I hope one of you nice people here can tell me how I can clean my 4" chuck.
I just got it from a neighbor that was going to toss it. It works swell, but
has some surface rust. Please take in consideration, that I'm old, weak and
run out of air quick. I still like to get it done. One day the grandkids
will have it, and I like to leave it in at least clean condition....What if
I dunk it in acid, of course diluted. I'm sure you will talk me out of it,
it is dangerous, and I think it does something with the hardening or makes
it brittle maybe. I'm not sure what it does. I purchased a nice V block from
EBay once, and it was real nice and shiny. It doesn't look that way now. It
only been in my house, and I live in CA, no moister anywhere. So I think
these guys have some sort of secret formula. I don't need the formula, but
maybe a comment or two. As you can see I'm really in need of help.....Peter

Yep, the acid is a bad idea. For removing rust and leaving it nice, I'd use
naval jelly. Goop it on, wait, wipe it off.

If you'd rather, you can completely immerse the whole unit in a solution of
vinegar and table salt - as much salt as can be dissolved is just right. I'd
suggest you completely disassemble the unit for this idea. You'll find its
full of swarf and dried out grease.

Karl

Here's how I clean most iron things.

1. I put them in muriatic acid for a while (like 30 minutes). That
takes off rust, but leaves highly corrosive acid on them facilitAting
future corrosion.

2. After that, I rinse them very well in a solution of baking soda,
maybe I would even leave it there for a few minutes -- but rinse very
energetically.

3. After that, I heat them enough so that water evaporates quickly
(like in the oven at low temp).

4. Then I dunk them in oil or wipe oil on them or any other rust
preventative.

i

Karl Townsend wrote:

Yep, the acid is a bad idea. For removing rust and leaving it nice, I'd use
naval jelly. Goop it on, wait, wipe it off.

IIRC the active ingredient in naval jelly is phosphoric acid.


If you'd rather, you can completely immerse the whole unit in a solution of
vinegar and table salt - as much salt as can be dissolved is just right. I'd
suggest you completely disassemble the unit for this idea. You'll find its
full of swarf and dried out grease.

Karl

PeterM wrote:

I hope one of you nice people here can tell me how I can clean my 4"
chuck. I just got it from a neighbor that was going to toss it. It works
swell, but has some surface rust. Please take in consideration, that I'm
old, weak and run out of air quick. I still like to get it done. One day
the grandkids will have it, and I like to leave it in at least clean
condition....What if I dunk it in acid, of course diluted. I'm sure you
will talk me out of it, it is dangerous, and I think it does something
with the hardening or makes it brittle maybe. I'm not sure what it does.
I purchased a nice V block from EBay once, and it was real nice and
shiny. It doesn't look that way now. It only been in my house, and I
live in CA, no moister anywhere. So I think these guys have some sort of
secret formula. I don't need the formula, but maybe a comment or two. As
you can see I'm really in need of help.....Peter

Start by completely tearing it down. Don't even think about doing a derusting
soak while assembled - you will never get all the acid out of the inside, and it
will continue to eat away. Acid soaks work because the acids eat rust much
faster than they eat base metal, so if you take them out and neutralize
completely you won't lose much base metal.

I don't like the idea of an acidic soak for a piece like this. I'd clean it
mechanically. You don't say if it's a 3-jaw or 4-jaw chuck. It isn't trivial to
derust a chuck scroll mechanically, but everything else should work fine. I use
a 3M deburring wheel on a bench grinder to remove light corrosion and restore
that original shiny finish. They aren't cheap, but lately I've been buying the
7x1" deburring wheels from Industrial Pipe & Tool (www.ipstool.com) when they
go on sale, and those are a lot more reasonable.

If you use a die grinder to run a Roloc system, you can put brown 3M pad Rolocs
on and those will rapidly remove surface rust but the resulting finish isn't as
good as if you'd used a deburring wheel.

Ultimately, you can polish the chuck body with a buffing wheel if you like.

If this is a 4" 3-jaw chuck with 1-10 threaded backplate and either reversible
jaws or both sets of jaws, I'd be interested in buying it - I have a little
dividing head that needs one.

Grant Erwin
Kirkland, Washington

Quick and easy... Find a plastic 5 gal bucket and fill 3/4 way with
water... Dump a box of backing soda in the water...
Put a metal rod in the water on one side of the bucket and also put
your chuck in the water... Don't let the rod touch the chuck... Hook
up your battery charger neg. to the chuck and pos. to the rod... turn
it on and let it work overnight... It will look like new...

