How To Renew Weights and Remove Rust - Dumbbell, Barbell, Plates (CHEAPEST AND FASTEST WAY)

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Plopped from a gym in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina over a decade later, take a look as old olympic plates, dumbells, barbells, curl bars, and other weights are all restored. This process is the quickest and most affordable method to remove rust, renew your old weights, and start working-out with a seemingly new set of hardware.
Materials via Amazon (beats going to retail store & looking for hours)
- Rustoleum
- Copper Wire Brush
- White Vinegar
- Masking Tape
- Protective Mask
- Protective Goggles
- Hay Baling wire
- White paint makers
- 3 in 1 Oil
- 18 Gallon Tub

[@prime8inatlanta627]

If you're going to take the time to do this, do it right the first time! Nice idea but don't skip over some simple steps that would have made it easier and ended up with better results! Take 2 minutes and disassemble the plates from the barbells and the dumbbells! That will allow you get rid of ALL the rust, it will make cleaning them so much easier, & faster and save you a LOT of time from having to tape off the plates from the bars (and they will look so much better when done)! Use a tarp or drop cloth so you don't end up with 3 in 1 oil spots all over your concrete! Instead of a pail to stack the plates in vinegar, get an infant size (small) kiddie pool and lay out all the plates at once - then cover the plates with just enough vinegar/water needed so they are all submerged - you'll get more plates done (maybe all) at one time. Yes, do USE cardboard or a tarp and small wood blocks, bottle caps, marbles or literally anything under the plates so they don't stick to the surface. You can paint all at the same time with 2 coats, a lot easier & without having to twist yourself around like a pretzel. Let dry as long as possible (if inside dry for 48 hours+ after final coat). Once dry flip over and paint the other side with 2 coats & let dry. You'll get more plates painted at once and you won't end up with a painted lawn and ladder.

[@CoopyKat]

I did the same thing BUT I just soaked the weights in vinegar for 1-2 days. What you missed is that the vinegar reaction to the rust creates a 3-D version of the top weight over the water, rusty bubbles...that was cool. Then just rinsed, used a brush wire and painted with Rust Oleum....I used the same Hammered Rust Oleum.

[@chellosoccer]

CoopyKat how don you get rid of the dirty vinegar water?

[@CoopyKat]

@@chellosoccer Just dump it down the toilet or drain.............

[@monkas7270]

VirtueOfTheLessBrilliant just pour it in the street drain

[@monkas7270]

VirtueOfTheLessBrilliant carry the bucket and pour it? i don’t know what you are having trouble understanding

[@callmejay8565]

​@Danis Santamaria Don't pour it in your grass like I did. Yeah it was fun doing the project but embarrassing that I didn't think that part through. That area is still struggling. 😄😔

[@thepenultimateninja5797]

I know vinegar is cheap, but it's really not the best acid to use. If you don't get absolutely all of it off the surface (practically impossible with cast iron) it will encourage more rust to form. Phosphoric acid is relatively cheap and easy to find at the hardware store, but it is vastly superior for rust removal. Not only does it remove the rust, but it also converts the surface of the metal into a rust inhibiting layer.

[@ii_wav_ii3629]

Making the weight lighter in the process but it’s w.e

[@whitetrashandhellbound6905]

Great video, I did the same thing. Used Rustoleum Spray Paint for the weigts themselves and a Dense Sponge Brush with Ultra White toll paints for the Lettering. They look awesome. Appreciate the video. Thanks.

[@vlada]

Coop from garage gym reviews did video where put a totally 100% rusted barbell in vinegar for 2-3 days and it did the job. But I really like this one because it does a great job explaining what to buy.

[@Blanco_SubieForester]

Great video! 👍🏽. After watching this video i started restoring my extra plates this afternoon. I may even put up a picture video of the process! Thanks to your video!

[@KyleMalone]

Glad it helped! How'd things turn out?

[@jamesgordon1520]

You could have took the dumb bells apart hex key wrench. 💪

[@gaboadeje]

Exactly my thought lol

[@keithymg]

Well he didn't. U make a video doing that if u want to do it so bad.

