How to remove rust on deck metal work?

[Captain Crisp]

Hi, some of my shiny deck metalwork is looking a bit disgraceful... How do I get the rust spots off?
Ta,
Crisp

 

[Graham376]

Oxalic acid would be a start but a bit cool at the moment, it works better in warmer weather.

 

[paulajayne]

IronX will work.

 

[Humblebee]

Oxalic acid would be a start but a bit cool at the moment, it works better in warmer weather.

Yes, that's the best stuff but handle it with care and read up about it first.
A good scrub with steel wool would be a good start, be sure and rinse it off thoroughly after though as strands of steel wool left on the metal lead to more rust.

 

[jim.howes]

Hi this may seem a bit animal but I would attack it with a stainless steel wire brush to remove the heavy rusting and then give a final polish with metal polish using a dremel and buffing atatchment.

 

[Leighb]

Suggest try Spotless Stainless, brush on, leave for a few minutes then wash off with water, very effective in my experience, especially in dealing with rust staining in crevices and angles that are difficult with a cloth and normal polish.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

Spotless Stainless worked for me too.

 

[RichardS]

Spotless stainless on the steel and oxalic acid on the GRP.

Richard

 

[alan_d]

Suggest try Spotless Stainless, brush on, leave for a few minutes then wash off with water, very effective in my experience, especially in dealing with rust staining in crevices and angles that are difficult with a cloth and normal polish.

Spotless Stainless is good but is also temperature sensitive, working best at temperatures over 20 Celsius.

 

[GHA]

Yes, that's the best stuff but handle it with care and read up about it first.
A good scrub with steel wool would be a good start, be sure and rinse it off thoroughly after though as strands of steel wool left on the metal lead to more rust.

Phosphoric acid is actually better, used to be in Wickes as grout film remover or if not amazon. Stainless kitchen pads are better than steel wire wool, no way will that not leave some bits to rust later. Take a magnet

 

[LiftyK]

Marinesol, the cousin of Autosol. It’s a metal polish.

 

[differentroads]

Avoid steel wool or brushes in my experience. My decks are still spotted with rust marks from what must be tiny fragments of steel, especially in the scuppers. This despite putting a dustsheet under the work.

 

[RJJ]

Avoid steel wool or brushes in my experience. My decks are still spotted with rust marks from what must be tiny fragments of steel, especially in the scuppers. This despite putting a dustsheet under the work.

You can get a toothbrush-shaped brush with brass bristles, which is pleasingly alliterative. I don't recommend it for your teeth.

 

[rotrax]

I have brass wool which is very good. NEVER use steel wool on a boat!

Oxalic and Spotless Stainless are much more effective in warmer weather. IIRC, my Spotless Stainless says to apply at over 70 degrees F.

Following a good money saving tip on here I mixed 100ml of warm water with about the same amount of Oxalic Acid crystals. I then added the same ammount of Fairy Liquid, mixed it all up and left for a few days for a nice warm day before treating some rust 'bleed' from some stainless fittings.

It had thickened up a treat and worked every bit as good as that expensive - compared to my mixture - of Y10.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Perhaps vigorous application of a Scotchbrite pad would work?

 

[gus]

Possibly hard to obtain but 'Spirit of Salts I found to be magic at removing stains so easily. Caution - use with care.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Possibly hard to obtain but 'Spirit of Salts I found to be magic at removing stains so easily. Caution - use with care.

Spirit of Salts is in fact Hydrochloric acid or muriatic acid which will remove rust from any steel but may be overly aggressive for the OP's application

Application of any acid including oxalic acid will over tme dull the polished finish of stainless steels

 

[greeny]

Green pan scrub then see what's left. Then oxalic acid if required. Then polish it shiny bright.

 

[Leighb]

Possibly hard to obtain but 'Spirit of Salts I found to be magic at removing stains so easily. Caution - use with care.

As already said this is HCl, readily available as brick cleaner, but perhaps too fierce for dealing with a bit of rust stains.

 

[Cowie]

Oxalic acid would be a start but a bit cool at the moment, it works better in warmer weather.

I have found HG Rust Remover has worked