"PeterM" wrote in message
. ..
I hope one of you nice people here can tell me how I can clean my 4" chuck.
I just got it from a neighbor that was going to toss it. It works swell,
but has some surface rust. Please take in consideration, that I'm old, weak
and run out of air quick. I still like to get it done. One day the
grandkids will have it, and I like to leave it in at least clean
condition....What if I dunk it in acid, of course diluted. I'm sure you
will talk me out of it, it is dangerous, and I think it does something with
the hardening or makes it brittle maybe. I'm not sure what it does. I
purchased a nice V block from EBay once, and it was real nice and shiny. It
doesn't look that way now. It only been in my house, and I live in CA, no
moister anywhere. So I think these guys have some sort of secret formula. I
don't need the formula, but maybe a comment or two. As you can see I'm
really in need of help.....Peter

Dismantle the chuck, and clean it well with Stoddard solvent or mineral
spirits (paint thinner works very well). After cleaning, use Naval Jelly.
It's a buffered phosphoric acid gel that will dissolve only the rust, and
convert the surface to one that resists further rusting.

I'd suggest you avoid the use of hydrochloric (muriatic) or other acids.
They are quick to dissolve the rust for the most part, but they are
aggressive and will dissolve base metals. You avoid that with Naval Jelly,
and it's quite safe to handle. Wear rubber gloves, but even if it makes
contact with your skin, it isn't very serious. Wash it off with water and
soap and you'll not even know it was there.

When you are finished with the Naval Jelly, wash the entire chuck well in
hot water, then dry and oil.

The negative of using acids, aside from dissolving sound metal, is that
there is evolution of hydrogen. It is readily absorbed by steel, and
interrupts the lattice such that it fails by breaking. Likely wouldn't be a
problem for your chuck, but why take chances?

Good luck with the chuck. Cleaning it isn't a big deal, especially if the
rust is superficial.

Harold

I will reply to each one of you of course, but like to at least say that I
appreciate you all for being so nice, with generous warnings as well. Many
thanks so far......Peter

"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote in message
. net...

"PeterM" wrote in message
. ..
I hope one of you nice people here can tell me how I can clean my 4"
chuck. I just got it from a neighbor that was going to toss it. It works
swell, but has some surface rust. Please take in consideration, that I'm
old, weak and run out of air quick. I still like to get it done. One day
the grandkids will have it, and I like to leave it in at least clean
condition....What if I dunk it in acid, of course diluted. I'm sure you
will talk me out of it, it is dangerous, and I think it does something
with the hardening or makes it brittle maybe. I'm not sure what it does. I
purchased a nice V block from EBay once, and it was real nice and shiny.
It doesn't look that way now. It only been in my house, and I live in CA,
no moister anywhere. So I think these guys have some sort of secret
formula. I don't need the formula, but maybe a comment or two. As you can
see I'm really in need of help.....Peter

Dismantle the chuck, and clean it well with Stoddard solvent or mineral
spirits (paint thinner works very well). After cleaning, use Naval
Jelly. It's a buffered phosphoric acid gel that will dissolve only the
rust, and convert the surface to one that resists further rusting.

I'd suggest you avoid the use of hydrochloric (muriatic) or other acids.
They are quick to dissolve the rust for the most part, but they are
aggressive and will dissolve base metals. You avoid that with Naval
Jelly, and it's quite safe to handle. Wear rubber gloves, but even if it
makes contact with your skin, it isn't very serious. Wash it off with
water and soap and you'll not even know it was there.

When you are finished with the Naval Jelly, wash the entire chuck well in
hot water, then dry and oil.

The negative of using acids, aside from dissolving sound metal, is that
there is evolution of hydrogen. It is readily absorbed by steel, and
interrupts the lattice such that it fails by breaking. Likely wouldn't be
a problem for your chuck, but why take chances?

Good luck with the chuck. Cleaning it isn't a big deal, especially if
the rust is superficial.

Harold

"PeterM" wrote:

I hope one of you nice people here can tell me how I can clean my 4" chuck.


I would take it a part and go over it with a scotchbrite pad piece by piece.
It is something you can do while watching TV, talking to the young ones,
watching the sun rise or set. It isn't like you are in a hurry is it?

Then a coating of some nice oil to protect it.

Wes

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 08:01:50 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, Wes
quickly quoth:

"PeterM" wrote:

I hope one of you nice people here can tell me how I can clean my 4" chuck.


I would take it a part and go over it with a scotchbrite pad piece by piece.
It is something you can do while watching TV, talking to the young ones,
watching the sun rise or set. It isn't like you are in a hurry is it?

Then a coating of some nice oil to protect it.

I like to coat my tool metal in Johnson's Paste Wax before assembly,
then oil. Works slick as silk and prevent rust longer than oil alone.

--
Learn to value yourself, which means: to fight for your happiness.
-- Ayn Rand

Larry Jaques wrote:

Then a coating of some nice oil to protect it.

I like to coat my tool metal in Johnson's Paste Wax before assembly,
then oil. Works slick as silk and prevent rust longer than oil alone.


