CLEANING A VISE

[Ken W.]

I've been thinking of painting  a couple of rusty vise and I have a gallon of Muriatic acid that I'd like to dip them in for a while. Do you folks think that this will strip off the rust without damaging the vise ? 

[Flatland Dave]

I don't think so, but I don't know for sure.  I have seen some use electrolysis on them with wonderful results. 
What brand is that second vise?  It looks very unique.

[amecks]

They don't look all that bad.  How about taking them apart and wire wheeling the parts?  Scrape the crud out of the corners and use one of those 4" wire wheels in a fast drill.  Wash them off with mineral spirits.  I bet they'll come out looking pretty good.
Al.

[Ken W.]

I was told it was a Parker. I put that vise on the Blacksmith area and I got a Ebay link. Al, I was going that route but I wanted a super clean surface to paint.

[Bill Houghton]

Muriatic's pretty strong, and the metal will rust immediately when you remove it.  Try white vinegar instead - milder and, in my experience, quite effective.  When you remove it, use lots of running water to remove the vinegar, then WD-40 to absorb the water.  Don't leave it unpainted/untreated for long after that.

[Chillylulu]

Muriatic acid is another name for 32.5% hydrochloric acid.  Like Bill said, it is relatively strong for around the house.

Not only will it cause your tool to flash immediately, it will rust all your other tools in the area.

I had a box I stored in my garage.  A few weeks later everything had to be cleaned and oiled.

Use something milder on steel and cast iron, unless you are looking to etch it.

Chilly

[Ken W.]

Ok.Thanks for the info.