"Trevor Jones" wrote in message
...
snip----

Fire.

Set it on a safe surface, spray it with something flammable, and light
it. The fire will remove any oils that are preventing fast rusting. Less
fun, use a degreaser or detergent and scrub it clean. Then use some salt
water or acid as you see fit.

Cheers
trevor Jones

Yep-----only problem with most of these methods, this one included, is that
scale is the one thing that restricts rapid rusting------so it has to be
removed before uniform rusting can be expected. Acid etching removes the
scale by dissolving it. The other good option is to sand blast-----then
almost anything will accelerate rusting.
One phenomenon that I'm at a lack to explain is that glass bead blasting
protects iron surfaces. I bead blasted a small railroad spike and a short
section of 2" rail that had been badly rusted and heavily pitted----each of
which have been sitting around for several years since, with no protection
of any kind----and have not rusted again. They have been kept indoors, but
have been handled, but not even finger prints have rusted. Could it be
that silica is protecting the surfaces?

Harold