To remove rust from small metal items first fill a container with undiluted white vinegar.
Grinding rust off metal.
So you ll first want to put on your dust mask and then remove any large chunks or loose bits of rust corrosion with the steel wire hand brush or bench grinder wire wheel if possible.
Some are acid based using either muriatic or hydrochloric acid.
These work well but they re highly toxic and give off lots of fumes.
Once the rust is gone switch to a finer grit to smooth out the swirls and grooves caused by the coarse grit.
If grinding and sanding isn t for you there are several chemical rust removers that work well.
For the smoothest paint job finish sanding with 400 grit wet dry paper.
Switch to a 120 grit self adhesive sandpaper disc and go over the freshly rust removed area and smooth out the area and any remaining deeper scratches from the 40 or 80 grid discs.
Then drop the item into the vinegar and let it soak anywhere from 10 minutes to 6 hours depending on how rusty it is.
Whichever tool you choose always start with the coarsest abrasive to for how to remove rust from metal and pockmarks.
Use a 4 inch angle grinder for large jobs and a rotary tool with a grinding accessory for small ones.
If you want to remove rust from metal marred not only by corrosion but also a great deal of flaking paint there s really no substitute for good old fashioned elbow grease.
The chemical removal method.
Bear in mind that this.
Sanding the surface of.
The best option is to attach a wire wheel brush to the grinder and use this to grind off the layer of rust from the metal.
After it soaks put on a pair of rubber gloves and scrub the metal with steel wool or a stiff bristled brush.
With or without a machine sanding removes rust from most surfaces and it s the best option if it s important to leave delicate surfaces smooth.
Steel wool and crumpled up tin foil also remove rust in a gentle way.