[@outsidethepyramid]

@@keithymg He doesn't want to. You do it.

[@skilions]

@@keithymg he was literally just suggesting something calm down lmao

[@WasLostButNowAmFound]

@@keithymg stop crying simp

[@SlavikMilerFitness]

Thanks man. I just got a few rusted dumbbells so I will follow your instructions

[@KyleMalone]

Right on! How'd it turn out?

[@taintedlovefn9934]

I have the exact same 33 and 45 plates! Going to try this weekend

[@coryboyd7958]

It's the way to go!

[@alexmitchell1553]

You should've taken the plates off of the Dumbbells. There should be a screw on the ends that holds them all together.

[@KATRICEY86]

Alex Mitchell this also drove me crazy! It’s just an Allen wrench to take them off, there’s still rust brewing between the plates lol

[@andyjame2583]

The variation of dumbbells is extremely useful for a small person like me kzbin.infoUgkxP26Tir6n60vUkdtn4mbwhRO8cwuJQNy2 But the dumbbell size being large it's hard to do certain exercises like deadlift ( I have to have my hands and legs a bit wider to accommodate the size of the DB )Otherwise happy with the purchase. No excuse not to lift weight when it's snowing outside.

[@chrism6904]

Great work brotha!

[@KyleMalone]

Thanks Chris!

[@chrisr229]

Good video !!! I was painting on cardboard, gonna get that hay bail wire now.

[@KyleMalone]

Hay bail wire is a game changer for sure. Nothing worse than peeling off cardboard off of stuff you just painted!

[@ClarksvilleBarbellClub]

Good stuff! I'm going to freshen up my iron like this. Thanks for the ideas.

[@KyleMalone]

Hey, you're welcome! Hope all comes out well!

[@chrisfierro7437]

Thank you for sharing sir also s.o.s pads or a sand paper bar also works good i got one the other day tried it helped a lot still working on my plates whenever i got time

[@sebastianbraid1896]

Nice job, this helped

[@KyleMalone]

Awesome! Glad to hear

[@ozziegallegos5091]

Thanks for the great tips👍

[@KyleMalone]

You bet!

[@mchomelessful]

Glad I'm on the right track. Only thing I would change , after you hit the weights with vinegar and rinse it off, wipe down the weights with a rag that has baking soda water , to neutralize the acid before painting

[@normaca2919]

Thank you

[@mark5fitness]

I'm about to try to restore some weights today .

[@josephlittle4119]

Very good job well done

[@Ardyez]

this dude just painted over the rust lmao. should have taken everything apart and actually put some more effort into it rather then just saying "eh looks fine ill just drench it in paint"

[@carlosandrehancock3394]

Great job👍

[@KyleMalone]

Thanks Carlos! Hope it helps!

[@rubensoto7783]

Great job

[@KyleMalone]

Thanks. Hope it helped!

[@32srt32]

Vinegar wont hurt real chrome. Those are pro style dumbells, they aren't old they are built that way. You can take those dumbbells apart to clean them and could probably sell them for a decent price considering the handles are worth 50 alone brand new.

[@boerpanther1301]

Beautiful, thank you bruh

[@KyleMalone]

You're very welcome. Hope it helped!

[@raymondbarreras8153]

Thanks a million 😃

[@KyleMalone]

You're welcome. Hope it helped!

[@dislikebutton2688]

Wire wheel drill bit makes this a lot easier

[@maddenwigley3318]

Thanks for showing all the stuff you used instead of just doing the work then showing the after results

[@KyleMalone]

You're welcome. Hope it helped.

[@Nolllag]

Fire bro

[@healthylivingforyou3104]

Good job

[@KyleMalone]

Appreciate it!

[@firesanta]

Well done, it is clear that he tried. Nice to see. I myself did a similar video.

[@benjabhd]

I just renewed my set after watching this. I used a wire brush on my drill, rust oleun and a Rad paint pen called painters $2 at walmart.

[@KyleMalone]

Nice! Glad it worked out!

