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Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
So I made a bracket out of some rusted metal and was cleaning some of the heavy rust off with a steel brush. I didn't realize that the brush had WD40 on it from a previous project. I wasn't planning on sanding the thing down and was going to use Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer before painting. Now I got to get the oil off and a Google search said not to use soapy water. I was wondering what you all use to remove oil?
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
You could burn it off.... but the heat may affect other things Personally I love to use chemicals!!!! brake cleaner, carb cleaner, ether, acetone, MEK, etc... lots of stuff to 'cut' oil I suppose even dawn dishwashing liquid works good to cut oil... or even simple green plus a whole lot more things sold as 'degreasing' solutions at most hardware stores...
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Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Acetone is my fave. MEK gives me an INSTANT headache.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Seems like the LOGICAL choice would be this...
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
Lis2323
Seems like the LOGICAL choice would be this...
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WOW!!! it's even got a comfort grip handle... Sid kept buggin me to buy stuff like that... was always whining that his fingers hurt when he had to do yard work...
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Any time we ran out of the commercial wax/tar remover when I was painting, enamel reducer was my favorite go-to. There really isn't a lot of oil in WD-40, it tends to evaporate quite dry, so any old paint thinner or acetone should work. You don't need anything fancy, soak it on with one rag and wipe it dry with a clean rag so you don't leave residues behind.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
On heavy rust wiping might pose a problem... so... back to burning it
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
The light layer of rust has soaked up the WD40 so that it looks wet which surprises me how much was on the steel brush. That think that worries me is the Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer and if any of the usual stuff I've used would keep it from working. Thus is the first time I've used Rust Reformer and actually bought it by mistake.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
sleeper
The light layer of rust has soaked up the WD40 so that it looks wet which surprises me how much was on the steel brush. That think that worries me is the Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer and if any of the usual stuff I've used would keep it from working. Thus is the first time I've used Rust Reformer and actually bought it by mistake.
If it's an 'oil based' paint I wouldn't worry like was previously said... WD40 isn't really an oil anyways... it is a Water Displacer and a penetrant with some other stuff added
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Sandblast or flame/torch both works or lots of soap and water even pressure washer.
Dave
Originally Posted by
sleeper
So I made a bracket out of some rusted metal and was cleaning some of the heavy rust off with a steel brush. I didn't realize that the brush had WD40 on it from a previous project. I wasn't planning on sanding the thing down and was going to use Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer before painting. Now I got to get the oil off and a Google search said not to use soapy water. I was wondering what you all use to remove oil?
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
If you're leaving enough rust behind after the wire brushing to soak anything up, that's a bigger adhesion issue than the WD-40. If you don't have access to a sandblaster, maybe some light grinding discs or heavy sanding discs. I was working on a piece this afternoon and using 80 grit sandpaper in my RO sander.
250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC Stick
F-225 amp Forney AC Stick
230 amp Sears AC Stick
Lincoln 180C MIG
Vevor MIG 200A
Victor Medalist 350 O/A
Vevor Cut 50 Plasma
Les
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
sleeper
The light layer of rust has soaked up the WD40 so that it looks wet which surprises me how much was on the steel brush. That think that worries me is the Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer and if any of the usual stuff I've used would keep it from working. Thus is the first time I've used Rust Reformer and actually bought it by mistake.
I've only used rust reformer once, and it was a long time ago. The way I remember, I think it was a lot like ospho.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
If the remaining rust is absorbent, and if the WD40 soaked into it, I would use a strong base such as lye/sodium hydroxide/oven cleaner with a little dish detergent like Dawn as a wetting agent, and scrub with a brush, then hose off real well, then let it dry. "Rust Reformer" is basically an acid, and if there's any grease at all left in the rust, it ain't gonna be "reformed" because the "reformer" ain't gonna touch it because oil is hydrophobic (kinda like vinegar and oil).
Personally, I would skip the "rust reformer" and go straight from degreasing to Rust Oleum Rusty Metal Primer (a little rust actually helps it adhere by giving it some tooth) but that's just me...