I use Johnson's on my table saw, band saw, and jointer. Hey, I'll use it on
my chucks also, my 4 jaw isn't so pretty. Maybe this winter I'll take the 4
jaw a part and work it over to make it purdy again.

Likely learned about JPW on R.C.W., maybe from you.


Wes

Larry Jaques wrote:

Learn to value yourself, which means: to fight for your happiness.
-- Ayn Rand

Nice quote. I'm just about finished with my 3rd reading of Atlas Shrugged.

Wes

Peter,

If you do decide to dismantle it, which probably is the best way to be sure
that you get ALL the rust and all the other crud out as well, be sure to
NUMBER the JAWS and their positions in the chuck BEFORE dismantling it. I
believe the other posters may have overlooked this in their zeal to abolish
the rust. Abolishing rust is pretty close to the Holy Grail for most of us.

Flash


"PeterM" wrote in message
. ..
I hope one of you nice people here can tell me how I can clean my 4" chuck.
I just got it from a neighbor that was going to toss it. It works swell,
but has some surface rust. Please take in consideration, that I'm old, weak
and run out of air quick. I still like to get it done. One day the
grandkids will have it, and I like to leave it in at least clean
condition....What if I dunk it in acid, of course diluted. I'm sure you
will talk me out of it, it is dangerous, and I think it does something with
the hardening or makes it brittle maybe. I'm not sure what it does. I
purchased a nice V block from EBay once, and it was real nice and shiny. It
doesn't look that way now. It only been in my house, and I live in CA, no
moister anywhere. So I think these guys have some sort of secret formula. I
don't need the formula, but maybe a comment or two. As you can see I'm
really in need of help.....Peter

According to flash :
Peter,

If you do decide to dismantle it, which probably is the best way to be sure
that you get ALL the rust and all the other crud out as well, be sure to
NUMBER the JAWS and their positions in the chuck BEFORE dismantling it. I
believe the other posters may have overlooked this in their zeal to abolish
the rust. Abolishing rust is pretty close to the Holy Grail for most of us.

For 3-jaw scroll-back chucks, the jaws (and the tracks in the
body) should be numbered already -- by the manufacturer.

For a 4-jaw independent, it might not be a bad idea, since if
the jawa are worn into fit well in particular places, swapping them
around can make it more difficult to use.

And dunking it *assembled* into any kind of de-rusting solution
leaves you with the possibility of galvanic corrosion, since the
different parts are different alloys. So *do* disassemble it.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Acid dunk? I can't think of any worse way to clean a chuck other than
sandblasting .. and the acid fumes will rust everything else in your shop.

I would use a wire wheel , both arbor mounted and in a die grinder. For a 4"
chuck it should be short work.

Tony


"Ignoramus21267" wrote in message
...
Here's how I clean most iron things.

1. I put them in muriatic acid for a while (like 30 minutes). That
takes off rust, but leaves highly corrosive acid on them facilitAting
future corrosion.

2. After that, I rinse them very well in a solution of baking soda,
maybe I would even leave it there for a few minutes -- but rinse very
energetically.

3. After that, I heat them enough so that water evaporates quickly
(like in the oven at low temp).

4. Then I dunk them in oil or wipe oil on them or any other rust
preventative.

i

On Aug 21, 4:06 pm, "Tony" wrote:
Acid dunk? I can't think of any worse way to clean a chuck other than
sandblasting .. and the acid fumes will rust everything else in your shop.



Not to want to be TOO picky here but AFAIK the acid is just prepping
the
metal so that the humidity in the air can do the rusting.

DOC

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:21:04 -0700, wrote:
On Aug 21, 4:06 pm, "Tony" wrote:
Acid dunk? I can't think of any worse way to clean a chuck other than
sandblasting .. and the acid fumes will rust everything else in your shop.



Not to want to be TOO picky here but AFAIK the acid is just prepping
the
metal so that the humidity in the air can do the rusting.

That's why you rinse it in baking soda, dry and oil it.

i

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Aug 21, 4:06 pm, "Tony" wrote:
Acid dunk? I can't think of any worse way to clean a chuck other than
sandblasting .. and the acid fumes will rust everything else in your
shop.



Not to want to be TOO picky here but AFAIK the acid is just prepping
the
metal so that the humidity in the air can do the rusting.

DOC


Not when you use phosphoric. Think of it as Parkerizing. When you think
phosphoric, think Naval Jelly.

No, I don't have stock in the company-----I just know that it works because
of experience. A wire brush won't get where it needs to get, very unlike
phosphoric acid. It will leave a rusted item in the best possible
condition. If there's any fear of hydrogen embrittlement, a roast for a
couple hours in the kitchen oven @ 350 degrees F would eliminate that
problem, which applies only to heat treated objects (jaws and screws).

Harold