Odd Question, Odd Use for Chain

[lastcowboy32]

So, I have about eight feet of a very heavy square link chain from my baler (main drive chain from a NH276) and a section of scrap #60 roller chain.

I want to clean them up, weld them into straight sections and make a microphone stand for our daughter. (Her and I play in a band together...tons of fun...)

The square chain is greasy and dusty. The roller chain is quite rusty, to the point where it doesn't bend easily.

Right now, I have them in an old pot in the garage.

My first thought was to pour some diesel over them and let them sit for a while.

That probably won't touch the rust, though, right?

I don't have a sand blaster, but I do have time.

Is there something that I could soak these chains in that would degrease them AND remove rust? Would it take two separate soaks?

I thought about carburetor cleaner?
Oven cleaner?

Anybody care to comment or share some experience with this.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 16:07:07 12/06/18) So, I have about eight feet of a very heavy square link chain from my baler (main drive chain from a NH276) and a section of scrap #60 roller chain.

I want to clean them up, weld them into straight sections and make a microphone stand for our daughter. (Her and I play in a band together...tons of fun...)

The square chain is greasy and dusty. The roller chain is quite rusty, to the point where it doesn't bend easily.

Right now, I have them in an old pot in the garage.

My first thought was to pour some diesel over them and let them sit for a while.

That probably won't touch the rust, though, right?

I don't have a sand blaster, but I do have time.

Is there something that I could soak these chains in that would degrease them AND remove rust? Would it take two separate soaks?

I thought about carburetor cleaner?
Oven cleaner?

Anybody care to comment or share some experience with this.

lectrolysis sounds right to me

 

[lastcowboy32]

I looked it up... does sound promising. The line of sight aspect of it would take some figuring.

I would have to hang the chain so it rotates...or flip it now and then... or use multiple sacrificial anodes spaced around it... something to try to get good coverage.

Definitely not going to work in the small metal pot that it's currently coiled in.

 

[P I Pete]

Plastic bucket and muratic acid.

Pete

 

[WESnIL]

A wire cup brush on a 4 1/2 inch grinder for the first step to get rid of the heavy surface rust. Hopefully that will get the chain more flexible so one can
bend it to fit in a bucket. Then some soaking in muriatic acid but make sue to do the soaking outside due to the fumes. Then you could weld away. Maybe even
some nice paint at the end to make it more attractive. Good luck with the project.

 

[Indiana Ken]

.

Sounds like a good project. I have been using www.evapo-rust.com which is available from TSC. It costs more but is not as aggressive as muratic acid. It will not eat holes in your clothes and there are no fumes to rust nearby items. You will need to get the grease and heavy rust off first - maybe drag the chains around the back forty several times...

 

[Keith True]

Tie a rope to them,then drag them around the dooryard with a tractor,or your car.A dirt driveway does a good job of abrading rust and grease off chains.I found a dozen 5 gallon buckets in an old equipment shop that looked to be filled with water.each bucket had a chain in it,put there before the roof leaked.an old fellow told me to hook them onto my tractor and fly up and down my driveway a few dozen times.Chains looked like new after.It did a good job of raking my driveway too.

 

[showcrop]

Go to your farm supply store and get some acid milk stone remover or CIP neutralizer. They are phosphoric acid which is less aggressive than muriatic and and will convert the rust to iron phosphate which is a protective coating.

 

[Keith True]

Another thing you can do.If you have a mixer,is if you can roll them up enough to fit in a cement mixer,throw them in with a few shovels of sand,stone,gravel,old nuts and bolts.Let it run for a while.I do that with old car hardware.I put in 40-50 pounds of Model A hardware and let the mixer run for a couple of hours.Two shovels of sand is all it takes.Also does a good job of cleaning out that old mortar left in the mixer.

 

[MtMan]

Believe it or not but plain vinegar will work. It might not be the fastest but it will work. Just put them in a pail and cover with vinegar. shake them around every day or so and you will be surprised at how much rust will come off and vinegar is rather cheap also.

 

[kencombs]

I was doing that with a piece of chain, while mowing, last summer.

One caution: don't back up when mowing and dragging chain to clean it.

Not good on blades. DAMHIKT

 

[JRSutton]

I'd soak it with molasses - shouldn't take too much for a short section of chain like that.

I also use phosphoric acid a lot on rust - it works well, but you've got to clean it off good right away, otherwise it gets sticky and turns
white. Might be a pain in the but on chain, not sure.

If you use diesel etc. consider that it's going to stink for quite a while.

 

[redforlife]

Drag behind vehicle on gravel or dirt road untill rust gone and they are shiney. You might wire them to another
short peace of chain so that the complete chain you are cleaning up is completely on the ground while dragging.
Otherwise you will have to turn chain around to clean the other end of chain if it is pulling up off the ground
while dragging.

 

[lastcowboy32]

(quoted from post at 06:27:09 12/07/18)
Go to your farm supply store and get some acid milk stone remover or CIP neutralizer. They are phosphoric acid which is less aggressive than muriatic and and will convert the rust to iron phosphate which is a protective coating.

You know. I happen to have some milkstone remover; since we have cattle.

Might be worth a try.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 13:44:34 02/01/19)

(quoted from post at 06:27:09 12/07/18)
Go to your farm supply store and get some acid milk stone remover or CIP neutralizer. They are phosphoric acid which is less aggressive than muriatic and and will convert the rust to iron phosphate which is a protective coating.

You know. I happen to have some milkstone remover; since we have cattle.

Might be worth a try.

Yes, but look at it as two different cleaning operations. Go after the grease first with dollar store oven cleaner. After the grease is cleaned off you go after the rust. Just soak with a little agitation now and then over some days. Keep it as warm as possible too. Cold slows it right down.