pointers on removing heavy rust from plow moldboards

[bob in Utah]

As winter is a good time to get ready for spring plow day, I would like tips from any experienced plow men who have had to remove heavy rust from the moldboards to get them shined enough to where they will scour well. I've used a heavy wire brush on an angle grinder, but I just can't get a very good shine. Any input would be much appreciated. Bob

 

[Anonymous-0]

I've used a flap grinding disk. The moldboard surface is very hard and so the grinding disk doesn't dig in. Then polish with a fine flap disk or by plowing lots of sandy dirt.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

A day before I plow with a rusty bottom,I use a 4" grinder with a knotted wire brush and knock off the heavy rust, then I brush on a abundant amount of Muriatic acid. Do this in a well ventilated area{outsideworks}. Keep it wet for a day or so, The bottoms will scour real easy.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I live a 1/2 mi. from a old railroad bed that is abandoned.It has cinders about 6or 8 in. deep it works wonders in about 100yards.

 

[Lee in Iowa]

I've polished with coarse sanding disc on hand grinder and then painted with slip plate graphite paint on three different plows that other people had let get rusty. As the slip plate wears off they seem to scour really well, especially in alfalfa. Lee

 

[Dave Sherburne NY]

Mark has the right idea.

 

[RodinNS]

I'm kinda lazy I guess.... Most of my land is quite sandy/light soil. I just bury the plow for the first few rounds and it cleans up nice. When I'm done with it I paint the boards with cheap enamel.
I guess a knotted wire wheel would work if you need to clean them...

Rod

 

[Mike Aylward]

Bob, just this fall I had to scour a plow that I had bought over ten years ago that was rusty when I got it. (I actually got it for a parts plow and decided to go ahead and fix it up to use.) I have no idea how long it sat before I got it but it was about as rusty as it could get. I used a 50/50 mixture of phosphoric acid and water. I let it set a half day or so and hit it again. I took a cup brush on a grinder and ran over it, then gave it another coat. I gave it another coat just before I loaded the plow on the trailer. I plowed for an hour (gumbo soil, not sand) and it was SCOURED. Not just a "gray scour" but as bright as it could ever get. It was the easiest I had ever had a plow scour. Now a rusty moldboard doesn"t concern me on a used plow as much as it once did. I painted the bottoms as soon as I got done so next time it will be ready to go. But I was amazed at how fast and completely this worked. Hope this helps. Mike

 

[Anonymous-0]

Did this on a neighbor's plow this Fall. I had last been used about 10 years ago. We took and old "soft" brick and motor oil, and scrubbed her down. Scoured real nice. When we were done, we covered them with a light coat of grease.

 

[LA in Wi.]

Sanding disk, muriatic acid, flapper disk, some of this, some of that...boy, I get tired of just thinking about all that work. I bought a 2 bottom trailer plow a couple years ago that was stored for years in Mrs. Nature"s shed. I ground away with a sanding disk, cussed a little bit, then tried the acid, cussed a little bit more. After only getting 1/40th of it done, I hooked the plow up to my trusty ol" Farmall and plowed up some sandy soil (good neighbor"s field). The plow first trailed like a dog, but after a total of 6 hrs (2 hrs at a time) those moldboards are shined up like new!
And...scour in any soil.

 

[Randy-IA]

I'm new at the game so I suppose ignorance is bliss . I bought three Little genius plows this past spring . None had been used for at least twenty years I guess . I took everything apart and greased up the one with the clutch lift ( 3-16" ) . Didn't do a thing with the bottoms but look at em . It appeared as though they'd been painted before being parked in the field back then but they didn't look good now . Took it out and drug it through the ground for a couple hours - couldn't call it plowing - and got off every hundred feet or so and used a putty knife to get the soil buildup off . It was a little frustrating . It got rid of the rust but only got a dull shine to em because it wasn't very sandy and it was a little to wet . It's a start though . Put a coat of black paint on em . This year with new landsides and sharp quick attach shares on it it should actually plow . Then on to getting the others in shape to plow also ( a 4-14" Hyd lift and 3-16" Hyd lift ). ...Randy