[@JulianaFlores_c]

I love this video

[@KyleMalone]

Thanks Juliana! Glad it helped

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

Any ideas for restoring the metal on an old Total Gym? The slides are what I'm thinking will be tricky, since they'll be having some metal on metal friction. Will Rustoleum hold up to that?

[@sdfhdz]

great vid

[@KyleMalone]

Much appreciated. Hope it helped out!

[@NJweightlifter]

Thanks for the video. Do you have a paint recommendation for plates that are going to kept outside. Right now they are rusty and we use them for our sleds. I have no intention of using them inside but would like to paint school colors to make them look nicer. Is it worth it or do you think the new paint will just re-rust?

[@luap89]

Exactly what I did, just doing the white lettering and numbers tomorrow oioioi!!!

[@DCZOE]

Nice,!! Thnx for the video

[@KyleMalone]

You're welcome, glad it helped!

[@DCZOE]

@@KyleMalone perfect timing just picked up a bench and a set of weights f last night from a guy who had them outside much needed tlc.

[@dancastady8571]

RIP that beautiful chrome ladder. =) Great stuff, thanks for creating.

[@Legacy738]

Was just giving a weight lifting set that's been sitting down in a basement forever. Been looking for the easiest and best way to remove the rust. I tried checking out the Amazon list for the products needed buy the link doesn't work for me sadly. I don't have a yard for I live in the city but I think I'll be able to use the sun room area... I'll have to use cardboard for spray painting as it's all I have available. But thanks for the info in the video, life saver!

[@KyleMalone]

You're welcome. I'll take a look at the link and see what's up. My $.02 on painting in sunroom would Be to hang sheets in a half circle around weights, keep it well ventilated & wear a mask as well! Good luck!

[@austinwoodworth4719]

Have some I need done

[@KyleMalone]

💪

[@johnmendiola2054]

No hate here! You did a great job dude! 😀👍

[@KyleMalone]

Thanks John!

[@GWDadventures]

Great video bro! New family!

[@KyleMalone]

Thanks dude!

[@danielsaavedra9788]

Sweet home gym dude

[@KyleMalone]

Appreciate it! Certainly does the trick.

[@BatmanBoss]

Awesome

[@sebastianbraid1896]

Oh yeah yeah

[@smithraymond09029]

I ran all my weight plates through a sand blaster. Sneaked them into work one weekend. Came out immaculate.

[@KyleMalone]

You fancy! I bet those came out very nice. Touch them with some Rust-Oleum after still?

[@simonjstuart666]

Terrible tutorial!! 1. Take apart the dumbbells. 2. Soak the weights and bars in the 50/50 water/vinegar solution for 24hrs+. 3. Then use a drill with a wire brush attachment (or similar), as well as a handheld wire brush. 4. Then rinse/wipe any dust and dry. 5. Prime coat, then spray. Or alternatively just use a high quality anti-rust metal paint and prime. - By doing it this way - your weights will look restored - rather than ‘less shit’.

[@Mark-te8ky]

What % vinegar is best?

[@simonjstuart666]

Mark Lee - I’m not sure as I’ve only ever used a 50/50 ratio, if you find a better ratio - please let me know.

[@RAMA-gu8cs]

@@simonjstuart666 30/70 i find the best /fastest it depends on what brand of vinegar you use tho

[@PumpingIronUSMC]

brix ma dude channel what brand?

[@maddenwigley3318]

Shut the fuck up stuart. Dont be mad cause you didn't wanna put the proper work in

[@Rasheedamcclintock77]

Another know it all suggestion...next time a wire wheel on a electric drill would have saved you gallons of elbow grease.

[@KyleMalone]

Good point Waleed. I'll add this note in the description!

[@vintageweightspgh]

Nice work! I've given up vinegar in favor of citric acid.

[@mikesmith4352]

I used my pressure washer first, removed a lot of surface junk and saved time instead of brushing. Also recommend rubber gloves

[@KyleMalone]

Good call on both. I'll update the description here for future viewers! 👍

[@HazeemUlHussain]

Should you use vinegar and baking soda and water?

