Rust spots on stainless

[Double Horizon]

I have no association with this company or product I'm recommending. I think other DF owners will be interested:

There's a product called "Spotless Stainless" you can find online. I used it yesterday for the first time. The image link below shows the result. Before using, the bolts were completely brown and the general flat surface of the steel was spotted with brown rust stains. Mine is a 10 year-old boat used in salt water.

The product works as advertised. You brush it on, let sit for 1/2 hour (at 70F / 21C or warmer) and rinse it off with fresh water. The heaviest oxidation needed a little help from a synthetic scrub pad.

I recommend this product -- you get a good result with not a lot of work, and it passivates the stainless at the same time.

[tpaliwoda]

Larry,
Looks good, will have to give it a try! Thanks for the heads up.

Ted

[Double Horizon]

I also found another product, CitriSurf 2310 Gel, that is probably similar, at a lower cost/qty (although they don't sell less than a gallon).

http://www.theruststore.com/CitriSurf-2 ... 39C64.aspx

I haven't tried it.

[Steve B.]

You can buy Ospho at any hardware store.

It's Phosphoric Acid. Brush it on, wait a bit and rinse off.

What's the wire in the pic between the aka and the ama?

[Double Horizon]

You can buy Ospho at any hardware store.

It's Phosphoric Acid. Brush it on, wait a bit and rinse off.

What's the wire in the pic between the aka and the ama?

The wire is for the solar panels.

You can use any acid, but I've read that some acids will etch the stainless and increase vulnerability to future oxidation. It's my understanding citric acid does not etch stainless, and also passivates the surface so it is less likely to rust.

Ospho is phosphoric acid. I don't think it passivates the metal, but don't have knowledge of the advantages or disadvantages of using different acids.

[Double Horizon]

Follow up report:

It's been about a month since I used the Spotless Stainless, and although the stainless looks very good still, the fiberglass around the stainless has developed a lot of brown rust stains.

I thought I had rinsed it off well, but apparently there was a residual amount in the cracks between the stainless and the hull. I will contact the company and post the response.

Meanwhile -- my recommendation is less enthusiastic at this point in time.