I have 3 pins now. These 35 year old machines had rusty lockdown bar receivers and one has chrome legs that were a little rusty. Here is how I got rid of the rust:

I had to make a tube with 3 inch diameter PVC pipe and glue and end cap to the bottom. The secret ingredient is white vinegar (actually, any vinegar will work but white was the cheapest. Is it a mild acid and it will attack rust.

The PVC pipe, end cap, and glue will set you back about $20.00. I think the vinegar is around $2.00 per gallon.



Watch it now, though. I bought this vinegar two years ago when a gallon was still a gallon. The bleach on the right was bought last week. The bleach looks like it is a gallon, doesn't it. Read the label. The bleach is only 121 oz. 7 oz. shy of a gallon. The sneaky bastards do a good job of hiding the smaller container.

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Anyway, back to the main show. The vinegar will not make an old rusty part look like new. If there are deep pits from the rust you will be left with clean pits.

Here is a receiver from the first pin.

BEFORE:

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Here it is coming out of the bath.

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AFTER:
After I pulled the parts from the vinegar bath I washed them in soap and water with some Scotchbrite and sprayed them with a liberal dose of WB-40 to make sure the parts were "rust proofed".

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Here is pin #2.

BEFORE:

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AFTER:

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Pin #3

BEFORE:

(It is white vinegar but it has been used for other rust removal projects).

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AFTER:

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And the legs:

The leg in front has already been dipped, washed, and waxed.

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BATH TIME:

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AFTER:

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Let it soak overnight. Wash and Scotchbrite it. If it needs more, soak it again. It only hits the rust. Long term it might eat into your metal but for a couple of nights you are OK.

No. Straight stuff.

I have no idea how long the vinegar can be used before it is used up. But is so cheap I don't worry about it. I had an old Gottlieb EM I cleaned up a couple of years ago using this vinegar. That pin was a filthy rag and is why the white vinegar looks rusty colored.