[@Tommygimbal]

Nice one!!

[@KyleMalone]

Thanks @Tommy!

[@Tommygimbal]

@@KyleMalone do you think rubber plates will be less maintenance? my dumbell sets are on their way

[@KyleMalone]

@@Tommygimbal For what it's worth, after doing these weights ~2.5 years ago, there hasn't been any maintenance needed on these. But certainly, I'd imagine rubber would be even less to have to deal with long term.

[@Tommygimbal]

@@KyleMalone thank you for your thoughts ^^

[@pauserepreviews4511]

Legit 💪🏽💪🏽

[@TamerEldegwy]

Can I use WD 40 instead of 3 in 1 ?!

[@redsoxwinagain2007]

Apple cider vintage works better. You also have to be super careful not to leave it soaking for too long or it will eat away at the iron and ruin the surface.

[@ronaldlippe9156]

I'm picking up a couple pro 75s today there a bit rusty but not as bad thanks for the tips

[@KyleMalone]

Awesome. Hope the video helped & that the Pros come out nice!

[@ronaldlippe9156]

@@KyleMalone can't seem to get them apart no Alan key hole will they still come apart with vice grips

[@KyleMalone]

Maybe they're rusted. Could try hitting them with some rust breaker and tapping with a hammer.

[@ronaldlippe9156]

@@KyleMalone it almost seems like they welded that part I'll give it a try thanks

[@tristan7844]

Great video!! Mines is not rusted but the metal is chipping off my dumbells..im guessing from wear n tear from the previous owner..everytime i use it more metal from the service chips off..What can I do?

[@benlamantia1139]

Try using muriatic acid no need to soak just put a bit on wipe it down and tada works like a charm, you can buy it at a pool shop.

[@Yrag510]

The Amazon link does not work

[@pavan634]

Amazon products list is not accessible

[@persadsanjay]

The plates I have are stuck together. How do I separate them?

[@elkhills1]

They turned out great nice job! Since I am a lazy man, and a cheap man, I will share a lazy, cheap mans tip: Vinegar eats rust. You can get a gallon for about $2.50 at Walmart. For about $25 and a good overnight soaking you could probably reduce the manual labor by about 90%.

[@KlaatuVertaNic2]

Link doesn't work anymore to Amazon.

[@Grendelbc]

Certainly a beautiful job. I agree with others that it would have made sense to take dbs apart. I don't really understand soaking the weights unless it's like a hobby for you. I have an extensive collection of used plates and solid dbs (about 5k lbs). Wire brush then wire wheel to get most of the surface rust off then spray with Rustoleum. They're kept indoors so I doubt any rust will ever appear again. I don't bother working on the ones with just a bit of rust. I feel it gives them character.

[@gregorywebster6640]

I came across some old plates and have a question. I thought plates were either 1 inch or Olympic 2" but these old Billard plates are like 1 1/2. Is this common?

[@Grendelbc]

@@gregorywebster6640 Hmmm. I have a lot of the old Billard plates. I haven't noticed any play when I slide them on a 1" bar. Yes, the 1" plate holes and bar diameters are really just an approximation. Some do vary but I don't think I've ever seen a full half inch difference. Maybe some previous owner drilled or ground the holes out for some strange reason?

[@stoneinthefield1]

Angle grinder with wire wheel and Loctite rust converter spray will work 10x faster. Give it a shot next time.

[@whatthe1274]

Nothing better than old rusty used weights 😏

[@KyleMalone]

A good sweaty smelly old weight does the body good!

[@skywizard3319]

Did he really just use a white towel to wipe the rust off?

[@stilllmkp]

for anyone wanting to do tthis dont paint the weights on cardboard , this mainly applies to you if you didnt remove all the previous paint basically buffing because it will peel off when you flip them over

[@stephencraig8578]

Hi, as soon as I dry off the cleaned bar it starts to show rust forming. is there a way that this won't happen? I want to put a clear coat of Rust-oleum on it.If I put oil on it, it won't stick. thx for the video.

