MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Chemical stripping

What is the chemical that is used for dipping-stripping?

Guy
Guy Weller

hydrochloric isn't it?

Phosphoric does a good job of removing rust tho too.
Tarquin

Hmm, sounds a bit too nasty! I have used Phosphoric for small parts and that is not too bad to work with.

I had an idea it was something like Caustic Soda, but not being a chemist, I wasn't sure what that was. Or what it does.
Guy Weller

I think you can use a very strong alkali, you could try caustic soda in solution but keeping it warm.

I have a place in Leeds that can do parts like wings and engines. He can't do a full frog bonnet though.
Tarquin

Has anyone tried Soda Blasting? Theres a firm in Huddersfield that do it http://www.vapourblast.co.uk/

It looks like a good safer alternative to sand blasting.
Ed Brown

I was vaguely thinking of setting up a tank in the garden with caustic soda. But reading Wikipedia on it, it sounds pretty nasty stuff. Apparently it is good for disposing murder victims. Might get the neighbours suspicious.
Guy Weller

Tarquin, who is it in leeds that does chemical cleaning? Ive been trying to find somewhere to do my block.
D Tetley

A place called Ultrasonic Cleaning Services.
10 Pepper Rd
Leeds, LS10 2EU
0113 271 5807

They charged me £50 for a block & head.
Tarquin

Soda blasting doesn't use caustic soda, it uses baking soda as a medium and then that is prepelled by compressed air much like sand blasting.

It's not as abrasive as sand blasting and it won't worp surfaces so it seems a good alternative. I just can't find anyone who's used it - all I can find is info from the companys selling it which is bound to be a bit bias.
Ed Brown

I am a chemist in my day job. Caustic soda is cheaply available from the hardware store BUT treat it with respect! I have a plastic dustbin in which I produce a solution to soak the oven trays in and it cleans them beautifully. I dare say it would take off a fair amount of shuck and mit from various car parts too. BUT Please wear eye protection if you handle it, and gloves too. You only need to get it under your fingernails once to realise the sense in that!
David Cox

I believe I used a caustic soda solution and a car battery charger to neutralise the rust on metallic parts with the part as one electrode and a piece of steel as the other (not sure which way round) Worked after a fashion. Not sure what it does to paint though.
Steve Church

I bought a load of Caustic Soda recently with the view to cleaning cylinder blocks like we used to when I worked in NZ, but all it did was take the rust off and turn it black.... Not what I had planned at all. It even stained my stainless steel vessle that I had it in... Oh, I did it hot too.

What the hell did we use in NZ...? Everything came out like a new casting.....

Mark.
Mark T. Boldry

try aceatone with a small hand towel and green scotchbrite pads, that will certianly take down the paint without alot of envoir damage....you can do a whole car exterior with a gallon....just do one panal at a time...but its messy


thats what I did to get rid of a top coat of unstable paint of 3 coats on the midget several years ago, did the whole car in 2 evenings....just dont smoke while doing it.....BaBOOOoooommm!

Prop
Prop***The End in 2012

Prop,
I was thinking that the commercial dipping processes take off paint and rust and seam sealer.

Doing a Google search, I find that there are quite a number of products to use as dips for removing paints, and some for rust. But I haven't yet come across one that is a "one shot" solution.

Guy
Guy Weller

Ah Sorry about that guy,

yeah, thats going to be hard to find one that does all that....mainly do to enviromental issues, years ago there was a chemical stripper on every corner that stripped old furniture, then the EPA got involved ...And havent scene one scence.



If theres not alot of rust, might just get the paint off and do the rust removal seperate....But yes it would be nice to do at one time.

prop
Prop***The End in 2012

I've used washing soda for electrolytic rust removal and it seems very effective at rust removal and removes paints also pretty effectively. IIRC some paint strippers you can buy are alkali solutions and washing soda is a mild alkali and much safer than caustic soda.
David Billington

Be aware that the most common complaint of people who have used a dip to remove paint is that you can't seem to get all of the stripper out of the cracks and it eats its way out through your expensive new paint job.