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Sand blast followed by lacquer thinner soak/wipe.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
ronsii
If it's an 'oil based' paint I wouldn't worry
like was previously said... WD40 isn't really an oil anyways... it is a Water Displacer and a penetrant with some other stuff added
I was always told it was 40W oil mixed with the other stuff.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
whtbaron
If you're leaving enough rust behind after the wire brushing to soak anything up, that's a bigger adhesion issue than the WD-40. .
Well that's the whole purpose of the Rust Reformer to paint over the rust. You just can't have flaky rust. I didn't want to take it down to clean metal and don't really care what it looks like, just don't want it to rust anymore.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
I use lacquer thinner as the final cleaner before painting. It just seems the most powerful at cutting and removing whatever might be left to mess with the paint going on properly. I also like to heat up pretty warm and then final wipe with lacquer thinner and spray while surface is still warm.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
From what I've read , WD-40 is a mixture of light mineral oil(less than 10w) and fish oil. Rustoluem red primer for rusty metal (commercial grade enamel, oil-base) also has oil, and fish oil in it. I've painted lots of rusty stuff with the red primer, and never top coated, and it takes about 10 years to rust. I've cut, drilled, and tapped using WD-40 as lube, Never seemed to affect the paint sticking, If it does start to rust, its hard to notice on the deep red finish. I would just paint it after a quick wipe with mineral spirits or acetone, which ever is handy.The reason you don't want to use anything water based is because the rust will soak it up. If you dont get all the water out before you paint,(which would probably take some heat to chase the water completely out) it will probably continue to rust more underneath the paint, cause blistering, and eventually flaking off.
I've used different brands of rust reformer. Some are solvent based, some are water based, and then it has to match you paint. I stick mostly with Rustoleum, and some Benjamin Moore. I would have to check but i think the rustoleum is .......
If you are using the flat black autmotive version I wouldn't worry to much , the SDS I saw has lots of solvents in it.
https://www.rustoleum.com/MSDS/ENGLISH/248658.pdf
3. Composition / Information on Ingredients
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
Chemical Name CAS-No. Wt.% Range GHS Symbols GHS Statements
Acetone 67-64-1 25-50 GHS02-GHS07 H225-319-332-336
Propane 74-98-6 10-25 GHS04 H280
n-Butyl Acetate 123-86-4 10-25 GHS02-GHS07 H226-336
n-Butane 106-97-8 2.5-10 GHS04 H280
Hydrous Magnesium Silicate 14807-96-6 2.5-10 Not Available Not Available
Xylenes (o-, m-, p- Isomers) 1330-20-7 2.5-10 GHS02-GHS07 H226-315-319-332
Dimethyl Carbonate 616-38-6 2.5-10 GHS02 H225
Hydrotreated Light Distillate 64742-47-8 1.0-2.5 GHS08 H304
Ethylbenzene 100-41-4 0.1-1.0 GHS02-GHS07-
GHS08 H225-304-332-351-373
Carbon Black 1333-86-4 0.1-1.0 Not Available Not Available
Naphtha (Petroleum), Heavy Aromatic 64742-94-5 0.1-1.0 GHS07-GHS08 H304-312-332
Zinc Phosphate 7779-90-0 0.1-1.0 Not Available Not Available
Sulfonic Acids, petroleum, calcium salts, overbased 68783-96-0 0.1-1.0 GHS06 H331
Zinc Oxide 1314-13-2 0.1-1.0 Not Available Not Available
Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime 96-29-7 0.1-1.0 GHS05-GHS06 H302-312-317-318-331
HTH
Good luck
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
I am really disappointed in this Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer. I thought it was paint primer to use over rust and I did notice that it was a different color than I used before. Now I have to buy primer to paint over it.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
whtbaron
Any time we ran out of the commercial wax/tar remover when I was painting, enamel reducer was my favorite go-to. There really isn't a lot of oil in WD-40, it tends to evaporate quite dry, so any old paint thinner or acetone should work. You don't need anything fancy, soak it on with one rag and wipe it dry with a clean rag so you don't leave residues behind.