[@aztecgladiator13]

I took mine to my job. They sandblasted them. And then took it next door to the painters, (my job we built tanks for the oilfields).

[@Mark-te8ky]

What % vinegar is best?

[@CardinalKaos]

A wire brush bit on a drill saves a lot of hand work

[@KyleMalone]

100%. Great tip!

[@keithymg]

Great video. The dislikes crack me up. U didn't bad mouth anyone. Did a great job so why dislike lol. N no one made u watch the video so why watch if ur not interested. U didn't click bait it. Man the dislikes crack me up

[@maddenwigley3318]

Need a current video of your gains

[@KyleMalone]

Yeah... About that... 😎

[@joedavid4883]

I am having problems with the link to open up for your list. Is this still available?

[@KyleMalone]

Yes, should be working. Maybe give this one a whirl - amzn.to/2W6nB4t or try from a browser instead of app (or vice versa)

[@edmtwo]

How has the coating held up, now that it has been a couple years?

[@thejumpparty9256]

Weirdly perfect. I'd do this exact job again in a heartbeat.

[@meno612]

Link doesn’t work

[@rickrosler]

I can’t get the amazon supply list link to work. Is it still valid? Or, might I be doing something wrong?

[@KyleMalone]

Give this a whirl. I do believe you have to be logged into Amazon for it to work. www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2SH9CIAXUXYNU?ref_=wl_share

[@32srt32]

You are going to stain your concrete with rust if you dont put down some plastic or towels after you are done soaking the weights in vinegar.

[@jaygarcia5659]

I didn't know about the vinegar before I saw this video, what I did was with some rusty weights I found was I knocked some rust down with the wire brush and painted over.should I go back and start over

[@KyleMalone]

Re-doing the whole thing sounds like a nightmare. I'd probably suggest sticking it out with what you've done. If the rust appears again, strip of fwhat paint you can & re-do w/ the vinegar. What it sounds like you've done is fine, vinegar is just a natural acid that eats rusts and would help get rid of "more" rust.

[@jaygarcia5659]

@@KyleMalone thanks 👍

[@alex_jermaine]

If you want to know how to do this the fastest way, here it is: Brush the weights with a wire brush Soak in vinegar and water for 5-10 hours Cover weights in paint stripper and leave for 20-30 min Give one final clean with wire brush to remove the last stuff on there Rinse with water and BAM! That's it!

[@Andre-jp4yt]

but the rust comes back?

[@danielmolchanov9690]

@@Andre-jp4yt could paint them to resist rust/water

[@TheRocksEyebrow20]

Where do you dispose of the vinegar after use?

[@KyleMalone]

Down a drainage ditch should be fine. Vinegar is fine outside (I just read some people use it for weeds). The rust will likely just settle.

[@dancruz89dc]

Do u let the weights hang dry for a wile or can i just wipe em dry and start painting

[@KyleMalone]

After soaking? I'd make sure they're 100% dry before putting any paint on them. I didn't let them hang dry, I had time in between painting but if I were trying to get through, I'd probably just let them lie out for a bit.

[@ABRATPITI]

Hi! Where do you bought all that weights? Thank you!!

[@KyleMalone]

Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, & an app called 'Letgo'. Moving sales have been a good source as well as NO ONE wants to move a bunch of weights and will typically let them go for a good price.

[@betterffd]

@@KyleMalone 😅 realized that when I bought a few hundred lbs of old weights and carried em to my 2nd floor apt.

[@aj12three]

how many cans of paint did you use for all your plates?

[@KyleMalone]

Ah man, I really don't know. All I recall is using more overall than I expected and it actually started to add up in costs a bit. If I were to do it again and had a ton to paint, I'd probably buy a quart (instead of spray paint) and roll it on.

[@TheyCallMePeePaw]

Do you still have any of this that youd part with?

[@KyleMalone]

Coincidentally, I just put a few things up for sale. Am based out of Louisiana. You can reach me @ kyle.t.malone at gmail dot com

[@Xpert2077]

Fill up a bucket with a coupoe gallons of white vinegar, put plates in, leave for 24 hours, remove plates, scub with wire brush, rinse...dunno why he made it way harder than it needed to be.

