gallon pail and covered it with vinegar. Would it hurt it to leave it over the weekend? The rust isn't bad - just enough to make the chain tight and the wheels hard to turn.
Thanks.
Al.
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A-ok to leave it in.
I have left tools in vinegar for over a week with zero problems.
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Thank you! I'll let 'er soak.
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remember to rinse it, dry it & lubricate it, pronto !
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I'd also make sure there's no different metal in the bearings for the roller cutters -- you don't want to end up with rough bearings.
One of Don Snyder's books shows a wrench he soaked in old battery acid & "forgot" it for a month -- the grain of the wrought iron was clearly visible as a result. Vinegar is not as aggressive but still...
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Here's the results: This is not an antique tool but a working rental tool - so this isn't necessarily the process I would use on my personal tools. I don't have any "before" pictures but this chain was stiff and most of the cutter wheels were hard to turn with your fingers. When I rinsed off the vinegar a lot of fine black stuff washed out of the chain. After drying with compressed air it had only a fine powdery looking coat of rust. I sprayed a very thin coat of Zenex Rust Converter which drys transparent but turns rust black - some sales rep left a can here for us to try. Then I used another trial can - Nut Cracker foaming penetrant (normally we stock PB Blaster). Now the chain links are free and all the cutter wheels spin easily.
After rinsing and drying...
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/tamalecks/Tools/PipeCutter001_zps9059d66d.jpg)
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/tamalecks/Tools/PipeCutter002_zpsced418ae.jpg)
After spraying Zenex and oil...
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/tamalecks/Tools/PipeCutter003_zps1414b3c8.jpg)
Now the tool is professional looking and ready to rent.
Thanks.
Al.
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A little late but....
Me an my cousin used two five gallon buckets of Zep professional rust converter. It wasn't cheap but worked miricales on a storage unit of plumbing tools/supplies we bought. After a coat of that, rinced, dried, oiled, we made a good profit of reselling the tools. Not a tool it didn't work on.
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Ratcheting cast iron pipe cutters, great for tight spaces aint they.
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I finished it just in time. Someone came in and rented it this morning!
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Ummm, you do realize,
Rotation of the wheels is not necessary to the operation of that cutter, and will generally damage the wheels.
Second, PB Blaster is NOT a lubricant, says so right on the can
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It took me forever to find a pair for what I wanted to pay. I use mine for cracking open geodes.
Chilly
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That did come out nice. And rented already? Cool!