Look up the msds, it's 80-90 % kerosene
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
wash the hell out of is with dawn detergent, rinse and wipe dry and wipe with wax and grease remover. tack cloth before painting or rust neutralize before epoxy primer.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
sleeper
Well that's the whole purpose of the Rust Reformer to paint over the rust. You just can't have flaky rust. I didn't want to take it down to clean metal and don't really care what it looks like, just don't want it to rust anymore.
Again, the rust reformer isn't going to do anything if the rust has WD40 in it. The acid is just going to roll off the (oily) rust, like rain rolls off a waxed car hood or an oiled hunting rifle.
Acid doesn't touch oil/grease/wax. But bases emulsify and dissolve them. (This is how soap and detergent and grease are made.) This is why, when gunsmiths blue (or brown) a gun, the first thing they do is degrease the metal with lye and solvents. If they don't degrease first, the acids/reagents used in bluing/browning aren't going to attack the steel evenly, because residual oil/grease is going to prevent those chemicals from ever even touching the steel.
You need to degrease the rust first and remove the residual WD40. Lye (oven cleaner) is great for that kind of thing, as is brake cleaner. But I think lye is going to cut the oil better than any non-polar solvent and leave a cleaner surface for your rust reformer to react with (or for paint to adhere to). Just be sure to rinse off the lye completely before applying the rust remover, since lye (a base) is the opposite of rust reformer (an acid).
Last edited by Kelvin; 11-16-2020 at 03:10 PM.
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
whtbaron
If you're leaving enough rust behind after the wire brushing to soak anything up, that's a bigger adhesion issue than the WD-40. If you don't have access to a sandblaster, maybe some light grinding discs or heavy sanding discs. I was working on a piece this afternoon and using 80 grit sandpaper in my RO sander.
I'm with whtbaron .
That rust is more of a drama than WD will be
A good guess is better than a bad measurement
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
12345678910
Look up the msds, it's 80-90 % kerosene
This is the California CARB compliant msds : https://files.wd40.com/pdf/sds/mup/w...sds-us-ghs.pdf
3 - Composition/Information on Ingredients
Ingredient CAS # Weight Percent US Hazcom 2012/ GHSClassification
LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon 64742-47-8 45-50% Aspiration Toxicity Category 1
Petroleum Base Oil 64742-56-964742-65-064742-53-664742-54-764742-71-8 <35% Not Hazardous
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon 64742-47-8 <25% Flammable Liquid Category 3Aspiration Toxicity Category 1Specific Target Organ ToxicitySingle Exposure Category 3(nervous system effects)
Carbon Dioxide 124-38-9 2-3% Simple Asphyxiant Gas Under Pressure,Compressed Gas
@Sleeper - I'm just guessing, but is that surface rust , or deep laying in a swamp flaking off in big chunks rust ? Your location is in the hi-desert ? so I'm guessing its more of a surface rust. wipe with dry rag, or acetone or any other VOC based product, and paint away, unless your going for the polished lacquer finish. If you were using oil based enamel, you could probably use WD-40 as a leveling agent to remove brush strokes, and roller marks. Almost the same ingredients as "japan dryer" that I've used.
Got any pictures ?
Last edited by albrightree; 11-17-2020 at 11:43 AM.
Reason: brsudh strokes
Airco 250 ac/dc Heliwelder Square wave
Miller Synchrowave 180 sd
Miller Econo Twin HF
Lincoln 210 MP
Dayton 225 ac/dc
Victor torches
Snap-On YA-212
Lotos Cut60D
Primeweld 225 ac/dc
Primeweld mig180
Miller AEAD-200
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Re: Best way to remove WD40 from rusted metal before paint priming
Originally Posted by
albrightree
If you were using oil based enamel, you could probably use WD-40 as a leveling agent to remove brush strokes, and roller marks. Almost the same ingredients as "japan dryer"