There is information on using "washing soda" for rust removal at http://www.justbrits.com/Articles/electrol.htm
David "I believe Mr King has used this..." Lieb
David Lieb

I found this interesting

http://www.enviro-blast.com/itworks.htm
Trevor Jessie

Oh yes, I neglected to mention...
If you wander over to the MGA archives of this site and search for "soda blasters" (as a phrase), you will find a guy who sent various body parts out to have them soda blasted. He regrets it.
David "cautious soul" Lieb
David Lieb

One of the guys on Marks Mini message board has used soda blasting, see link below...

http://www.atfreeforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1825&mforum=mk1mark

...I dropped some stuff of at the place in Leeds that Matt mentioned, very please with the results. The block cleaned up really well and the suspension parts cleaned up even better.
Andy Barrass


> The following is a safe, simple non-destructive process which has
absolutely
> no effect on the physical dimensions of the article at hand. On
completion
> of the process there will be no damage other than that caused by the
> original corrosion itself. All that is required is 500g of washing
> soda (sodium carbonate) to every 5 litres of water needed to
> completely cover the item to be cleaned. A suitable plastic or glass
> container and a 6 volt battery charger capable
of
> supplying 4 to 6 amps on a continuous basis without overheating. Fill
> the chosen container with the washing soda and water solution and
> suspend a lead anode in it--a strip of lead flashing will do fine.
> Just fold the lead strip so it can hang over the side of the container

> and into the solution, keeping it well clear of the items to be
> cleaned. Next, suspend the items to be cleaned from a metal rod which

> should be firmly fixed to the top of the container. This rod or tube
> can be made of copper or any reasonable conductor, likewise the wires
> for suspending the items.
> WARNING: It is most important that the items being cleaned do not come
into
> contact with each other as the items will certainly be damaged if
> arcing occurs. Make sure the container is large enough to safely
> accommodate everything. With the items to be cleaned and the anode
> suspended in the solution
connect
> the positive (+) red lead from the battery charger to the lead anode.
Next
> connect the negative (-) black lead from the battery charger to the
> copper rod/tube supporting the items to be cleaned. Finally connect
> the battery charger to the power supply and turn on the power. A
> slight effervescence will be noticed rising in the solution from the
> items being cleaned. The process has begun! You will soon notice
> small flakes of rust falling as it is loosened. A
few
> hours will remove light to medium rust but severe rusting will take
> considerably longer. So leave the items in the solution for as long
> as it takes, because as I have already said, no damage will occur at
> all. For stubborn rust deposits the process may be hastened by
> lifting the
offending
> items from the solution, giving them a scrub with a soft wire or nylon
brush
> and returning them to the solution.
> When clean, remove the parts from the solution, rinse in clean warm to

> hot water, dry and then lightly oil. The end result will be a
> pleasing
metallic
> lustre on the items cleaned, and a light shot of penetrating oil while
they
> are still warm should see all screws removed easily. If any screws
> are still stubborn simply be patient and return the item to the
> solution--it will be well worth the the time spent!
>
> Keep away from kids and pets!
>
> Have fun,
>
Shawn

hope that helped Guy - we use it all the time. make sure your 12volt supply is man enough for the job.
Shawn

Thanks Shawn,
I had heard of that, but not seen such a detailed and helpful description before so thanks for that. I presume that deals only with rust, and not with removing paint etc. But still sounds like well worth setting up. Paint I can deal with by another stage in the process!

Guy
Guy Weller

Guy, stick the bits in the oven at 400 degrees C, it should burn the paint off!
Tarquin

I've always found the electrolytic bath removes paint quite effectively on its own, probably the alkali nature of it. I've seen it mentioned in articles about it that it'll shift paint also so not just me.
David Billington

Yes, it shifts paint and chrome too.
Shawn

Polish your car with brakefluid like DOT 4, ive seen this stuff do "wonders" to paint.
Might take a while tho... :)
Arie de Best

Thanks Shawn, Didn't realise it would shift paint as well. That means it is exactly what I was after.

Arie, your solution is no good for removing rust, so I am afraid you are again a ......
Guy Weller

a what?

i know he's a lot of things but i wonder what you're thinking of.

got the rear wings and back panel on the v8 today chaps.
Tarquin

Great news Matt!
Now what collor is car gonna be?


Guy, a what?
...most wanted son-inlaw?
Good luck with the paint stripping...dad. LOL
Arie de Best

...... = pillock?

Don't know the colour yet, I'm waiting for a code from Mr Verda (is that his name?).
Tarquin

"got the rear wings and back panel on the v8 today chaps."

oi, careful now

we might call that progress...

and very good noos it is too!
Bill

Tarquin,
I was going to upload a certain photo, taken near a small hamlet in Orkney, to complete the sentence. But then I couldn't be ar*ed.
Guy Weller

oh, you mean he is a twit?
Tarquin

That's interesting! I didn't add that asterisk in. I spelt it as it is supposed to be. Computer, it said no!

I also would have spelt the signpost destination with an a, not an i. And 2 "t"s
Guy Weller

Guy, you were looking for this one:


Arie de Best

That's it Arie.
Although it would be more interesting to study the contour lines around the village, or see an aerial photograph.
Guy Weller

This thread was discussed between 24/01/2009 and 02/02/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.