Getting rid of rust?
I bought my first letterpress and now I am in the process of getting it all cleaned up (although it is in great shape and doesnt need much).
What are the best things/ products to use to clean/restore a press - in terms of rust and grease/build up?
It has been disassembled to be moved so I think it is a great chance to really get in there and get it cleaned up nicely.
Thanks for your help!
As far as getting rid of rust goes, Electrolytic Rust removal is a great process for getting rid of rust. It takes a bit to set up, but doesn’t require any elbow grease.
This website explains how it works and what you need to do it:
http://www.rowand.net/shop/Tools/Electrolysis.htm
You can check out this video to see it working,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsUKRyXbFe4
Also, I have been restoring my own letterpress recently. I had to use a sandblaster to strip and clean all the parts of my press since the whole thing was covered in spray paint, dirt and, grease.
I have been posting about my restoration on my blog. If you are interested in what I’ve been doing, I am listing a few links to my blog below:
Taking the press apart: http://www.porcuprints.com/?p=576
Sandblasting, priming, painting: http://www.porcuprints.com/?p=594
Watching paint dry: http://www.porcuprints.com/?p=669
Painted lettering: http://www.porcuprints.com/?p=795
Reassembling the platen: http://www.porcuprints.com/?p=827
Cutting & Fitting New Dowel Pins: http://www.porcuprints.com/?p=850
(more posts are forthcoming)
Mineral oil and steel wool/scotch pad for grease removal. Simple green for light cleanup. Evaporust for rust removal. Wd-40 a very light coat to prevent rusting on cleaned surfaces.
I don’t like to use industrial strength cleaners because many damage painted surfaces. I also don’t like rust removers where you have to rinse with water after. Se strong rust removers also remove paint. Evaporust works great! You can pick it up at pepboys.