[@petermchale8965]

Can I send my weights and bench get cleaned of rust Liverpool

[@KyleMalone]

The shipping's going to cost a fortune! Ha

[@illusionist0505]

Instead of a wire brush, if you have a drill, you can find wire brush heads for drill and you go faster and less efort. But thanks for the other tips

[@KyleMalone]

Very good point, I'm going to add this comment to the description. Thanks for sharing!

[@illusionist0505]

@@KyleMalone he he your welcome. Glad I could've helped with a tip like you did heheh

[@KANSASIOUX]

Phosphoric acid… will eat rust. Also use a wire brush drill attachment

[@tomasz9806]

there are many second hand weights on the market that are done this way. Rust painted over flakes of like crazy, you will have less mess if you just use them as it (rusty). The proper way to do it is angle grinder with wire brush wheel, then rust remover, and then just stain these, or use them as is (cast iron will not rust from moisture in the air). canned spray paint flakes and peels like crazy first time you use them, you really need to get the weights either rubber coated or enamelled, none of this methods it cheap.

[@samuils]

The barbells come apart, you could have just removed the plates and the handles instead of taping them. There is a hex screw at each end.

[@narayanafry3314]

Can't find bronze tipped wire brushes anywhere. Did you mean brass tipped? Is it essential that is bronze? Also, what would you do in cases where the chrome plate is badly flaking? Thanks for the great video!

[@BreadAndGatorade]

do 45 fit in that tub? I want to do this

[@KyleMalone]

Yes they do. If they don't fit snug in the bottom, put a few smaller weights in first (tub gets bigger as it goes up). I think I had at least 1 25 in the bottom before laying down the 45s.

[@kouchiseiyaku]

Nice video! How's the equipment looking like now? Did you manage to make it look cleaner? Any thoughts on using a latex paint remover on some dumbells paint it's kinda chipping...

[@KyleMalone]

What's the end game? Planning to remove the chipping paint and re-paint the whole thing? If that's the cast, I personally wouldn't go through the effort to try to strip the whole dumbbell down, I'd remove the chipping pieces w/ a brush & maybe some fine sandpaper and then re-cover the entire dumbbell. I haven't tried latex paint remover but feels unnecessary. Sorry that I missed your comment a few weeks back, did you end up going one direction or another?

[@kouchiseiyaku]

Kyle Malone I actually went through with it and used the latex stripper with some other aircraft stripper ended up quite fine with the removal and repainted them so far way better and no chipping thanks for your input! :)

[@carlosaround]

You don't use the 3 in 1 oil in the weights only with the bars right?

[@KyleMalone]

Correct

[@carlosaround]

@@KyleMalone thanks! Your video was very helpful!

[@Dahon5]

What's the difference if you use regular rustoleum paint instead of spray paint? When you soak in vinegar, how do you get rid of that vinegar smell? :(

[@KyleMalone]

Rust-Oleum is a bit thicker, will cover surface flaws a little better than regular spray paint plus is supposed to prevent rust from getting worse (hence the name). I don't think that I'd consider using regular spray paint... Vinegar smell should go away from the weights themselves fairly quickly. Stand the weights up or maybe throw them out in the sun for a few. If it's really stuck on there, maybe it's caught in some material on the weights that needs to be wire brushed more anyhow. PLUS... Once the weights are 100% dry and you start spraying, that smell will certainly dissipate.

[@Dahon5]

@@KyleMalone Thanks for answering. I was going to use regular Rustoleum black enamel paint vs Rustoleum spray paint. It's just that I'm indoors and don't want to use a spray paint. What would be the difference if I paint on Rustoleum black paint and paint it on with a roller?

[@KyleMalone]

@@Dahon5 Depending on how well you paint & how much time you spend, your final product should be very similar. Spray is just generally easier for these types of jobs & will give you a more consistent finish. Brushing / rolling can certainly do the same thing. Depending on your weight size, I'd maybe get a small 1" brush. You can also look into a small roller as well.