Removing rust from blued steel

[Tim]

I have a minute hand that has a spot of rust near its tip. An online BHI article cited the use of tea to remove rust from steel parts. Will this process mar the blued finish of the hand?

Thanks,

Tim

[Tim]

I have a minute hand that has a spot of rust near its tip. An online BHI article cited the use of tea to remove rust from steel parts. Will this process mar the blued finish of the hand?

Thanks,

Tim

[doug sinclair]

Tim,

Water causes rust. Tea is made using water. I would like to hear from someone who has had success using tea to remove rust without causing as much rust as they eliminate. And the method they used. Most commercial rust removers are acid based I believe, and inappropriate use of these materials can cause even bigger problems. Don't ask how I know!

Usually, on an item as fine as the tip of a minute hand, the possibility that is is rusted right through is always there. Proceed with caution! Any attempt to eliminate the rust might trash the hand.

Doug S

[Tom McIntyre]

Doug,

I think maybe a really strong tea becomes a solution of tannic acid and can efectively reduce the rust back to iron. Of course, the iron it makes is no longer attached to the hand so your caution is appropriate.

It would also certainly not be blue but might be a dark enough shade of gray to be acceptable.

Tom McIntyre
NAWCC 2nd VP
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)

[Tim]

Thanks for the suggestions. The BHI article did cite tannic acid as the active ingredient, operating in a fashion exactly as Tom described. If the hand were soaked for a few hours and promptly dried, I doubt there would be appreciable new rust formation--if any.

The hand is a Breguet-style from a Waltham 1894 model. Not rare by any stretch of the imagination, but the rust spot is small, so I was considering this method instead of finding a replacement hand.

-Tim