Naval Jelly is all I used until I tried evaporust. I still use it though for larger parts that I can’t submerse. It’s intense stuff!

This story goes well with this thread, so I'll post it despite the fact that I look like a blooming idiot.

I got the Merry Go Round I'm working on for free. A set of rusty, but salvageable legs came with it. I measured them and they're 31 inches. So I think, cool, I'll get these in the bath and see how they come out.

Absolutely sparkle. So I mount the leg protectors on the cab and bolt on the four legs. Set it down and back off to admire it and I go, "WTF?"

They look great, but the game is at a height that only Shaquille O'Neal would want to play it. I looked on PBR's website at Steve's leg guide. It says 1960 used 31 inches. However, I didn't read the fine print that said, multi players used varying lengths. Oops.

I have four 27 inch legs lying around that I had previously painted gray, then stored away for possible future use. I pulled them out and painted them hunter green, which is the color of the narrow stripe on the cab and the head. Not stock, but I think they'll look ok, and it's an easy fix if I don't like it. It appears to me the four inch drop is about what I need to get the game down to standard height.

Damned fine print...

But I will have some nice 31 inch legs stored for a future project

Yeah, I'm wondering what game would look good and be at the correct height with these 31" dark bronze hammer-finished legs.

Here you go Joe. once you try it, you'll never use anything else. I've been using the pvc pipe trick for years. The only thing with evaporust is it doesn't work well in cold temperatures. So in a cold garage in the winter it isn't very effective. Otherwise, great stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Evapo-Rust-Original-contains-non-toxic-biodegradable/dp/B00M0TLQ66/ref=sr_1_5

I bought some a few years ago and never had a ton of luck with it, but I never did a great job submersing it either. Back then it was over $30 a gallon, so it has come down a lot.

This thread inspired me to have another go at it.

I found 33" Schedule 40 PVC pipe on Craigslist along with a threaded plug for a total of $5.

I went to Lowes and got a cap, a coupling and some cement for $15.

I ordered another gallon of Evaporust for $16.

So for $36, I'm back in the game. I need to save 3 legs to make it worth my money. I'm excited to give it a go.

You won’t be disappointed, just make sure you rinse and dry the legs after they are done with the Evaporust. Apply some sort of polish after to preserve the finish

Alberto

This is the way...

Set-up: 4" diameter PVC Pipe, approximately 40" long. Bottom cap glued on. Top cap friction fit. Filled with enough Evaporust to cover legs completely.
Preparation:
1) Remove leg levelers (why? because they take up more space in pipe, use more active ingredients, and leave more sludge in pipe). Besides, they really should be replaced.
2) Remove surface rust - lightly on show surfaces with brass wire brush (not enough pressure to scratch chrome), brush the back sides with a steel wire brush, especially the bottom where all the gunk has collected. Use screwdriver to clean the groove on the bottom seam. The idea is not to waste the evaporust needlessly and to allow it to get to the metal surfaces.
3) Stack the legs and tie some plastic string through the top bolt holes of all four legs (they will easily fit into the 4" tubes this way). Lower them into the pipe until they hit the bottom, making sure the liquid covers the legs completely. Loop the string inside the top of the tube where you can reach it. I have even done eight at once by hanging another set upside down with the string through the bottom leveler bolt hole and interlocking the angles with the other set. Put cap on pipe to prevent evaporation.
4) Soak 24 hours. I usually put a sticky note with the time/date on the top so I don't forget when they went in.
5) Remove cap and lift the legs by pulling up with the string and let most of the the fluid drip off. I use an old towel to quickly wrap the legs until I can get them to a sink for rinsing. Evaporust dries sticky and you probably don't want to drip it all over the floor.
6) Untie the string and individually wash each leg, rubbing all surfaces to remove the evaporust and the treated rust residue. Rinse with hot water and dry with another old towel.
7) Polish the legs with Mothers Chrome polish.
8) Install new levelers.

I have done well over 100 legs with this set-up. I usually just leave the fluid in the tube between cleanings and I have never filtered the sludge, just add more when it gets low. You will probably need at least 2 gallons to start. I have 3, but also use it in other containers for different size parts.

I ordered two gallons. Going to get my PVC pipe rig at Lowes.
I'm sure I'll be coming across some rusty legs which will need the treatment. Gotta get more Mother's too.

Thanks. Ordered two gallons.

Ok, so those rusty stems have been spared! I finished them with Krylon Fusion Hammered Silver, but I'm not really happy with the finish. It's not even close to the authentic hammered finish you get with Hammerite spray. More of a fuzzy kind of finish. But, they're going to be used again instead of getting scrapped.

20210625_151848 (resized).jpg

20210625_152127 (resized).jpg