regarding aluminum foil

[PAULYBOY]

I know it's not a new tip. I've read it before a few times here as to aluminum foil getting rid of surface rust. A neighbor of mine whose 2 young sons do junior dragsters showed me last week how he uses it, and I was amazed. I just previously filed this tip in the same area of my brain as the infomercial stuff you watch, but don't quite believe. He took a spray bottle of soapy water and a crumpled ball of foil with the dull side out and ran it over my headlight ears and a couple other smaller chromed pieces on my bike and all the rust came off in seconds with little elbow grease used. I was dumbfounded (usually I'm just slightly dumb)!!!

[tas850g]

i read somewhere here that you put the shiney side out on the foil. I tried this with just water on the #4 head pipe and it did take the surface rust off. The pipe is a dull shine but atleast it's not rusty.

[MelodicMetalGod]

I'm adding this to my list of "home remedies". This is the 2nd thread of "success" that I've seen on this in a few days. I wanted to understand why it worked, so I just poked around a bit and I wound up at, of course, Wikipedia.

From the article:
Polishing steel [w/aluminum foil]

A simple and inexpensive way to remove rust from and polish steel surfaces by hand is to rub it with aluminium foil dipped in water. The aluminium foil is softer than steel, and will not scratch the surface. As heat is generated by rubbing friction, the aluminium will oxidize to produce aluminium oxide. Aluminium has a higher reduction potential than iron, and will therefore leech oxygen atoms away from any rust on the steel surface. Aluminium oxide is harder than steel, and the microscopic grains of aluminium oxide produced creates a fine metal polishing compound that smooths the steel surface to a bright shine.

[journerr]

I've tried it a few times, on some metal surfaces & on the exhaust pipes, but it doesn't seem to work for me.
The aluminum foil breaks down into bits & pieces before anything happens with the rust I'm trying to remove.

[PAULYBOY]

From the article:
Polishing steel [w/aluminum foil]

A simple and inexpensive way to remove rust from and polish steel surfaces by hand is to rub it with aluminium foil dipped in water. The aluminium foil is softer than steel, and will not scratch the surface. As heat is generated by rubbing friction, the aluminium will oxidize to produce aluminium oxide. Aluminium has a higher reduction potential than iron, and will therefore leech oxygen atoms away from any rust on the steel surface. Aluminium oxide is harder than steel, and the microscopic grains of aluminium oxide produced creates a fine metal polishing compound that smooths the steel surface to a bright shine.

One of the things I do with my airbrushes and spray guns is to polish the needles when I've got them down for a deep clean and breakdown. Next time I'll try the aluminum foil on the hardened steel needles too, since it is apparently a polish in its final stages.

[Flaggo60]

Aren't SOS pads (soaped steel wool pads for pots and pans) just as good for rust removal? Is the aluminum trick better, in anyone's experience?

[PAULYBOY]

my experience with steel wool pads are that they start to shred pretty much as soon as you start to use them. They've wreaked havoc with my wooden furniture finishing, which is why I went to the type of pot scrubber material pads out now. Steel wool has a counterpart called synthetic wool pads, but I think they shred too. Not sure. Anyways, on wood, they leave too many shreeded bits and I had to strip and refinish the pieces I was commisioned to build. On painted metal surfaces, they cause rust and also the same contaminant problems, so I use abralon pads, which are an alternative to sandpaper and go all the way to 4000 grit.

[terrylee2u]

Well the aluminum foil is cheap enough.. will give this a try.. thanx guys

[maro]

I used foil just the other day. worked like a charm. One suggestion. Wrap it around a foam sanding block. makes it much easier to use and doesn't get hot from the friction. Foil is thin

[81GS250T]

Just remember to use GOOD QUALITY foil, or else like stated above, it will fall apart.
I wonder if the heavy-duty foil works better.

[gs1197]

Aren't SOS pads (soaped steel wool pads for pots and pans) just as good for rust removal? Is the aluminum trick better, in anyone's experience?

Steel wool will scratch chrome, the aluminum foil won't.

I believe this method is intended for very light surface rust on chrome finishes. Heavily pitted rust will chew up the foil.
Also, buffing the part with wax after the foil trick will help keep the rusting at bay.